雲林坊 (Yunrin in Kudanshita, Tokyo)

雲林坊 九段店

Hot and numbing tantanmen was declared the ramen trend of 2019, with shops like Yunrin taking the lead.

Choose your levels of heat and choose your levels of numb.

As these bowls are on the sloppy side, a paper apron is a wise choice for those wearing anything lighter than black.

This one was standard. It's a bit nutty from the sesame and peanuts, a bit smoky from the mara spices, and a bit chewy from the noodles. Be careful not to get more spice than you can handle.

Mix the rice bowl into the leftover sauce to get every last bit.

Official site here.

牛王 (Gou Beef Ramen in Kawasaki, Kanagawa)

牛骨らーめん 牛王

Where's the beef?



Out near Musashi-Shinjo Station apparently.

I was in the area to visit a California style burrito spot I heard about and left enough room to crush a quick bowl. FYI, Cactus Burrito is the bomb.

Back to the beef.

Beef bone soup topped with thin slices of roast beef. A little tomato adds to the umami.

This soup is 100% beef and a mix of ten vegetables. Refreshing stuff.

The raw egg on the side works as a dip for the sliced beef. Much like sukiyaki or certain kinds of yakitori, in Japan people love dipping meats into a raw egg. You should too.

Official site here.

用心棒 (Yojinbo in Hongo, Tokyo)

用心棒 本号



Oh, Jiro-kei, our on-again off-again love affair continues.



Jiro-style, known as Jiro-kei or Jiro-inspire is defined by thick, wheaty noodles in a pure pork soup, topped with bean sprouts, raw garlic, and as much seabura pork back fat as you can handle. It tends to be too heavy for me, so I only eat the stuff a few times a year. Some people, known lovingly as Jirorians, eat the stuff a few times a week.



Enter Jiro-style mazesoba. Soupless ramen with all those tasty toppings. This is something I can eat without the aftereffects of drinking the fattiest soup on Earth. Sure, your breath is destroyed for the next 12 hours, but maybe your stomach is not.

Raw garlic, raw ginger, spicy bits of tempura batter, fatty pork, and both a raw egg and cooked egg. Junk food extraordinaire. All these toppings are free, and you can ask for it mashi if you want extra. Garlic mayonnaise, also free, is optional.



Mix it up and enjoy your life. Please listen to me. Don't get a large size if you don't know what you are in for. Even the smallest serving of noodles here is much more than a normal bowl of ramen.

You've been warned.