鬼金棒 (Kikanbou in Kanda)

カラシビ味噌らー麺 鬼金棒

Ramenate and I headed out to Kanda on what would be one of our last ramen adventures together for the near future. We've got to make every bowl count!

With a friendly looking oni (Japanese demon) above the door, this place is pretty inviting. By the way, the name of the shop refers to the metal club that the oni bashes you senseless with.

What, in the world of ramen ingredients, could bash your head in with a giant metal rod?

How about not just one crazy spice, but two. Choose your level of kara, the regular hot, and your level of shibi, the shop's special sanshou mix. Sanshou is also known as numbing pepper. It's illegal in some states in America. It's really good.

More oni.

They are watching you.

Amazing. This bowl is regular spice, extra numbing. Good choice for someone who can handle a little heat, but still wants to taste the soup.

Nate went with oni-level of both spices. Reader beware. The numbing spice actually kills a lot of the initial heat, which creeps up a few minutes later. This is dangerous (and delicious) stuff.

Kikanbou gets a high rating in my book. I'll even say that if you are a fan of miso and/or spice, it's a must visit.

Check out my video review here!

More Shop Info Here

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満来 (Manrai in Shinjuku)

満来

A friend from Fukuoka was in town and had a ramen adventure plan of her own. Manrai boasts massive amounts of chashu pork, she said. Her friend raves about it, she said. Let's go, she said. Here we go!

At 1400 yen, this is a really expensive bowl.

With a ton of pork.

No, seriously, this was a lot of pork. The piece in back was almost an inch thick.

I don't get the appeal. It's very hard to eat. Sure, if this was some ultra tender, melt in your mouth pork I could go with it, but it was fairly normal. Some other people ordered one of these for 2. Smart move.

Also, the noodles are very flat, and will become soggy before you finish the first piece of meat.

Mottainai, as we say.

You can also order natto ramen. With a side of butter. If you want.

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ココスの坦々麺 (Tantanmen at Cocos Family Restaurant)

ココス

There are a few chains of family restaurants in Japan. A family restaurant is akin to a diner in America. Like Denny's (which happens to be here too). Skylark, Denny's, Joyfull, Cocos, Gusto, Royal Host, the list goes on and on. These are everywhere, especially out in the more rural parts of town. You can expect a decent meal for about 1000 yen, a self service drink bar, and yes, ramen on the menu.

Also come expecting lots of specials and seasonal fare. It's summer, so a cold tantanmen made with soy milk is perfect to cool down your body, while the addition of some spicy rayu makes you sweat. Nature's AC!

Anyways, it's just so so. The soup was nice, the noodles mediocre, and that pile of meat inedible.

Don't forget the drink bar! Cocos is my favorite of the lot, they have tea you can brew yourself, and lots of coffee drinks. I suggest a hot cocoa, an espresso, and some steamed milk. Then mix it up!

Happy summer (I promise to eat some real ramen again soon).