カシムラ (Kashimura in Shinbashi)

あら焼鶏白湯 カシムラ



I might be wrong, but ara is the word for the leftover fish after you fillet away the choice bits. So Kashimura, who's full name is ara yaki tori paitan kashimura is making a creamy chicken soup spiked with parts of the fish best saved for making soup stock.



Very near Tsukiji Market, the cuts are obviously fresh. In fact, their chalkboard let's you know the catch of the day. Today was 目鯛 (Japanese butterfish), インドマグロ (Indian tuna), and 真鯛 (red sea bream) among others.



The special was appealing, ankimosoba, but as it was the first time, I went with the regular menu. Will I return soon for a bowl of monkfish liver miso ramen?



Great soup! Imagine a creamy chicken gravy with heavy hints of fish. The fact that the fish is always different makes this a possible repeater. If the noodles were a bit better, I'd be back in an instant.



Feel free to add an egg or cheese rice bowl. Thicker soups are great with rice.



With no crowd on a weekday, and a location that isn't very close to anything, this is a bit of a hidden gem.

東京都港区東新橋2-10-2
Tokyo, Minato-ku, Shinbashi 2-10-2
6 minute walk from Shiodome Station

Open 11:00-15:00, 17:30-21:00
Saturday 11:00-15:00
Closed Sundays

べんてん (Benten in Narimasu)

中華そば べんてん



Benten has quite a history. The original shop was located in Takadanobaba, and had constant lines until it shut down a few years ago. Speaking to some former Waseda University people (the university most closely associated with the area), the sheer volume of noodles and affordable price was a key point.



Well, the shop was on my list, and all I needed was a little nudge. That nudge came in the form of near-daily twitter messages from Mr. Yuma, a nerd with a unique collection. The above stickers are collectibles from the "Ramen Rally". Little squares of people in the ramen world.



And yes, I have my own.

Well, if you collect these, the process is simple. Visit the shop, buy a sealed pack with a sticker inside, and hope you get the elusive silver or gold version. As with any collectible, some people are downright obsessed, and a shiny gold version of a sticker can be a rare highlight of their week. I think Yuma had visited some shops 10 to 15 times in an attempt to get the gold.

But my sticker is even harder to get! There's no Ramen Adventures store; you have to meet me in person. Hence the many, many messages.



If I sound condescending at all, nothing is further from the truth. Dude just wanted my sticker, and I have no problem meeting strangers for a bowl.



Ah, the noodle serving sizes. Yes, the big size is 700 grams. I'll stick with the small one.



Not really my kind of bowl. It's tsukemen more in the Taishoken style, a style that is underwhelming to me. The only shop I love in this genre is Marucho, and this one is no Marucho.



But Benten is important to the ramen scene, so a visit was in order. Be prepared to wait, there are still many, many fans of this shop.





東京都練馬区旭町3-25-2
Tokyo, Nerima-ku, Asahicho 3-25-2
7 minute walk from Narimasu Station

Open 11:00-14:30
Closed Tuesdays

鳴龍 (Nakiryu in Otsuka)

創作麺工房 鳴龍



Remember all the hype around Michelin last year? Tsuta was the first ramen shop (in Japan) to be given a Michelin star. Kind of a big deal, and the foodie world went nuts. Well, for some reason the people at Michelin decided to give out another star, to a ramen shop just a few blocks away. Congratulations to Nakiryu.





People in the foodie world are generally baffled by this. I'm baffled as well. Now, I don't want to say it isn't deserved. Nakiryu stands as one of the best in Tokyo. Of refined shoyu ramen joints, I can easily put this one in my top 10. Or not. Honestly, ranking ramen shops is a tough game.



For the record, their shoyu ramen is the bomb. Both chicken and beef bones are used, as well as raw oysters. Shoyu from Wakayama, one of the most famous spots for the stuff, makes up the seasoning. The noodles are made in house with four kinds of Japanese flour. Yeah, this is how you make a bowl.



Even though the shoyu or shio are probably the ones that "got the star", I was blown away by the tantanmen.



A creamy base topped with the shop's original spice oil.



Go for the extra spicy one, it wasn't really that intense.

If you come a dinner, I've heard the roasted pork side is a must-order.

By the way, they aren't doing any sort of ticket system, so you'll have to arrive early and line up for a bowl. One or two hours is what I can guess.



In all honesty, I don't think Michelin should be touching b-kyu gourmet, the cheaper, more casual stuff. The original concept of the Michelin guide was to sell tires. You'll need some new tires for the journey to these amazing destinations. And in my experience, the one, two, and three starred places I have visited and really, really loved all involved a journey. Ramen shops can involve a journey, sure, but casually hopping on the train to go for a quick slurp isn't as epic as my road trip last year to three-starred Flocons de Sel, or my metaphorical journey to Sushi Saito (took me many years to get that reservation).



Official site here.



東京都豊島区南大塚2-34-4 SKY南大塚1F
Tokyo, Toshima-ku, Minamiotsuka 2-34-4
6 minute walk from Otsuka Station

Open 11:30-15:00, 18:00-21:00
Mondays 11:30-15:00
Closed Tuesdays