Miso battle...

Day 363:

I tried to go to the gym today and they were closed again! Apparently their day off is Monday and all this time I never knew. Well, now I know.  So like always, I decided to go eat some ramen instead. And to make it a little bit more interesting, I decided to go on a miso comparison battle between two of the best miso shops that Tokyo has to offer. In the red corner was Sapporo Junren (純連) in Takadanobaba, the sister shop of Sumire.

With its Sumire relation and countless blessings from celebrities to ramen gods, this shop is probably one of the more famous miso ramen shops in Tokyo.

And the miso ramen definitely lives up to the hype. Pure Sapporo style. Oily and hot!

Although this bowl will never compare to the bowl I had at Sumire, the traditional curly, yellow noodles really came close.

I was pleased as you can see.

(A 30 min train ride later...) In the blue corner was Nidaime Tsujita's Miso No Shou (二代目つじ田 味噌の章), one of Tsujita-san's shops entirely devoted to miso ramen.

I first fell in love with this bowl at the Odaiba ramen park last year and I've always wanted to come try the real deal. Not exactly "Sapporo-style" but Tsujita-san's interpretation is ingenious. And it's flavor is fantastic.

The noodles were similar to what we use in the green curry, maybe even the same. Perhaps a chewier noodle would work better, but I have no complaints either way.

The menma was astonishingly dark and its flavor hit legally below the belt.

Without a clear knockout (aside from my stomach), this miso battle has been declared a draw. Both are worth checking out and both will easily pacify a miso ramen craving. Word...

And what's a day off without hanging out with some friends at my favorite ramen shop.

7-11 oden is the best!!

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