Only open for lunch, closed 2 days a week, lines reaching close to triple digit minute waits, and a location that is kind of hard to find. I finally made it to Menya Kissou!
Took me long enough! This is the #1 ranked shop on the supleks ramen database, which I link to at the bottom of every post. But Japanese ranking systems are often skewed, and the domino effect is in full force. A shop gets on TV, the next day the line is around the block, then the ranking goes up, regardless of actual quality. But the English ramen blogging world, albeit is reserved for half a dozen people, might have insight that I actually listen to.
Keizo of goramen loved it!
Exile Kiss agreed with the #1 ranking.
Ramen Otaku is down.
Ramen Tokyo liked it but thought it was over rated.
Rameniac was in the Ramen Tokyo boat.
Regardless of the positives and the negatives, I at least had to go once.
The menu is simple. Ramen or tsukemen. Big or small. Normal toppings (egg, nori, menma, and pork). You can get an overpriced beer if you want.
45 minutes later, I was sitting inside, camera ready.
Everything about this bowl is fantastic. Everything. The soup is a thick combination of pork and fish, but not too thick. The noodles are handmade. The pork melts. The egg is perfect.
Look at those. Even though I had just eaten the champion noodles at Rokurinsha, these I have no problem with.
Every review talks about how great the egg is. It's like the common denominator in Kissou reviews. I'll bow out of the discussion I guess, because almost every hanjitsu tamago I've had in the past month has been to my liking. But on a simple thumbs up or thumbs down, you know which way it is.
For someone like me, waiting in hour lines a few times a week is no problem. I kind of enjoy it even. But for a traveler to Tokyo who wants to do anything besides eat noodles in soup, I totally understand how this sort of thing could be a pain. If I had to choose 1 shop with an insanely long lone (hour+), I'd recommend TETSU. No second thought.
An email from ramenadventure fan Dave led me to finally make the adventure out to this shop. Thanks for the bowl! Dave is the 3rd or 4th person to email me out of the blue to hang out and eat ramen. If' I've got the time (I usually do), let's slurp!
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3 comments:
Woot! It was a blast and most certainly, 味噌はとても美味しかった。Thanks again for meeting up Brian.
If any of the rest of you guys get the chance to tag along, definitely give it a shot! Brian is great company and, of course, has great taste.
Doh...bad Japanese. Meant: ラーメンはとても美味しかった。
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