真武咲弥 (Shinbusakiya in Shibuya)

真武咲弥渋谷店



The search for good miso ramen in Tokyo is never ending.



Sometimes you hope that the quest will be easy. Nothing is easier than a shop that sits adjacent to Shibuya Station. A shop that is open until 7am on weekends (only 5am on weekdays).



Shinbusakiya is part of the Samurai group. I might have been to one of these shops many, many years ago. Well, my opinion on chains, or restaurant groups in general, is usually biased to the negative. I like mom and pop ramen shops, just like most of my readers tend to do.



Shinbusakiya wasn't a bad bowl, but it was nothing stellar. I'd consider it if I was out clubbing at nearby Dogenzaka and had missed my last train. Yeah, this would be an excellent pre-hangover tincture.

This one is Sapporo style, a little oily, with a strong miso taste. Cut it with fresh ginger.



Although I shy away from franchise shops, one cool thing about all that organization and money is that they can give back to the community. Helping children's welfare in Cambodia is a good cause.



I like that you can donate directly from the ticket machine.



Official site here.



東京都渋谷区道玄坂2-10-3
Tokyo, Shibuya-ku, Dogenzaka 2-10-3
Closest station: Shibuya

Open 11:00-5:00am
Friday and Saturday until 7:00am
Sunday until 2:00am

極鶏 (Gokkei in Kyoto)

麺屋 極鶏



A shop worthy of an adventure!



I managed to secure a reservation at a middle-of-nowhere fermented sushi restaurant that had been on my non-ramen list for years. This place was so tough to reserve that I had to settle for a Friday lunch seat, as opposed to the Saturday evening I wanted. That's all well and good, but it meant that I had a few days extra to spend in the area. Camping on the shore of Lake Biwa seemed like something to try.



As did traversing a mountain to get into Kyoto for some ramen. Sure, the train from JR Oimaiko Station is only an hour or so to Kyoto, but the map showed a much shorter route over Mt. Hiei.



So I hiked. This historic mountain was built to protect ancient Kyoto from evil forces to the Northeast. This seemed to work, until the shogun Nobunaga burned the complex to the ground in 1571.

Well, the mountain's rope way was closed, so what should have taken an hour ended up being a four hour hike.



But right on the other side of this historic mountain was my goal, a ramen shop called Gokkei. I wasn't the only one out for ramen that day (though I was probably the only one who hiked a mountain pass to get there). When I arrived at 1:00pm, they added me to the list and told me to return an hour and a half later.



Return I did.



Yes, that is the soup. A chicken porridge. I've never had anything like this before. The closest I can think of is the 100% pork soup at Muttepo, but that would be like comparing apples and oranges, or in this case pork and chicken.



Probably one of the best bowls I've had in Japan. I really fell in love with this one, though the extended journey to arrive here may have played a role.



The only shop in Kyoto from my recent 50-best obsession.



For those not willing to wait so long, you might try coming back at 2:30 on the dot, as they were letting a few people in who didn't have a timed ticket.





京都府京都市左京区一乗寺西閉川原町29-7
Kyoto, Kyoto-shi, Sakyo-ku, Ichijojinishitojikawaracho 29-7
Closest station: Shugakuin

Open 11:30-22:00 (but when I went they were closed between 2:30pm and 5:30pm)
Closed Mondays

七麺鳥 (Shichimencho in Ueno)

七麺鳥



Another day, another shoot with #TokyoExtra. This was the third bowl of the day, so we were pretty tied of slurping. Also, we kind of destroyed ourselves at Kikanbo earlier in the day (check the video!).



To add even more to our challenge, the featured bowl at Shichimencho is covered with triple the meat of your average.



Triple meat and a rich blend of soy sauce from Morita Shoyu, a small brewer from Shimane Prefecture.



This soy blend stands on its own, but it's that meat that draws your eye.



Pork ribs, simmered until tender.

Pork loin, low temperature cooked and coated with black pepper.

Tender chicken, accented with a pink peppercorn.

A trifecta of swine and fowl.



Visually, one intense bowl. I loved the flavors, as well. Each piece of chashu really stands out.



Check the video!







東京都台東区下谷1-13-10
Tokyo, Taito-ku, Shitaya 1-13-10
Closest station: Uguisudani

Open 11:30-15:00, 17:30-22:30
Closed Sundays and Mondays