TETSU ラーメン (TETSU in Bunkyo)

TETSU ラーメン


I went to the very famous TESTU ramen shop almost 2 years ago. I remember it from the kanji in for tetsu, 哲, which means philosophy. But in ramen magazines, on ramen TV shows, and on the awning of the store, it just says TETSU.



When I saw the hour long line, I remembered the place instantly. The 400g of hot and cold noodles. The red hot stone you dump into your cooled down soup at the end. And the wait. Usually, a tsukemen place has a swift moving line. But TETSU is no ordinary tsukemen. This one is officially the longest I've waited. Over 1 hour.







Still worth it.



Something I noticed this time was a "how to eat this tsukemen" informational sheet. Well, it's better late than never to learn a valuable skill. Let's go!



Hey, I'm the boss here. Let me show you the super rad way to enjoy out tsukemen!



Tsukemen is noodles that you dip into soup.

"It's the same as zaru soba!"



Atsumori is noodles in hot broth.

"Skipjack tuna flavor, yo!"



Eat it quick! It should sound like ZUZOZOZOZOZO.

"Oh snap, the dipping sauce is flying everywhere!"



If you like, there are seasonings on the counter.

"We've got vinegar, pepper, and hot spice."



After eating the noodles, add some broth to dilute it.

"Mix it the way you like it, wouldn't you agree?"



If your soup is lukewarm, please ask for a hot stone.

"Take it easy!"



Put the spoon into the soup. It should sound like JUWAWAWAWAWAW.

"It's hot! Be careful!"



Drink the soup. When you exhale it should sound like PUHAaaaa.

"Tasty!"

Good luck!







Shop info here.

よってこや (Yottekoya in Bunkyo)

よってこや



Kyoto style. That's what my book said. I recently bought a ramen guide to local style ramen from around Japan in Tokyo. 43 dubbed "ramen styles"... all available in this great metropolis.



One might assume that Kyoto style would be something uber-refined. Kaiseki ryori, Japanese haute cuisine, is analogous with Kyoto. If you pony up to $300 for a proper kaiseki course, expect a dozen or so courses, using only the freshest of seasonal ingredients, expertly prepared by someone trained from a young age, served on immaculate dishware.



This is why I was so surprised by Kyoto style ramen.



A greasy, garlicky mess.



Tons of suspended fat globules, which sound better if you just call it abura. Black garlic oil. Roasted pork. Lets look at the details.

The soup was ok. Pretty basic for this porky style. The addition of the garlic oil was a plus.

The charred pork on top was great. Crispy and tender at the same time. A+.

The noodles were some of the worst I'd had in Japan. I think they used a 20 cent bag of instant noodles. It really killed the dish.

You can choose black, white, or red. Mine is the black.



Nate from Waseda Ramen had the spicy red. He wasn't impressed either.

Shop info here.

胡心房 (Koshinbo in Machida, #30 in Japan)

胡心房



The plan was to go to a shop called 69 N Roll One, out on the far edges of Tokyo in Machida. But they were closed, taking a few days to head up to the annual Nagano ramen festival. So Nate from Waseda Ramen and I found the closest ramen of quality, a place called Koshinbo.



Nate said to me, and I paraphrase here, "I think there's a shop around here with only chicks serving ramen created by a chick."

Ramen being a very "guy" thing in Japan, we had to check this out.



This could go one of two ways.

1. A bunch of fat, drooling dudes coming to idolize the ladies serving up their favorite sustenance.
2. A female friendly shop that anyone is comfortable in

Luckily #2 was the reality. They even have a ladies set which comes with salad. I left my wig at home, so I had to get the standard. Nate added cheese to his, and I went with an extra serving of the house menma.



Well done ladies. A very solid bowl.





Nozu Rie, the owner here, really made a bowl that anyone could get behind. And for someone who is high on the ramen fame-o-meter, she is surprisingly humble, clearing tables and welcoming people to the store. Usually, the more famous a shop gets, the meaner the master's grimace gets. It's nice to see nice food for the nice people.



I had no idea, but this is #30 on my outdated Top 30 in Japan list. Keep in mind, everyone's a critic and there are at least 3 major top of the game lists that come out in various publications or TV shows each month out here.

Shop info here.