Ramen Adventures

たいよう食堂 (Taiyo Shokudo in Nakano)

2012-02-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

たいよう食堂

The promenade leading to Nakano Broadway, the most random shopping center in the world, is riddled with food. The izakayas hidden down the alleyways are quite charming, but since I was in a hurry, ramen was in order. A light bowl of Okinawa style sokisoba sounded perfect.

I recall I was there shopping for second-hand lenses for my camera. If it weren't for a basic level of self-control, I would have walked away with a couple vintage Beavis and Butthead dolls, a replica machine gun, and a $12,000 wristwatch. That's Nakano Broadway for you. This Okinawan noodle shop suffers from a lack of said self-control. The place is... loud.

The walls serve as a menu, and distractions serve to make it a slow choice.

A bowl of sokisoba; light salt broth topped with Okinawan fishcakes and a mass of slow-cooked pork. You can practically drink the meat, it's so tender.

Add a tablespoon of chili-laced Awamori 泡盛 seasoning (it's booze), and enjoy. I haven't had many bowls in the Okinawa style before, and the ones I have had have been after consuming quite a bit of the booze in question. It's always been good. About the most simple bowl you can imagine.

This stuff isn't often considered in the same sphere as ramen, so research is tough. Let me get back to you on this one.

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東京都中野区中野5-59-6
Tokyo, Nakano-ku, Nakano 5-59-6
Closest station: Nakano

Open 11:00-15:00, 17:00-late

ビンギリ (Bingiri in Ogikubo)

2012-02-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

ビンギリ

Another day, another bowl of tantanmen.

Bingiri in Ogikubo was the last on my list. Spicy, creamy, rich tantanmen is all over Tokyo, if you count all the cheapo jack-of-all-trades Chinese shops. But shops specializing in the stuff are few and far between.

Expect the usual mix of ground sesame, topped with some sansho-spiced meat. It's good, but in all honesty, it got lost in the pile.

The real mark against Bingiri are the hours. Only for a couple hours a day, in the middle of the day, and the shop is not really convenient. A 15 minute walk from Ogikubo. I'm not sure how they stay in business. The area sits on a busy residential street, perhaps local housewives dig this shop.

If you are a tantanmen completionist, go ahead and check them out. If you are a spice completionist, check out their mega spicy bowl, and let me know how it is. It looks spicy.

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東京都杉並区桃井1-12-16

Tokyo, Suginami-ku, Momoi 1-12-16

Closest station: Ogikubo

Open 12:00-2:00

Closed Sundays

牡丹 (Botan in the port city of Misaki)

2012-02-07T01:37:00.000-08:00

牡丹

Not wanting to miss a chance, I said goodbye to my motorcycle friends and headed back into town for another bowl.

It was fairly warm, and I wanted to take advantage of the rare day off. The Misaki Ramen Association (website here) lists a few shops to visit.

I ordered more maguro ramen. This one was almost identical to the last bowl, with the Chinese-style stir fry on top. The only significant difference was that the soup was a lighter shio broth, and in no way as fishy. Better, but honestly I would rather have eaten the maguro stir fry on a bowl of rice.

Maguro rayu. Of course I drizzled some on.

By this point I was sick of gimmicky ramen. Yes, Misaki is the #2 maguro port in Japan, but that doesn't mean that the restaurants are better equipped to prepare the fish here. What it does mean is that the restaurants are catered to the locals; fishermen who want a hot, wholesome meal and a beer after weeks at sea.

I would bet that none of the locals order the maguro ramen.

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神奈川県三浦市三崎3-4-10

Kanagawa-ken, Miura-shi, Misaki 3-4-10

Closest station: Misakiguchi, then a bus

Open 11:30-22:00

Closed Thursdays

港楽亭 (Korakutei in the port city of Misaki)

2012-02-05T01:34:00.000-08:00

港楽亭

Ramen Riders! Round 3!

Jim, James, and Juan joined me on another semi-successful ramen road trip. The concept is simple. Ride motorcycles and eat local ramen. I say semi-successful for a few reasons, which I will get to later. But first, what is this port city of Misaki known for?

Maguro. Delicious tuna. Fresh fish from the waters of Japan are delivered daily, and people flock from all over the country to enjoy the highest quality tuna available.

Right?

Not really. Venture into the local fish market and investigate. There are plenty of local fish here, but maguro is a worldwide business. The most expensive piece I could find is from... Ireland!

About $600. Turns out most of the local waters have been over-fished. I'm not in the mood for a food ethics discussion. The gist is that a lot of fish eaten in Japan comes from anywhere except Japan.

And with the best of the best cuts heading to Tokyo and Kyoto (as with most meats and fish), don't think that you need to visit this place to have an epic tuna experience in Japan.

The Ramen

Misaki, in an effort to attract more publicity, created a ramen shop collaboration. The concept is straight forward; the soup is made of maguro stock, and the toppings must use maguro. The first stop was Korakutei, which is considered the best of the bunch.

Shoyu soup that is extremely fishy. The topping was a sort of fishcake that made me wish I had ordered nothing but the fishcake. Yeah, this bowl was just so-so. Tuna is an uncommon ingredient in soup production, and now I know why. While fish like katsuo or niboshi add distinctive smoky and bitter flavors, the in-your-face fishiness of maguro is a bit too much.

Juan had the bowl topped with a Chinese-style stir fry of maguro, vegetables, and a sweet sauce. Definitely the one to go with. The thick sauce added some much needed dimension to the soup. Juan, a Spaniard who grew up eating his fair share of fish, approves.

Actually, this bowl won 5th place in the fairly famous B-1 Grand Prix in it's category. It's a food competition. Not sure how many entries there were though. Could have been in the single digits.

It should be obvious that I don't want to push anyone to make the trek down to Misaki. If you live in the Yokohama area, and have your own transportation, and have run out of things to do, by all means check it out on a lazy Sunday.

Official Site

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神奈川県三浦市三崎5-1-10

Kanagawa-ken, Miura-shi, Misaki 5-1-10

Closest station: Misakiguchi, then a bus

Open 11:00-20:30

Closed Wednesdays

The Ride

Ah, the ride. We are, after all, motorcycle riders. This particular trip was spent between the expressway and the traffic of Miura. I'm not selling this, am I? Well, the small coastal stretch of the 215 from Misaki to Yokosuka is nice. The rest is just asphalt and trucks.

Hmmmm, maybe I should rethink. I've driven the expressways of Tokyo and Yokohama countless times, so I take it a bit for granted. Actually, for someone new to the elevated toll roads of the area, wonderment at the epic scale of Tokyo is inevitable. From wherever-you-are Tokyo to the Daikoku parking area, you pass by every famous landmark in the city at an elevation of 30 meters. You go over the Rainbow Bridge (the same one from that one scene in Kill Bill). You pop into a tunnel and pop up in the middle of an airport. It's a unique way to see urbanity at it's grandest.

The Daikoku (大黒) parking area is a sight to see. A mega truck-stop on an island in the Yokohama Bay, it is the most convenient place for local car and bike clubs to meet before setting out for trips into the countryside. On any given weekend, expect to see a dozen Italian sports cars, anime-themed compact cars, Harley riding clubs, and the like.

Today was light though, and the only interesting club was the 1970 Lamborghini club. Oh, and the Ramen Riders of course.

Miura is overdeveloped, so don't expect much good riding. The shortest stretch from the expressway to the city is a straight shot down a congested road, though passing is easy. The 215, which hugs the east coast is excellent, but only for about 20 minutes of spirited riding. Then it's back on the expressway, and back to Tokyo.

A more interesting option would be to hop the ferry across Tokyo Bay into Chiba and ride the mountains there. Being late January, that is not a safe option for motorcycles.

A sport bike, a Harley, a sport touring ride, and a supermoto. All we need is a scooter and we'd have all the genres covered.

Thanks for coming out. The next ride will focus more on the riding than the ramen, and include more food options for those with a more... Western palate.

Stay safe out there.

つがい (Tsugai in Kita Senju)

2012-02-03T01:30:00.000-08:00

中華蕎麦つがい

I've been on a tantanmen fix as of late, with spicy soup, creamy sesame, and layers of flavors occupying a lot of thought. Tsugai came recommended, and I came hungry.

Where is this place? Walking down this creepy alley, the smell from a nearby exhaust vent told me I was on the right track. Turns out the light at the end of the dark was the main road.

The menu here is big. Of the shop's regular menu, you can choose red, black, white, curry, or soup-less versions. There is also a shio ramen. They weren't too busy, so the standard tantanmen discussion with the staff ensued.

Can you eat spicy?

Always the first question. Always yes. Though there are a few non-spicy options like the healthy white, I had to try the standard red.

I've found that any shop with the mortar-and-pestle sesame option is good. Tsugai is good.

Very much so. The point of tantanmen for me is always layers. Layers of spice, layers of creamy, layers that disappear and reappear.

Though not as intense as Rashohan, for example, Tsugai's bowl is one of the most balanced I have found.

Go ahead and add the mystery table-side spice. Some sort of salsa verde lookalike. Another layer of flavors.

At lunch, you even get free desert. How good is a black sesame pudding right after all that spice?

Very much so.

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東京都足立区千住3-60

Tokyo, Adachi-ku, Senju 3-60

Closest station: Kitasenju

Open 11:00-15:30, 17:00-23:00

Closed Mondays