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.

麺GARAGE 肉ヲ見ル (Men Garage Niku wo Miru in Sangenjaya, Tokyo)

麺GARAGE 肉ヲ見ル

More churrasco ramen?!?!

You bet. More churrasco ramen at a shop called Niku wo Miru. Literally, see the meat.

Choose ramen or tsukemen. Then watch (見る) as they slice roast pork, beef rump, beef butt, roast chicken, and Brazilian sausage on that bad boy.

Charcoal-grilled for a beautiful burn on the outside, with a juicy center.

No need for an explanation.

The soup is a rich tonkotsu gyokai. A great match with the toppings. Fair warning, you'll be done after this shop. Maybe you can get a drink at nearby craft beer bar Pigalle, but you might just want to head home for a nap. 

Thanks boss!

FYI, if you aren't a noodle lover, you can opt for plates of meat sans-carbs.

The homemade noodles are excellent, though.

Another solid spot in Sangenjaya. This area is set to become hipster central, as Sophia (or was it Temple) University will take up residence here soon. There are already craft tacos, incredible Indian, and plenty of ramen shops around.

A little Japanese underground knowledge for you. The number 29 can be read as niku, which is the same word for meat. So on the 29th of many months, meat-centric shops give you something special. Here, it's some charcoal roasted smoked chicken topping free of charge. Solid!