Sunday, June 5, 2011

さぶちゃん (Sabu-Chan in Jimbocho)

さぶちゃん

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I pass by this shop on an almost weekly basis, but never even noticed it until I was on an unrelated adventure to buy gas for my camping stove. Searching for the outdoor shop, I turned down a nondescript alley. Jimbocho is the place to go in Tokyo if you want to buy outdoor sporting goods, by the way.

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The line is always long. Even longer is the history.

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Kinoshita-san, a chain smoking old ramen chef, has been serving up classic Tokyo noodles for ages. He is truly a ramen master, working tirelessly day after day. Focusing on his customers.

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Even when a reporter from Tokyo TV was asking him questions, he remained 100% on the ramen. She decided, instead, to interview me. What followed was not fit for television, as my Japanese language skill was a little rusty that day.

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Simple and good. But Sabuchan is only half famous for their ramen. Their claim to fame is in 2 parts. The ramen, of course, and...

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... a side order of fried rice. This may seem normal, but Kinoshita-san was the first guy to put these 2 menu items together. Someone had to be the pioneer, no? A lot of the seasonings can be used for both the soup and the rice.

It should be noted that the menu has only a couple options, but everyone gets the half and half special.

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Very normal, but great. If you are trying to capture the history of ramen in this great country, Sabuchan is a must stop.


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東京都千代田区神田神保町2-24
Tokyo, Chioda-ku, Kandajinbocho 2024
Closest station: Metro Jinbocho

Open 11:30-15:00, 16:20-19:30
Closed Sundays

4 comments:

Nate said...

dude, i'm so glad you made it here. as far as i'm concerned, the whole experience is unmissable. Probably the best fried rice I've ever had in my life, next time I'm here, I'm definitely ordering a full plate of it. Your pics are always great, but the ones of the boss here are really top quality.

Anonymous said...

Amazing. We went here about five years ago, and utterly loved this joint. The fried rice was unforgettably good.

keithybloodygeorge said...

Have to agree about the fried rice here, just so good! My wife wasn't turned on by the decor but hey ramen hunting is more of a man's sport :)
This was great for the ramen and the step back 50 years in time, definitely worth the visit, thanks

Ramen Adventures said...

Glad you enjoyed it. This place is an important part of Tokyo food history!