Ramen Adventures

Monday, December 16, 2013

くをん (Kuon in Fukushima)

くをん

My partner in crime over at Weekly Playboy was up in Fukushima sometime last year and had a ramen adventure of his own. He only had a few minutes before his bullet train whisked him back to Tokyo. The nearest ramen shop was Kuon, just a minute from the station. But there was a line. With no time to spare, this random foreigner poked his head in and told the staff that he had to go, but would be fine eating curbside on the street.

That line, coupled with the possible exposure in a major magazine, and the staff hooked him up. He made the train with a minute to spare.

The next day, and the proud momma of the shop's young chef started calling the magazine office. Daily. She was elated that her son's shop was going to be in print, and wanted to know when it would be on stands. We rushed the story out that week.

A problem with any ramen shop that isn't in Tokyo, Osaka, or Nagoya, is that they don't get the recognition they deserve. On the popular Ramendb, a ranking of 2.5 in Tokyo means that you completely failed. A 2.5 up here can mean anything. In this case, it means a winner.

Word of mouth, and fun gimmicks like the ramen moe girls below can go a long way.

Kuon's character is a tough one.

Kuon matches their thick, homemade noodles with a heavy garlic-shoyu soup. This ramen is that kind of ramen.

You'll stink after, guaranteed.

Sure enough, their "inspired character" is a spunky young Namie. This gal spends her free time training at the boxing gym and crushing kilo and a half sized bowls with extra ニンニク.

I went with the regular tsukemen.

Nami-size is almost reserved for children at Tokyo ramen shops. But at Kuon, it was 600 grams. Like Abram, I almost missed my train. This was a massive amount of noodles!

The タローラーメン - taro ramen - can be tricked out to an amazing 2kg. Keep in mind that the train platform is on the 2nd floor, and stairs might be in your future.

Official Site of the Cute Ramen Characters Here

福島県福島市太田町8-3
Fukushima-ken, Fukushima-shi, Otamachi 8-3
Closest station: Fukushima

Open 11:00-15:00, 18:00-21:00
Closed Wednesdays

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Gottsu in Nerima

Ramen Gottsu

Nice new spot a few minutes from Nerima Station.

Even though it looks like there is a lot going on in this bowl, it ended up being quite simple. The gyokai broth, made from flying fish and other savory sea creatures, is smooth. Not much of an impact, but that sometimes makes for an easy-to-crush bowl that is sure to draw regulars.

The chashu, perfect. The spicy miso option, skip it.

The shop looks like they are adding more and more menu items, like a creamy shio, so this might be one to check up on again in a few months.

I wasn't in the mood for sweets (I never am), but they have some nice looking homemade cheesecake for 200 yen.

Bonus . . . ask the owner for a sticker!

Official Site Here

東京都練馬区練馬1-29-16
Tokyo, Nerima-ku, Nerima 1-29-16
Closest station: Nerima

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

Thursday, December 12, 2013

第一旭 (Daiichi Asahi in Kyoto)

本家第一旭たかばし本店

Step outside Kyoto Station, turn right on Shiokoji Dori, and walk until you smell the ramen.

The basic bowl of chukasoba at Daiichi Asahi comes with mounds of tasty chashu and a sprinkling of green onions. Nothing shocking, just a classic bowl. Over 50 years of history here, and the customer base shows it. Old-timers enjoying what they know and love sitting next to tourists like me, waiting for our bullet train back to Tokyo.

I guess my 3pm bowl was eaten at magic hour. Just an hour later, at 4:00, there was a line of 15 people outside. 15 smart people.

Kyoto continues to surprise me the more I visit. I spent less than two hours there, just enough time to crush a couple bowls and buy a new jacket, and spent the rest of my bullet train home in a blissful ramen-induced food coma.

Even though I didn't see one temple or world heritage site, it was a great day.