Imu party...

Day 1244:

Imu in Tokyo. This could be a first.

So you better grab a Kona beer before they disappear.

Headed by my bro Guy, the 808 crew did it proper.

Kalua pork!!!

This has got to be the first ever Imu backyard party in Tokyo.

And I was honored to be a part of it.

Afterwards Will and I were off to Sakai. But we stopped by Bia Bia to see an old friend.

Bai Bai! See you in Sakai!!

With midnight approaching, a ramen snack was in order. But the only place open was this chain from Kyoto.

Kairikiya (ラーメン魁力屋 堺海山町店).

Okay, that was a little much.

Bia Bia...

Day 1214:

Yesterday, Kurai-san told me about Masoud-san's new shop in Higashi-Koenji. "What? Masoud-san has his own shop??" was my reaction. Anyway, I needed to check it out!

What up Masoud-san!

Shio Ramen!

Oddly similar to you-know-who but with it's own unique twist.

Can't beat the homemade noodles with rye.

And you know I wasn't gonna leave without trying the Shoyu Ramen as well.

I enjoyed this more than the shio.

Especially with the roast tomato.

Congrats Masoud-san!! I'll be back again soon!

Aera in the house.

Domino mu**af***a!

Haha. Miss dem monday menace nights...

Hot money...

Day 893:

Menya Enji used to be one of my favorite tsukemen shops. I suppose it still is, but after years of slurping so many different kinds of tsukemen, it's hard to really choose a favorite.

Today I ordered the Spicy Tsukemen (辛つけ麺).

It's hot!! I like spicy, but this hotness overpowered all that is good about Enji.

Oh no...

Oh yeah!

Oyasumi.

A blur...

Day 718:

The lunch shift was a blur. But afterwards I rode my bike to Barikote (博多ラーメン ばりこて) in Higashi-Koenji.

And after taking this pic, they told me I couldn't take any pictures.

But I took this one anyway. After all, I paid for it so it's technically my property. Anyway, basa is better. I would have gotten kaedama too, but instead....

I went to Enji (麺屋 えん寺).

Normally, I'd go for their tsukemen, but tonight I was in the mood for ramen.

Impressive indeed.

I should have just come here in the first place.

The night shift was a blur within a blur...

Third stop...

Day 651:

It's Obon time again. And due to this, most shops have closed for a few days this week. I was feeling a little better today so I decided to take a ride to find some ramen. My first stop was closed, as was my second. But not my third--Tetsuya (てつや).

Since this was my third stop I decided to get the Third Generation Shoyu Ramen (三代目「てつや正油」 ～匠～).

Supposedly more "old-style" than the original, it had this mysterious concentration of shoyu underneath the negi. It was strong and awesome.

And the starchy Sapporo-style noodles fantastically absorbed the soup.

Not quite 100%, I decided to eat some rice instead of noodles for dinner.

I was good.

Miso craving...

Day 105:

The days are flying by! I move into my new apt tomorrow so on my way to the ward office to change my address I decided to fulfill my miso craving at Misoichi. With over ten shops in the Tokyo area, Misoichi is well-known and well-respected.


But after having tried some of the best miso ramen in Sapporo, this one was just meh. Seriously, just meh.


The only thing memorable about this ramen was the bowl that they used. Called a suribachi in Japanese, using a mortar for a bowl was definitely eye-catching. But that was about it.


Anyway, I ended up riding my bike all the way to the ward office for nothing. They wouldn't let me change my address until after I moved in. So I guess I'll be going back tomorrow...

The temple of money...

Day 83:

Hmm...the temple of money sounds better than the temple of apples. Maybe I should live in Koenji. Anyway, I visited a ramen shop called Menya Enji (en meaning money and ji meaning temple) to treat myself after getting my stitches out in the morning. By the way, the pinky is healing just fine.


Enji has been on my list for quite some time because it is close by and they serve a vegetable potage tsukemen that has been getting some rave reviews lately. Nate's been there, but he ordered the wrong thing and still thought it was tasty.


The noodles are a bit darker than usual which leads me to believe that they use some type of whole wheat flour mixed with regular flour. But that's all speculation so don't quote me on it. haha. They had good bite and on this cold day I definitely went with atsumori. (p.s. the noodles took 6 minutes to cook,)


The soup is a triple mix of tonkotsu, gyoukai (fish blend), and a vegetable potage made with mountain potatoes. It's not extremely thick, but it's smooth and scintillating.


Seriously, this has to be one of the best tsukemen's I've had in awhile. It's hard to explain, but the fish was not overbearing due to the potage and the tonkotsu didn't feel greasy either. I was extremely satisfied with this bowl. Even the self serve soup wari kept the aromas and flavors intact. Impressive!


Afterward, I hung out in the nearby Sanshi-no-mori park where I found two young aspiring comedians practicing their Manzai act into the loud waterfall. It was nice to see others working hard in pursuit of their dreams.


One more night of work, then two days off!!