田なか (Tanaka in Otsuka)

志奈そば 田なか



重濃鯵ニボそば. Jyuko Aji Nibo Soba. Super thick mackerel and sardine noodles. That's what you will get at Tanaka on a Friday, when the menu slightly changes.



Tanaka bills itself as shinasoba; Chineses-style ramen. But, like most newer shops serving shinasoba, this a wholly Japanese take on noodles. And a very unique one at that.



Certainly well-regarded by the usual suspects, what makes this one so special?



To start with, the soup is a one-off creation. Inspired by the Chiba seaside, where shop master Tanaka-san spends a lot of time surfing, large amounts of dried sardine and horse mackerel are the first thing you notice. The next thing that hits you is the thickness. By using more konbu seaweed than normal, the soup becomes thick and packed with umami. It's very different, and very good.



The images are from Friday's limited menu, where he blends the normal stock with a heavier chicken broth. Both this and the regular bowl are stellar, but I prefer the normal, fish and konbu only bowl that you get on regular days. Friday's version is a bit extreme.



Tanaka-san commutes from the far side of Chiba every day; a trip that takes almost two hours. But we, the customer, could have it no other way. It's that surf, that closeness to the ocean, that comes through in his ramen.





東京都豊島区東池袋2-19-2
Tokyo, Toshima-ku, Higashi Ikebukuro 2-19-2
Closest station: Otsuka

Open 11:00-15:00, 17:00-22:00
Saturday 11:00-15:00
Closed Sundays

かつお拳 (Katsuoken in Asakusabashi)

らーめん かつお拳




When one of Japan's most famous ramen critics tells you about a new shop, you go as soon as you can. That's just what Ishiyama-san did.



Ishiyama-san with two of his latest books. He has over a dozen ramen books to his name. On the right is a fun manga giving info on the roots of 30 Tokyo shops. On the left is his new English guide to ramen. Direct competition with my book? You bet! Grab a copy here.



Back to the recommended ramen. Katsuoken promised copious amounts of, you guessed it, katsuo.



Bonito. Skipjack tuna. This is the fish that, when paired with konbu seaweed, gives that explosion of umami flavors we know and love. There is a rather new, and completely awesome ramen site out there called Ramen Chemistry that breaks down all that umami stuff. Give it a read if you want to know more.



Along with the soup already having quite a lot of the stuff, a strainer of dried katsuo flakes lets you treat your bowl like a fishy cup of tea.



I love that katsuo isn't fishy at all. More of a smoky, dried taste. American ramen shops have been known to substitute bacon for katsuo, but that is only because it is harder to get the good stuff in the States.

Toppings were good on the 870 yen special version, but I'd say stick with the regular. Yes, it is the button on the upper left of the ticket machine. Rule #5 at ramen shops, the upper left will get you something great.



Why not go for the biggest bowl?



Definitely to save room for a タタキ丼, a rice bowl covered with seared and seasoned katsuo.



Asakusabashi now has three very distinct, very awesome ramen shops. Katsuoken, Rokutsuki, and Motenashi Kuroki. East-siders celebrate!

I made a video here with AKB48 and #TokyoExtra.








東京都台東区浅草橋1-24-5
Tokyo, Taito-ku, Asakusabashi 1-24-5
Closest station: Asakusabashi

Open 11:30-15:00, 18:00-21:00
Closed Sundays

づゅる麺 池田 (Zyurumen Ikeda in Meguro)

づゅる麺 池田




Zyurumen Ikeda is another shop that Kansai-based ramen blog Philoramen recommended for their shio tsukemen. This Meguro-based shop, like many quality tsukemen makers has homemade noodles and a line of hungry guys and gals outside.



Just as Philoramen can't resist the search for salty shio tsukemen, I can't pass up a limited gentei bowl of cold summer noodles. Hiyashi hunting during the hot months makes me very, very happy.



So when I saw that Zyurumen Ikeda had a limited bowl called 冷やしジャマイカ - Cold Jamaica - I departed from the recommended norm.



Jamaican-style soupless noodles.



What made them Jamaican? To start, a spicy jerk chicken saute added a nice kick. Add to that banana chips, of all things, and you have a slightly sweet, slightly spicy flavoring to the shop's amazing noodles. Yes, the noodles here are fantastic.

I could see myself coming back to this shop to try their regular fare. Their most popular item, the tsukemen, looks to be similar to Fuunji's version, one of my favorite in Japan.



Official Site Here



東京都目黒区目黒1-6-12
Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Meguro 1-6-12
Closest station: Meguro

Open 11:30-15:00, 17:00-23:00
Closed Saturdays