Billed as a miso ramen with "impact", Kai was on my list. In fact, that's the most important aspect of miso for me. You want a bit of a shock when you first sip that soup. As the overused phrase goes; No Impact, No Life. Or something like that.
After a midday lesson, I raced my student here. Him on the train, and me on the bicycle. Arriving a few minutes early, I circled the block to find about 4 or 5 ramen shops with lines out the door. Good sign... for the neighborhood. Kai had no line. Bad sign... for the shop. But the fact that it's a bit of an adventure to find this shop (the door is a bit nondescript) might affect it's popularity. Let's hope that's the case.
At the first taste, this shop should have a line. The shops original 3 miso blend is very dark and, when mixed with the fishy stock, makes for that desired impact. The pile of onion gives a sweetness to the whole thing. All in all, not the most amazing miso, but for someone who has to try them all, you won't regret it.
On the way home I noticed this! How sad, that shop was cool!
7 comments:
He is relatively new in business, or so you think?
This shop will definitely go on the short list of ramen shacks to visit the next time I am in Tokyo.
Mainly because it is less than 150 meters from this spectacular shop on Hakusan Dori of which I was able to substantially reduce its cluttered aisles and shelves of previously-viewed JAVs priced at only ¥100! YAY!
Yes, I'll absolutely go there again. 3=D#
Unfortunately, Hakusan Ramen didn't get along well with the local residents. They moved to Itabashi.
http://gourmet.livedoor.com/restaurant/2783/map/
As in the case of Rokurinsha, locals are making successful ramen places difficult to operate.
I've seen the new Hakusan Ramen, but heard bad things about it. I'll try it someday.
No wonder the good citizens of Hakusan kicked them out, no. On a more serious note, I went there often almost twenty years ago. It's sad.
Argh. I was here in the neighborhood shopping (for you-know-what); but I made the wrong turn out of the Jimbocho station exit A3. I wound up on Yasukuni. After being unable to find Kai (because it is on the avenue one block north of Yasukuni), I wound up having shrimp ramen [¥1,000] from the Chinese restaurant literally only centimeters away from here.
Next time. 3=O)
Double argh. I somehow failed to eat here again in December 2012.
I had spent an exhausting day of shopping for you-know-what in the shops along Hakusan. I recalled Kai was on the block north of Yasukuni.
But I was distracted by a queue for what turned out to be a Ramen Jiro.
I am glad to announce that I ate all of it.
Incredibly, when I finished, I forgot the shopping bag with my purchases under my seat as I hastened to leave (it seemed that the shack was closing, so I didn't want to delay them further). I was regathering myself on the corner outside when a person from inside popped out the entrance with the bag. (!) Would that have been embarrassing. 3=S
Don't worry! Some things will never leave Jimbocho. A wealth of literary history means that the books will always be there. And being the HQ of many other "publishing" firms means that ramen and other cheap eats will stay as well!
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