Tokyo Ramen Trip 2008 - Day 2 (Part 3)

SHINYOKOHAMA RAUMEN MUSEUM (Part 3)

The gift shop offers plenty of instant ramen packages of your favorite ramen to take home. I couldn't resist buying almost every kind they had, but since they all probably wouldn't fit in my suitcase, I only bought the ones pictured here.


Here's some varieties of canned ramen and udon that I've found along the way. I have yet to try them, but I can tell you that the noodles are made out of konyaku--a jellylike potato flour that doesn't expand.


Instant Santouka, Rameniac's favorite ramen in a box.


Credits go out to all the people we talked with and all the people who wrote the various brochures we read at the ShinYokohama Raumen Museum. I can't wait to return.

Tokyo Ramen Trip 2008 - Day 2 (Part 2)

SHINYOKOHAMA RAUMEN MUSEUM (Part 2)

Hachiya - Asahikawa City: The story behind this ramen-ya is a very interesting one. Originally an ice cream shop, Kato-san was so impressed when trying ramen for the first time, he made a heroic attempt at creating a version of his own. With a bit of luck and perserverance, this original ramen became an instant hit. Then, in 1964, Kato-san was involved in a car accident and experienced a severe case of amnesia. He never regained his memory and it was thought that his exquisit ramen recipe would be lost forever. That is when his son, Naozumi, and grandson, Nobumasa (who is also the head of the museum), gathered the memories of all their relatives and townspeople and began to recreate this famous soup. And finally just last year, 60 years after this tragic accident, it is believed that this recreation was painstakingly attained.


The shoyu ramen is flat out the best I've ever had. The very first thing I noticed when trying the soup was an unnatural burnt taste that left my taste buds spinning. It turns out that the lard is charred before being inserted to the broth. Wow! This cloudy soup does not disappoint. The toppings (chashu, menma, negi) were great as well. You can also add raw garlic if you like. There's plenty of it in a jar on the table. The noodles were also outstanding. I must be living a dream.


Komurasaki - Kumamoto City: While others were inserting raw garlic to their ramen, Komurasaki had the delightful idea of grilling it to emphasize its spice. Its mild tonkotsu nature blended with chicken bones are further enhanced with this grilling technique.


I ordered the Oosama-ramen, their most popular one. The soup reminded me a lot like Shinsengumi back home, but with a lot more to offer. The toppings (chashu, menma, moyashi, negi, mushrooms, and charred garlic) were plentiful and overwhelming. The thin hakata-style noodles were also a hit. I thought about only taking a few sips to save room for others, but I ended up finishing the entire bowl. It was too good to let waste.


To be continued...

Tokyo Ramen Trip 2008 - Day 2 (Part 1)

SHINYOKOHAMA RAUMEN MUSEUM (Part 1)

Someone once told me that the ShinYokohama Raumen Museum was tsumannai (boring). They obviously weren't a fan of ramen! This museum is great! Only us ramen crazies can truly appreciate an establishment like this. I'll try to do my best to bring the museum to you in the pics and paragraphs that follow. I might also be going back during the week, since it was just way too crowded on this Sunday. Plus, they only serve gyoza during the week. (Forgive me if the pics don't look very good. I don't have any editing software on this computer since it's not mine.) Also, ShinYokohama is about an hour outside of Tokyo so don't let my title mislead you.


Featuring 8 different ramen shops from around Japan labeled as the "new generation of ramen," the ShinYokohama Ramen Museum has something every ramen fan can enjoy. Too crowded and too enamored to try them all, I did manage to wait in 30-minute lines for 2 of the 8 ramen shops. All of the shops serve "mini-ramen" so don't worry about wasting any if you feel like trying them all.


Here is the lineup:

1. Ide Shoten - A unique mild tonkotsu shoyu broth from Wakayama.


2. Shinasobaya - Considered "the Demon of ingredients," owner-chef Minoru Sano is notorious for being a devil on all fronts. He'll even kick you out of his shop if you're cell phone rings while you're in there. His mild broth is prepared with several kinds of chicken and tonkotsu.


3. Keyaki - A miso flavored soup from Sapporo prepared by chef Hideki Nitori, who has a mission of creating a dish which appeals to all five senses.


4. Ryushanhai - Features the unique "karamiso ramen" invented in 1960 from Yamagata.


5. Hachiya - Grilled lard never sounded so good. From Asahikawa city.


6. Harukiya - Founded in 1949 after WWII, this is the oldest ramen shop in Tokyo. Featuring a home made hand-kneaded noodle in a shoyu-based fish broth.


7. Fukuchan - Hakata-style ramen with a sharp, rich taste. They invented the tradition of adding raw garlic to your ramen.


8. Komurasaki - A mild tonkotsu-based soup with grilled garlic chips, originating from Kumamoto.

To be continued...

Tokyo Ramen Trip 2008 - Day 1

After 11 hours on the plane to Narita, 2 hours on the Bus to Tokyo, and a 20 minute taxi ride to my brothers house in Shinjuku (all without a single wink of sleep), I finally arrived. Wanting desperately to pass out, we decided to go eat yakitori and skip ramen for the night. But as I sat at the restaurant eating tebasaki, nankotsu, tsukune, shishito, etc., and drinking 3 beers, I finally woke up and came to my senses. Maybe it was the freezing temperature that caused this yearning, but I needed to have some ramen. So we dropped off the kids and hopped on the Marunouchi line to Ogikubo.

Tonkotsu Ramen Chabuton - Ogikubo: Remember Chabuton in the Costa Mesa Marukai? I always wondered if that was related to Chabuya and I finally found the answer. I didn't stop to try the ramen here because I had another place in mind, but I still wanted to take a picture of the place. Chef Morizumi is the TV Champion!

Chuuka Soba Harukiya - Ogikubo: Just a few shops down from Chabuton, Harukiya specializes in Chuuka Soba. Supposedly the most popular ramen-ya in the area right now (ramen popularity can change with the seasons) I had to give it a try. And it seems I wasn't the only one. The line was out the door but moving fast--always a good sign.


This Chuuka Soba was different from any other ramen I've tasted in the states. The soup was unusual at first (because its strange tanginess caught me by surprise), but I couldn't believe how it amazingly incorporated 100 percent effort from all my tastebuds. The only way I can really describe this ramen is by comparing it to japanese electronics. You know how Japan always has the coolest cell phones and gadgets years before we start to see them in the states? Well it might be the same with ramen. This could be the ramen of the future... The noodles were extremely fresh and by their texture you could tell right away that they were original. You won't be finding these at any factory. The toppings (chashu, menma, negi, and nori) were better than average, but the soup was the overall winner here.

UPDATE: Word is is that this is the ramen that started it all in Tokyo so forget all that ramen of the future stuff I said above. Haha.

Chabuya - Torrance, CA

24231 Crenshaw Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90505
(310) 530-2749

There's nothing like starting off the new year with the first ramen-ya to open in 2008. Officially open on Tuesday (1/15), Chabuya (with the success of its West LA location) has decided to bring its "real ramen" to the real ramen mecca of LA--Torrance. For those that live in the area, Chabuya Torrance is located where the izakaya Kazamidori used to be. It's also in the same shopping center as Shin-Mama Ramen but on the opposite side of Home Depot. They've been serving people for a couple of weeks now, even though they aren't officially open, so I thought I'd go give it a try before the crowds start forming. The decor is not as nice as its predecessor, but the wood furnishings and trim greets you with a feeling of old Japan. Chabuya Torrance will be a great addition and perhaps give Shin-Mama some friendly competition.


Kara Kara Ramen: This ramen is a spicy version of "The Classic" with ground chicken. I thought I'd try something different since I'd already had "The Classic" numerous times at the Sawtelle location and boy did I make the right decision. The spiciness enhanced everything about the ramen in a way that HGH enhances baseball players. What they need to do is rename this ramen to "The RGH Classic." I'm not a big fan of the thinner Hakata-style noodles but these are as good as Chef Morizumi intended. The toppings (house-made chashu, menma, negi, fried garlic, and ground chicken) were exceptionally good. I highly recommended this ramen.


Shrimp Ibushi (Charbroiled Noodles): If you go to a ramen restaurant who's mission is "to create the perfect bowl of ramen", why would you not get the ramen?? Anyway, this shio-yakisoba was just okay and only worthy of eating if you're not in the mood for ramen. I was really hoping for someone to order the okonomiyaki, but I guess we'll have to try that next time.


Pork Gyoza: If these look a little white to you then that's exactly what I was thinking. They probably needed to be cooked a little longer, but I'll just blame it on the new guy in the kitchen. After all, they haven't even officially opened.


Just a quick note: I'll be leaving for Tokyo in a few days so be on the lookout for some ferocious ramen slurping. My relatives have their favorites all mapped out for me so let's hope I can survive the msg poisoning!