虎洞 (Kodo in Kichijoji Winter Release)

虎洞



Every season brings a new release at this Kichijoji shop. I had the spring release, a shrimp soup with shrimp wonton and asparagus. I had the summer release, a spicy dipping noodle. I missed the autumn. And now it's the winter one.

The broth has almost no flavor. The noodles were way soft. The cabbage didn't add much. Is this a complaint? Not really. This ramen would be great as a chicken soup substitute for the sick. About half a dozen won-tons add to this. Actually, it tastes almost exactly like won-ton soup at Chinese restaurants in America.

If you are easy to get jealous, you will see what other people are eating and suddenly that green eyed monster will rear it's head. There is something called "mega meat" I think. It's the polar opposite of light and healthy. But sometimes the body needs to cleanse for a little.

Refreshing is a good adjective.

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一風堂 (Ippudo in Kichijoji)

一風堂



Straight from the streets of New York comes Ippudo. Whats that? It was here in Japan long before? Oh.



Ippudo is big in recent ramen news.

You see, Ippudo took the New York scene by storm, becoming a very trendy spot in one of the trendiest cities in the world. I hear it's good stuff, loyal to the shops out here in Japan. I'm all for ramen expansion across the globe. I only knew instant noodle ramen when I lived in California. To someone who doesn't understand, it's like comparing Spaghetti-Os with homemade family recipe spaghetti at a little shop in Napoli.



The menu is simple. You can get the traditional shiro motoaji (白丸元味) Hakata style ramen, or the modern akamaru shinaji (赤丸新味) style, which adds garlic oil and a stronger soup. There are a few other things on the menu, I hear the gyoza is good. Also, there are "Hakata Buns" which use the same pork from ramen in a bun with some toppings. They looked good too. Future prospects.

Ippudo should be on every first timers list. It a great intro to the creamy smooth soup that comes out of Hakata in Kyushu. Ichiran is another choice for this style, but I don't like the solitary seating style at that one. Ippudo is a much more social type place. The one in Kichijoji is downstairs, open very late, and comfortable to hang out in with friends.

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汐留ラーメン (Shiodome Ramen in Shidome)

汐留ラーメン



Actually, I went here almost a year ago. This was before I started my ramen hunting adventures. It was December 8th, 2007. I had just moved from Kure, a city in Hiroshima prefecture, and hadn't had good ramen in a really long time. But I knew one guy who could set me straight.



Jackie Chan!



A few days prior he had been to this area and ate here. Actually, this shop is in the NTV building. So maybe it's sort of a celebrity hangout. Don't expect to meet Jackie Chan. If you are lucky, you could meet a Japanese celebrity, like that guy who dresses like a school girl and beats people with a kendo sword. Or that dude who counts, and every time he says "8" he makes a funny face. He's very popular (in Japan).



The ramen here was created by some guy who won some TV contest. That's all I know. I told you, it was like a year ago, before I became a ramen maniac.



The soup is a soy sauce broth with seafood used to flavor it. I remember it being on the strong side.



At the end of the meal, toss in a bowl of rice with fried pork into you soup. Yum.

Sorry, that's all I have to say. This was so long ago, but I remember that day. You can go to Shiodome station and find this place.

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