Ramen Kagetsu 嵐 - Narita Airport (Day 13)

The sound of airport ramen may make you cringe, but not in Japan! Even though there's hundreds of Ramen Kagetsu's located all over Tokyo in which I'll never step foot in, trying one at the airport is a different story. It's a great way to say sayonara to an awesome trip!


Genkotsu Ramen: This shoyu-tonkotsu soup was surprisingly good and had a nice, rich flavor that doesn't weigh you down. The toppings (chashu, egg, menma, negi, nori) were about what I would expect from a chain--full of preservatives. The curly noodles were also pretty decent for fast-food food-court ramen.


I can't believe this trip has already come to an end. I've been averaging some record hits in the past couple of weeks so thank you all for joining me on this little journey. I hope I was able to give you some good ideas for your next trip. If you're the adventurous type, I highly recommend the Fujisan climb...but make sure to go prepared!

By the way, I did end up going to Bassanova again (for the 3rd time) last night. I'll miss that place the most.

Tsukumo Ramen Ebisu Honten 東京都渋谷区広尾 - Tokyo, Japan (Day 12)

Another reason that dreams do come true, Tsukumo Ramen in Ebisu was worth the trek on my last full day in Tokyo. Did I ever mention that Tokyo is the greatest city in the world for ramen? The best ramen from all around the country somehow makes it to Tokyo and there's no need to leave. I'll surely miss this place!


Sometimes the best stuff is the free stuff. One thing I've noticed with the tonkotsu ramen-ya's is that they have a lot of free stuff--great stuff.


Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen: A tonkotsu ramen with a special shoyu sauce drizzled on top, this ramen was definitely worth the trek. I never thought a shoyu flavor could be so creamy. The toppings (chashu, menma, nori, negi) could have been better, but this is my last day and I'm not going to complain a bit. The noodles were typically thin and delicious. Tsukumo also serves a cheese ramen that I've heard is pretty good, but it'll have to wait.


So I've been debating on whether to pack or visit Bassanova one more time. It's getting late, but then again Bassanova is open late (3am). Maybe I'll pack and then go. Who needs to sleep tonight anyway. We'll see...

Ramen Jiro Mita Honten 東京都港区三田 - Tokyo, Japan (Day 11)

Perfection is a place least visited, if at all, for anyone in search of that bowl, but according to one of LA's most renowned ramen blogger's, he's found it. And after waiting in that same line for almost an hour, I nearly found it too. What I mean is, Ramen Jiro in Mita is probably some of the best and most authentic ramen around, but I just had a horrible time leading up to it. I just don't think I was in the mood to fully enjoy it. No matter, I still wrestled the pig with incredible tenacity.


It finally stopped raining today and the mosquitos were out in full force. I must have been sucked a total of 8 times while standing in this long line. Ramen Jiro is a tiny triangular ramen-ya that can be very entertaining to someone like me or purely disgusting to others. The soup is rigorously stirred with a block of wood that resembles the leg of my dining table and pork fat literally flies everywhere. My clothes afterwards were as if I'd wrestled a pig to the death...I'm still not sure if I won.


ぶた入り Ramen: Ramen with pork is more like ramen with chashu and a huge pile of cabbage and moyashi. There's no napkins and no renge (spoon). Just you and this gigantic bowl. If you desire, they will also pile on the garlic. This geniune bowl of ramen is made with a soul that has been around for a long time. Even though I fasted for breakfast, I still had trouble finishing it, and not to mention the train ride home.


The noodles are incredibly fresh and honest. The most amazing part was the way that they're cooked. The tensho continually adds noodles to a huge vat of boiling water and is able to discern which ones have been cooked to the desired texture. It's pretty amazing if you ask me.


Perfect or not, this ramen kicked my butt! Perhaps I would enjoy it more under different circumstances, but it was still pretty damn good.

Bassanova (The Return) 東京都世田谷区羽根木 - Tokyo, Japan (Day 10)

It's official, Bassanova is now my favorite ramen-ya in Tokyo and so far the only place I've gone to more than once on this trip. If you happen to be in the neighborhood or living somewhere on the planet Earth for that matter, I recommend that you come to Bassanova. You won't be disappointed!

豚濁和出汁肉 Soba: A closer experience with the tondaku wadashi soba containing extra meat has led me to believe that an entirely new generation of ramen is emerging. This half tonkotsu, half seafood blend of soup is pure ramen fusion ecstasy, especially after a night filled with drunken madness. The toppings (thick-cut menma, ham-like grilled chashu, negi, nori) were so good that my keyboard is now soaked with drool. The noodles were also good, but I think I'll ask for the thicker cut next time.


Take one look at the pic below and dare to tell me you don't want to try it.


Tom Yum Soba: Another Thai-influenced ramen at Bassanova is the tom yum soba. If you like tom yum soup then you'll love this ramen. To quote my brother, "Bassanova rocks!"

Kyushu Jangara 東京都千代田区外神田 - Tokyo, Japan (Day 10)

Jangara Jangara Jangara! I just love saying that. While doing some shopping in Akihabara, we skipped the maid cafes and headed to Kyushu Jangara for some more tonkotsu greatness.


My apologies to the store owner for taking this picture. Apparently you can't take pics of the ramen bar. But since I already took it, I might as well show it to you.


Kyushu Jangara "Everything In It" Ramen: If you ever wanted a ramen with everything in it, then this would be it. A silky smooth tonkotsu broth with chashu, buta kakuni, egg, mentaiko, kikurage, negi, and goma. The chashu alone would have been worth it, but two fat peices of buta kakuni were more than I could ask for. I now understand the Jangara hype.


Although I heard a lot of people ordering their noodles extra hard, I just went with the normal texture and it tasted perfect. These noodles really reminded me of soumen and they were very easy to slurp.


Some additional karashi takana in the soup spiced it up a bit. I highly recommend adding some in yours!

Garyu Umami Soba Jiraigen 東京都杉並区和泉 - Tokyo, Japan (Day 9)

If someone were to ask me what my favorite ramen-ya in Tokyo is, I would say Jiraigen (the original soul food noodle) in less than a heartbeat. Seriously folks, there's nothing outrageous about the ramen here, it's just naturally good and incredibly honest. Japanese soul food is synonymous with Jiraigen.


Garyu Umami Soba (shoyu): I once said that this was the best shoyu ramen I've ever had. And now, I will say it again. This is the best shoyu ramen I've ever had!


Funky Chuuka Soba: Sometimes funky means good and sometimes funky means bad. In this case, funky has defined a new level of greatness. Chuuka soba never tasted so good!


The toppings (chashu, menma, mizuna, nori) were great, but the most funkiest were the noodles. Unbelievably good, their structure transcended the most soulful of characters.


You can never go wrong with a huge pile of freshly flavored menma.

Bassanova 東京都世田谷区羽根木 - Tokyo, Japan (Day 8)

You might have thought Day 8 was over, but you were wrong. On a night filled with lightning and thunder, I managed to make it out to Bassanova for a late night ramen fix. Recommended by Ivan, I was on course to try something suprisingly untraditional.


Bassanova is a clear favorite that has been moving up in its rank among the ramen faithful. If it wasn't for Ivan we may have never known its greatness, and I do believe they can someday soon give Menya Kissou a run for its money.


Green Curry Ramen: Are you kidding me?!! Green Curry Ramen? Are you kidding me! This stuff is crazy good!! I mean crazy good!!! Did you hear me? Wow!! I mean WOW!!! Seriously, it was darn good. A ramen fused with Thai influence is peace and harmony mixed with creativity that is out of this world. The toppings (chashu, menma, negi, glazed scallions, mizuna) were unbelievably good. But honestly, anything added to this soup would taste great. The noodles were thick and chewy with perfection surrounded by more perfection. This ramen was incredible! I highly recommend it if you're in the area.


豚濁和出汁 Soba: The tondaku wadashi soba was also quite delicious, but Bassanova is all about the green curry. This ramen featured a thinner hakata style noodle with a delicate shoyu taste, but only order it after you've tried the green curry.


As you can see below, it was raining really hard when we left. Bassanova was definitely worth getting drenched for. I would say that this is a must try if you're in Tokyo. If you don't like it, I'll even personally reimburse you for your meal.

Hachiya - Yokohama, Japan (Day 8)

You might remember Hachiya and their grilled lard from a previous post and how incredible I thought it tasted. Well, I wasn't gonna leave the museum without giving a another try.


特製 Tanmen: The soup for this tanmen was its shio base with a hint of vegetable and seafood that came from the toppings. It was nice to have vegetables in my ramen for a change. Hachiya does not disappoint.


Shoyu Ramen: This is the ramen I fell in love with on my first visit. Although time has passed, the love has not faded.


Shio Ebi Wonton Men: This is what my brother ordered and I didn't get a chance to try the wonton's but from what he says they were damn good. He fell in love with Hachiya too.


My one-year-old niece is already developing the traits to become a great ramen slurper. It must be in the genes!

Chuuka Soba Ichiriki - Yokohama, Japan (Day 8)

The newest edition to the Raumen Museum's family is Chuuka Soba Ichiriki, which opened in May of this year.


Originally located in Tsuruga, a city known for its fresh seafood and a nuclear power plant, Ichiriki has mutated its Chuuka Soba to new levels.


Chuuka Soba: This ramen was indeed sharp and not your average chuuka soba. It cut through my taste buds like a finely crafted samurai sword. The special pepper blend floating in the soup may be a bit overbearing for some, but I thought it was magnificent. The toppings (chashu, menma, shoga, negi) were a bit on the average side, but good nonetheless. The noodles were very fresh and similar to a place like Harukiya.

Ide Shoten - Yokahama, Japan (Day 8)

After once having a chat with the owner of Chuuka Soba Gomen and learning that his soup was based on Wakayama's Ide Shoten (he apparently paid to train there), I couldn't wait to get back to the Raumen Museum and give it a try. After already trying the instant version with mixed results, I had a feeling the real stuff would not disappoint.


Direct from Wakayama where they would average 900 bowls of ramen a day, Ide Shoten has perfected the tonkotsu-shoyu flavor of its region.


Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen: A deep, rich shoyu flavor that is one word...gooood! Although it's just a mini, it still represents all the components of the regular size. The toppings (chashu, menma, negi, kamaboko) are all mouthwatering. And the noodles are still some of the best around.


Although Ide Shoten is still many levels above Chuuka Soba Gomen, I do taste a similarity in the soup. If only Gomen could have matched the recipe exactly...

SHINYOKOHAMA RAUMEN MUSEUM - Yokohama, Japan (Day 8)

A lot has changed in the 8 months since my last trip. The entire first floor has been rearranged with more museum-like exhibits containing tributes and education materials. And apparently there are 28 types of ramen now (I'll have to update my map when I get back). Anyway, I'll leave you to enjoy the pics.