護摩龍 (Gomaryu Hell Ramen in Gotanda)

地獄の担担麺 護摩龍 五反田

Welcome to spice hell!

Just grab a spoon out of the last customer's leftover skull.

This tantanmen is no joke, though the laughing skulls on top of the ticket machine might think the whole ordeal is hilarious.

地獄系担担麺

Hell-style tantanmen.

I think I got to level 3. To be honest, my tolerance for heat isn't so great. I'm strictly middle of the road. Keep anything above a jalapeno away from my sensitive mouth.

That said, this was in no way a medium level of spice. Every bite burned. But I tolerated it, and though the next day wasn't one I want to remember, the rest of the present day was kissed by the tinge of a capsacium high.

Be sure to temper the leftover soup with some white rice. The natural creaminess of it mellows the fire a touch.

Official site here.

銀座八五 (Ginza Hachigo in Ginza, Tokyo)

中華そば 銀座八五



The new kid on the block is Hachigo in Ginza. Just a short walk from the station. In case you didn't know, Ginza closes their main drag to cars on the weekend, letting pedestrians take to the famous street. You can stroll around as you like. You don't even need to buy any Mikimoto pearls or Fendi bags.



Yes, Ginza can be pricey. When Hachigo opened, they opened with a simple concept. The name is simple; hachi (eight) go (five). Once you see the menu you might understand. The ramen here is only 850 yen. Very high-quality ramen at a very good price.



They also have a 3000 yen seasonal bowl, though half a year after opening they still haven't been able to produce.



At this price point, you would expect something basic. Basic is as far from the result as possible.



Ramen hospitality. Hachigo makes a bowl without tare, the seasoning liquid that is usually a key ingredient in ramen. They opt for French salt instead. I've never known any other shops to make ramen like this; tare is the "secret" ingredient that makes high-end ramen shops stand out.

The stock is a meaty mix of chicken and duck, with accents from shellfish and ham.



Topped with a beautiful slice of chashu pork. All for 850 yen.



Expect lines. People line up, in the rain, an hour or so before they open. The hype may have died down since they opened in December of 2018, but you'll likely wait.



日本語こちら。

せんだが家 (Sendaga-ya Mazesoba in Shinjuku, Tokyo)

せんだが家 まぜそば

I visited this newish mazesoba spot to film for YouTube. Three Minute Ramen!



Well, this idea of doing short, 3-minute videos on my YouTube channel was a failure. I blame the algorithm. Once I started doing shorter content, my views went from upwards of 50,000 views per video to around 5000 views per video. People in the know say that the YouTube algorithm, the function that suggests and automatically plays videos for users, now wants videos that are more than 10 minutes in length. So no more short videos.

Soupless mazesoba four ways. Aka, shiro, ki, and tsumi. 赤、白、黄、罪. Red, White, Yellow, and . . . sin?

Red must be spicy. In this case, it is similar to the Nagoya Taiwan style mazesoba.

White uses a homemade seasoning liquid, chashu, and raw egg. It's a mild choice.

Yellow is a curry thing.

Sin is garlic and fat. Jiro-style.

The shop has a chill vibe with tables, alcoholic drinks, and appetizers. Take your time.

The red is the one to get. A little spice, cubed chashu pork, and enough green onion to cover half the bowl. This is the style made famous by Hanabi in Nagoya and served all over the place these days. Soupless noodles are a trend, especially among overseas ramen lovers. I can see why; mix-em-up noodles are the ultimate junk food.

Add a little white rice at the end to sop up the extra sauce.

Crushed it!

Solid snack.

More drinks.

More snacks. This is a fun spot that just so happens to be a block from the reformed Olympic stadium. I tried to get tickets via the Japan-residents lottery but was denied. If anyone wants to take me to the opening ceremony, I'll treat you to a bowl and drinks here after!