Tuesday, July 16, 2013

おっぱいラーメン (Oppai Ramen! in Meguro)

ラーメンBAR スナック、居酒屋。

_DSC3089.jpg

Yeah, the shop name is actually "Ramen Bar Snack Izakaya", but this place is only known by one name.

The oppai ramen shop.

_DSC2737.jpg

And ramen definitely isn't the main reason we first heard about it.

_DSC2742.jpg

But let's talk about the ramen. The spot is a bar, and this is a bowl to have with your drinks. Heavy on the aosa seaweed, and heavy on the external flavors. A lime and some spicy yuzu all get in the bowl. Add in some katsuo oil and things are bordering on overpowered. Just at the border is where you want to be with bar food, though. The result is a strong ocean taste that matches well with a few beers, a glass of shochu, and some cocktails. I think we had a tequila shot in there as well.

_DSC3102.jpg

I'm sure 90% of the readers just scrolled past the ramen to get to the oppai. Japanese lesson for you. Oppai means . . . ummm . . .

_DSC2909.jpg

. . .

_DSC3008.jpg

_DSC3168.jpg

Miss Takako Hayakawa runs this one-woman show.

_DSC2938.jpg

Between lighting cigarettes and pouring drinks, toasting and chatting,

_DSC2954.jpg

she is making the ramen.

After spending her teens and twenties working as a hostess, she made the jump to her own place. And her own place just had a one-year anniversary. Congrats.

_DSC3257.jpg

This shop is in a rather subdued building that looks like it could be someone's home. Someone's home, with each room divided into thirds, and each third belong to a separate bar. Yeah, this building is home to anywhere from half a dozen to more than ten bars.

Only in Japan.

_DSC2731.jpg



東京都目黒区目黒本町4-3-14
Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Megurohoncho 4-3-14
Closest station: Musashikoyama

Open evenings until late

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I wish I knew about this place when I was there last February lol Bit far from my hometown in Itabashi-ku (very close to Ramen Hajime らあめん 元) but will definitely visit there next time, thanks for sharing!