斑鳩 (Ikaruga Ramen in Kudanshita)

斑鳩



九段　斑鳩（いかるが - 東京都千代田区九段北1-9-12
Kudan Ikaruga - 1-9-12 Kudankita, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
From Kudanshita station, walk north from the big intersection for a couple stop lights and turn right. It's on the right side.

This ramen shop was ranked #10 in Japan. Another tip of the hat came on a TV special dedicated to ramen that appeals to women. You see, ramen is kind of a guy thing in Japan. I don't know why this is, I've enlisted plenty of girls to accompany me on ramen hunts, but the truth is that you rarely see a female in a ramen shop. But here at Ikaruga, it was about fifty fifty.

Maybe it was the decor. The walls weren't covered with old business cards, there were actual tables to sit at, lighting was good.



Maybe it was the staff. They wore sharp black uniforms and were mostly young. They spoke with a very feminine tone. Normally, when you leave, you hear a round of arigatou gozaimasu being screamed with as much energy as can be mustered. The masu at the end is short and strong. But here the masu was long and drawn out and kind of sweet sounding. Very distinct.



Or maybe it was the ramen itself. This one was particularly creamy. Thats what stuck out the most. No strong flavors or unsightly strips of fat on the pork. A little heavy, but in a good way.

Here's the women's ramen video. Ikaruga is the fourth one.