Ramen Road - Real Ramen from all over Asia

★★ 龙抄手 (LongChaoShou) - Chengdu

2007-01-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

LongChaoShou is a famous Sichuan local cuisine restaurant in Chengdu, they focus on a variety of popular dishes such as the 龙抄手 (long chao shou) spicy wontons, 钟水饺 (zhong sui jiao) boiled dumplings, and noodle dishes as well. During my first trip I tried their 担担面 (dan dan mian) dan-dan noodles.

The Sauce - is a mixture of chili oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, peppers and a large variety of exotic Sichuan spices. Dan-dan noodles are suppose to be spicy and filled with the aroma from the different spices, but here the sauce is a little too salty.

The Noodles - are thin straight noodles cooked soft. Hardly any texture to these noodles, maybe this is the standard for Sichuan noodles but I didn't enjoy these soft noodles much.

The Toppings - are some dried fried pork and a few leaves of spinach. The pork adds a lot of flavor to the noodles when you mix it well with everything but doesn't add any texture to the dish.

Overall - the sauce and noodles were dissapointing. The famous dan-dan noodle combination of aroma and spiciness just didn't quite hit the mark, while the noodles were too soggy for my preference. LongChauShou does have a lot of other authentic dishes for you to try out and is worth coming for their wontons and dumplings.

LongChauShou's has many chain stores all over Chengdu, though the store I visited is their original store which is located on Southern entrance to the ChunXi road shopping district.

★★★ 俺の空 (Ore no Sora) - Tokyo

2007-01-16T18:46:00.000-08:00

Ore no Sora ("My Sky" in Japanese) is a ramen shop near Takadanobaba station that used to be the darling of the Tokyo ramen scene. A few years back you needed to wait 40 minutes plus just to get inside, today it seems the fad has died down quite a bit. I was able to get a seat around 6pm my last trip there and I tried their 豚玉そば (Buta tama soba) pork and egg noodles.

The Soup - is a rich, thick tonkotsu soup blended with a Japanese seafood soup. The strong flavored pork bone soup is well balanced with the strong aroma of the seafood, but it maybe a bit too heavy to eat as a soup for some people.

The Noodles - are thin straight noodles cooked very firm. These dense noodles are chewy and a great match with the flavorful soup.

The Toppings - the kakuni slow simmered pork is very tender it practically melts in your mouth. The flavored boiled egg is cooked just right with the yolk slightly runny.

Overall - a very delicious tonkotsu/seafood blend soup ramen. While well reviewed and popular ramen place for many people the soup is still a little to heavy for my preference. For ramen in the same category I recommend Miharu in Ebisu/Ikebukuro and Hayashi in Shibuya.

Ore no Sora is very easy to get access. Take the JR Yamanote line and get off at Takadanobaba. Take the south exit (called the 戸山口 Toyamaguchi exit). From the station walk 1 minute south and it will be on your right hand side.

http://ramen.gnavi.co.jp/shop/jp/g844200n.htm

★★★ 肥後のれん (Higonoren) - Tokyo

2007-01-13T09:25:00.000-08:00

Higonoren is a Kumamoto style ramen shop that has been around Shinjuku for 25 years. This is my first time at this store and I tried their basic menu item the ひごらーめん (Higo ramen).

The Soup - is a tonkotsu (pork bone)/chicken soup simmered for more than 20 hours. The soup is creamy white in color, its taste is a rich tonkotsu broth with just a little of the tonkotsu smell. An oil infused with the aroma of fried garlic is added to the soup that adds depth to the ramen.

The Noodles - are medium thin straight noodles cooked firm.

The Toppings - are tender cha-shu pork, kikurage mushrooms, nori dried seaweed and spring onions. The cha-shu was delicious and the kikurage had a nice texture to it that matched well with the ramen.

Overall - a very good, authentic Kumamoto style ramen; In a time when most ramen shops try new things to attract younger customers, it's nice to try a ramen that just sticks with an old formula. While I enjoyed the old school taste of Higonoren, I know they will have a hard time competing with new comers like Nantsuttei or large chain stores like Ajisen. This might be the best Kumamoto style ramen in Shinjuku station.

Higonoren is on the South East side of Shinjuku station, just a 3 minute walk from the South station entrance.
http://ramen.gnavi.co.jp/shop/jp/g545100n.htm

★★★ 旭鳳 (Kyokuhou) - Tokyo

2007-01-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

If you are going out of your way to eat at a ramen place like Kyokuhou then you must be a huge fan of ramen. Located deep in the heart of Kabukicho Kyokuhou is surrounded by love hotels and shady bars. I heard that this place has an authentic Asahikawa style ramen so I made the trek out here to try their 正油ラーメン (shoyu ramen).

The Soup - is a blend of tonkotsu (pork bone) soup, seafood (dried pompano fish) soup, and a vegetable broth. A rich flavored soup where the aroma of of the fish dominates over the others slightly. True to its Asahikawa origins where it can get really cold in the winter, the soup was served very hot.

The Noodles - are very good, a medium thin curly noodle that is cooked firm. These noodles are dense and chewy, felt like eating a slight variety of Hakata style ramen. Still, a good match with the rich soup.

The Toppings - were average. Cha-shu pork that could be a bit more tender and flavorful. Menma bamboo were a bit soft. Lots of spring onions.

Overall - out of the many Asahikawa ramen that I have tried this is my favorite. If I was in Shinjuku on a cold winter day I would take the walk here just to get warmed up with Kyokuhou's rich, hot soup. The store is kind of hidden away from all the traffic so it was slightly empty when I last visited there, sure hope it doesn't go out of business anytime soon.

Map and directions on how to get to Kyokuhou:
http://www.01ch.com/ramen/kyokuhou.html
新宿区百人町1-14-3

★★★ じゃんがららあめん (Jyangara Ramen) - Tokyo

2007-01-11T18:16:00.000-08:00

Jyangara Ramen is yet another Hakata style ramen chain that has joined the competition in Tokyo. Located in Harajuku, Jyangara is just a stones throw away from the train station. During my visit I tried the 九州じゃんがららあめん (Kyushu Jyangara Ramen).

The Soup - is a tonkotsu (pork bone) broth that seems a bit thinner than most of the other Hakata ramen places. The ramen shop itself was filled with the signature tonkotsu smell but the soup was surprisingly void of the smell.

The Noodles - are thin, straight noodles cooked very firm. Standard Hakata style noodles, these dense noodles absorb some of the soup without becoming soggy and are a great match with the rich soup.

The Toppings - include a thick slice of cha-shu pork, cuts of kakuni slow cooked pork, kikurage slice mushrooms, menma bamboo, and mentaiko (cod roe pickled in sake and red chili powder). The cha-shu and kakuni pork are both very tender and tasty (maybe a bit too much fat).

Overall - a pretty good Hakata style ramen. I tried the Kyushu Jyangara ramen which is lighter, if you like a richer, thicker soup then you should try their ぼんしゃんらあめん (bonshan ramen). Jyangara ramen is located west of the JR Harajuku station right next to the stairs for the pedestrian sky bridge, you need to walkup a flight of stairs to get to the store.

Harajuku store: http://www.kyusyujangara.co.jp/shopsearch.php?kjid=2
Akihabara store: http://www.kyusyujangara.co.jp/shopsearch.php?kjid=1

★★★ 怪味面 (GuaiWeiMian) - Chengdu

2007-01-11T13:14:00.001-08:00

GuaiWeiMian is one of the most popular noodle shops in Chengdu, named after their signature dish which I like to translate as "funky flavored noodles". I came here with my friends and co-workers during lunch time on a busy weekday. We ordered 5 different noodle dishes but I'll introduce their 怪味面 (GuaiWeiMian), funky noodles here first.

The Soup - is a strange mix of many flavors and aromas. A blend of pork based clear broth with a strong seafood/shellfish soup, cooked with many exotic Sichuan spices and chili oils. The soup's flavor is quite strong and probably meant to be eated with the noodles rather than eaten separately. Not very spicy with just a trace of the numbing spiciness from the Sichuan peppers.

The Noodles - are medium this straight noodles cooked on the soft side. I prefer them a little firmer but I doubt any of these places will cook to your request.

The Toppings - pieces of soft cooked pork, mushrooms, shell fish and peanuts. Probably from the stew and doesn't provide much extra flavoring or texture.

Overall - okay, I'll admit it, I haven't figured out this noodle yet. I know I like it, but have no clue why I like it. I can't quite put my finger on the strange mix of flavors, which is why I come back and try it again and again. I know visually it won't win anybody over but it has a taste that grows on you.

GuaiWeiMian is located near Sichuan University's main entrance. Here is its address:
No. 90-2 Xinnan road Chengdu
新南路90-2号

★★★★ 老王記 (LaoWangJi) - Taipei

2007-01-10T20:48:00.000-08:00

LaoWangJi has been serving beef noodle soup since the 1960's, long considered the standard for Taiwanese beef noodle soup it has withstood the challenges from a lot of new comers and remains popular until today. It has been a while since I ate here and during my last trip I ordered my long time favorite 紅焼牛肉麺 (braised beef noodle soup).

The Soup - is a dark colored soup made by stewing beef and Chinese herbs and spices for nearly half a day. Unlike some of the newer places that add a lot of exotic ingredients to the soup such as different vegetables, fruits or spices, LaoWangJi's just uses a reserved amount of Chinese herbs which allows you to savor the flavor of the beef more.

The Noodles - are thin, flat medium width noodles cooked medium firm. These noodles are springy and chewy, a very good match with the simple flavorful soup.

The Toppings - are big slices of beef. While not as tender as some other places it is still flavorful and delicious. There is also a bowl of pickled green vegetables on every table for you to add as much as you want to the beef noodle soup. These pickled greens have a sour flavor that adds more depth to the soup and goes great with the noodles too.

Overall - I highly recommend this place. This is the store that started my love for ramen noodles. I must warn you that this place is old and not the fanciest place to eat, about the same level as an open foodstand. But if you want to try some authentic, old school beef noodle soup then this is the place to get it.

LaoWanJi is located at TaoYuan street behind the capitol building near the Ximen subway station. The store actually doesn't have any signs, so use the store photo above as reference.

Address: 台北市桃源街15號(近衡陽路口,捷運西門站)
Address: 15 TaoYuan Street, Taipei.

★★ 牛王庙 (Niu-Wang Temple) - Chengdu

2007-01-10T18:32:00.000-08:00

Niu-Wang Temple is a noodle chain store in Chengdu that has a noodle dish called 怪味面 pronounced "guai-wei-men". Guai-wei-men's literal translation is "strange flavored noodles" or funky noodles as I like to call them. Here I try the funky noodles for the first time ever.

The Soup - tastes funky. True to its name this noodle's soup is quite strange. First of all it has a smell that reminds me of the tonkotsu ramen in Japan, but the funkiness doesn't stop there. The soup also has some fishy smell from dried squid/fish/shell fish and a lot of mysterious Sichuan spices. The soup is not very spicy though it has a trace of Sichuan peppers that numb you just slightly.

The Noodles - are medium thickness straight noodles cooked on the softer side. The noodles themselves aren't that delicious in flavor or texture and slightly dissapointing. Though I later find out that this is the preferred type of noodles for this area.

The Toppings - are slices of pork, shiitake mushrooms, bits and pieces of squid and shell fish, and some peanuts. Most of these toppings have been cooking in the soup for a very long time and are hardly discernable. They are all soft and soggy and you hardly notice them when eating the noodles.

Overall - A strange noodle that isn't for everybody. If you tried the heavy Hakata style ramen of Japan and liked it, or if you tried the stinky fermented tofu or thousand year egg and liked it, then these funky noodles might be for you. I actually liked it quite a bit but have since found others places in Chengdu that serve better funky noodles which I hope to write about in the future.

The store that I went to was right behind the Sheraton Hotel in Chengdu, but I've seen the chain stores all around Chengdu. Just look for the red sign with Chinese writings on it as in the photo.

★★★★ くじら軒 (Kujira-ken) - Tokyo

2007-01-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

Kujira ken is a famous ramen chain from Yokohama that specializes in old school 支那そば (shina-soba) or Chinese style noodles. I visited their store in Shinjuku station which is located on the 7th floor of the LUMINE EST department store. During my visit I tried their basic 支那そば with flavored boiled egg.

The Soup - was a very light yet complex and interesting soup that is a blend of three different broths. First it starts out with a dried bonito/sardine soup, which is then blended with a pork bone/chicken soup and finalized with a vegetable/fruit broth. The seafood flavor slightly dominates over the others but you can still notice the trace sweet flavors from the vegetable and fruits. This is a soup that I will want to try again and again to figure out.

The noodles - were very thin, straight noodles cooked very firm. A very good match with the complex soup.

The Toppings - played a more supportive role. There were a slice of cha-shu pork, naruto fish cake, nori dried seaweed and some boiled green vegetables. The cha-shu pork was lightly seasoned, very tender and delicious. The boiled egg was flavored and slightly sweet.

Overall - I highly recommend this place to everyone. It is nice to have one of the best shina-soba chains in Shinjuku since a lot of ramen stores in the area are the heavier, oily variety. The soup is light and flavorful, a nice alternative to those who aren't a fan of the other oily ramen of Japan.

The store in Shinjuku is in the LUMINE EST department store located to the East side of Shinjuku station. The Kujira-ken store is right next to the elevators on the 7th floor.

http://ramen.gnavi.co.jp/shop/jp/g802107n.htm
http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~tacky/rdb/rdb-821-kujiraken-shinzyuku.htm

★★ 博多天神 (Hakata-Tenjin) - Tokyo

2007-01-08T22:39:00.000-08:00

Hakata-Tenjin is another Hakata style ramen chain that sprouted all over Tokyo from 2003. I went to their store in Shinjuku’s Kabuki district. I ordered a ネギラーメン (Ramen with extra spring onions).

The Soup – is a lighter Hakata style tonkotsu pork bone soup, there is very little of the typical tonkotsu smell. The soup seems to be lacking the punch that most tonkotsu ramen has.

The Noodles – are also the standard thin straight ramen cooked very firm.

The Toppings – were just okay. Cha-shu pork, sliced kikurage mushrooms, fully cooked boiled egg and spring onions. Like most Hakata style ramen stores there were also a lot of extra toppings for you to add to the ramen such as ground fresh garlic and takana pickled vegetables.

Overall – Hakata-Tenjin was acceptable but nothing really stood out for this ramen. The store décor was actually quite crass (it has a statue of a pig and tanuki out front) and I was expecting a less refined ramen more along the lines of Goten or Nandan-Kanden. There are many better choices for Hakata style ramen all over Tokyo.

http://teikoku.kamomeline.jp/gourmet/587.htm

★★ 喜楽 (Kirauku) - Tokyo

2006-10-03T06:40:00.000-07:00

Kiraku is an old style ramen house in Shibuya, located about 7 minutes walking distance west of the Shibuya train station. The store was filled with older business men, suprising since Shibuya is always filled with young people. I ordered the 中華麺 (chuka-men), or Chinese noodles.

The Soup - is a soy sauce based chicken and pork based clear soup, flavored with fried green onions. Somewhat similar to the soup used in traditional Taiwanese noodles like Dan-zai noodles.

The Noodles - are really good. These thick hand made noodles are springy, chewy and delicious.

The Toppings - are lots of boiled bean sprouts, cha-shu pork and a boiled egg. The cha-shu and hard boiled egg were just average.

Overall - I wasn't that impressed with Kiraku ramen, though their noodles were very good. Kiraku has been around for more than 50 years and has always gotten good reviews from the local ramen fans. This place tasted a lot like the noodles I had in Taiwan, not what I am looking for in ramen in Japan.

http://www.geocities.jp/urach92/kiraku.htm
http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~tacky/rdb/rdb-638-kiraku.htm

★★ Takohachi - Seattle

2006-10-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

Takohachi is a hole in the wall in Seattle's International District, its interior is like a diner from the 40's that has never been remodeled. Not exactly the place I expect to get some authentic Japanese ramen, but what I found pleasantly surprised me. I tried their Miso ramen.

The Soup - was rich, quite delicious, and was actually an authentic miso soup! While the flavor wasn't especially sophisticated, it had depth to it that clearly wasn't instance soup flavoring (what most other places in Seattle taste like).

The Noodles - were regular thickness curly noodles cooked on the soft side. Most likely factory made and not fresh, something that is unavoidable with ramen in the Seattle area. At least they weren't over cooked or soggy.

The Toppings - were pretty decent, all the regular toppings are there. Cha-shu pork wasn't especially tender but tasted okay, the spring onions, wakame seaweed, corn and boiled egg were all average.

Overall - not a bad bowl of ramen. Takohachi reminds me of the regular ramen shop back in Tokyo, just the average ramen down the street where you wouldn't go out of your way to visit, but you'd drop in every once in a while when you are hungry and too lazy to cook for that night. For one thing, this place at least tasted like authentic ramen! which is saying a lot compared to the many other seattle area Japanese ramen.

Takohachi: 610 S Jackson, Seattle 682-1828

★★★ 家常面 (Home Style Noodles) - Chengdu

2006-10-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

During my trips Asia I like to try the very "local" ramen places just to see what the average folks eat. In China this can become a hard task since I really have no clue what an "average" restaurant is like. In Chendgu alone, I've had ramen that's prices range from $0.40 cents to $12.00 a bowl; I was walking around the neighborhood near the Sheraton in Chengdu during when I found this noodle place called "Home Style Noodles", just the place I was looking for. I ordered their first item on the menu, a 0.60 cent 素椒炸酱面 (sujiao zhajiang mian) or spicy zha-jian noodles.

The Sauce - was an innocent looking brown sauce, but after the first few bites the spiciness quickly overwhelmed me. There was only a little red chili oil in the sauce but it was more potent than anything that I've had in Chengdu so far. The mouth numbing 花椒粉 Sichuan peppers also started to kick in early. 1/4 through the noodles it got so spicy that I figured I couldn't finish this bowl of noodles, but as my mouth started numbing up the spiciness become less and less noticeable, it was only then that I could finally taste the flavor of the sauce. The simple pork sauce became quite addictive after the numbingly spicy experience, I actually finished the whole bowl. As I walked away from the store my mouth was so numb it felt like I just visited a dentist.

The Noodles - were simple medium thin straight noodles cooked soft. If these noodles were cooked any firmer or chewier I would've given up after the third bite because of the spiciness.

The Toppings - were some cooked ground pork. No seasoning.

Overall - a great bowl of noodles. Finally something as spicy as I imagined in Sichuan! I wonder if all the other restaurants I visited so far are more catered to tourist and hence have the spiciness toned down. The store decor is very minimalistic so it's ont for everyone, but give this place a try if you want to give authentic spicy Sichuan noodles a try. Eat at your own risk.

This place is across the street from the front entrance of Sheraton Hotel in Chengdu.

★ 锅魁王成都担担面 (Guokui king's Dan-dan Noodles) - Chengdu

2006-09-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

Guokui King is a restaurant right across the street from the Chengdu Sheraton where I was staying at. 锅魁 or "Guokui" is a traditional food stand snack food of Chengdu, a layered baked pastry with meat or green onions wrapped in it. There are also sweet Guokui with sesame and sugar or sweetened red bean paste. While the freshly made guokui on display looked tempting, I only ordered the other food item that is part of this restaurant's name, the 担担面 or Dan-dan noodles.

I visited Guokui King around lunch time on a weekday and the store was really busy, filled with high school students from the school nearby and local office workers. Just trying to make my order was a challenge since the crowd of people did not form a line, just shouting their orders at the cashier. I had to use my questionable Chinese to get my order in, luckily Dan-dan Mian is not that hard to pronounce.

The Sauce - is a typical Sichuan style dan-dan noodle sauce, with spicy red chili oil, Chinese peppers for the numbing sensation, and some other spices like Chinese five spice. Besides the spiciness this sauce was quite boring, not offering many other flavors.

The Noodles - were straight noodles, cooked soft, almost soggy.

The Toppings - are some deep fried minced pork, not much seasoning to them either.

Overall - Guokui King should probably keep its focus on just the pastries. Restaurants in Chengdu all gets reviewed and ranked by the city. On the wall of this restaurant was a certificate from Chengdu city stating that the Dan-dan noodle of Guokui King gets a "passing grade"... A passing grade like "D" maybe? I couldn't agree more.

Located across the street from the front entrace of Sheraton Chengdu. The directions in Chinese are: 成都喜来登酒店斜对面.

★ 麻辣麺荘 (Ma-ra Mensou) - Tokyo

2006-09-27T00:27:00.000-07:00

Ma-ra Mensou is a ramen place located in the lower floor of the Lumines department store in Shinjuku. The name Ma-ra Mensou translates to "numbingly spicy noodle house" and is suppose to describe the sensation of eating Sichuan style ramen noodles. Since I was headed to Sichuan's capitol, Chengdu after my brief trip to Tokyo, I thought I'd give this place a try to see how authentic it was. I ordered their 担々麺 (tan-tan ramen).

The soup - is a sesame flavored soup that doesn't have much depth at all. The sourness from vinegar actually dominates over any other flavor. The broth is very thin, just a sour, sesame flavored soup.

The Noodles - are thin straight noodles cooked regular firmness. While the noodles are decent, it doesn't really make up for the mediocre soup.

The Toppings - a five spice flavored cooked egg and a piece of broccoli. Nothing special.

Overall - a poor quality ramen that is an imitation of an imitation. The Japanese tan-tan ramen is far from the real Dan-dan noodles from Sichuan, Ma-ra Mensou is merely imitating the Japanese interpretation and does a poor job at it. Japanese tan-tan ramen focuses on the depth of the flavor of the soup, while Sichuan dan-dan noodles overwhems you with a wide amount of spices. Ma-ra Mensou does neither and is void of any character.

http://r.gnavi.co.jp/a713200/

★★ 钟水饺 (Zhong ShuiJiao) - Chengdu

2006-09-25T23:16:00.000-07:00

Zhong ShuiJiao is the name of this noodles and dumplings chain restaurant in Chengdu China (ShuiJiao translates to water dumplings). I was walking along the popular shopping district of Chunxi street when I saw this restaurant crowded with local merchants during lunch time. They had five ramen dishes on their menu, this being my first time in Chengdu, I was anxious to try the famous Sichuan ramen: 担担面 (dan-dan noodles).

The Sauce - is a red chili oil sauce that was surprisingly not that spicy. There wasn't much flavor to the sauce, it just seems to be there to provide the spiciness. There were some 花椒粉 (Sichuan pepper) that supplied a bit of that numbing sensation famous in many Sichuan dishes, but it was just barely noticeable here.

The Noodles - were slightly thin, straight noodles cooked quite soft. The noodles were a little dissapointing as they didn't provide much texture to the dish.

The Toppings - were ground pork and some green onions. The ground pork was seasoned with 五香粉 (Chinese five spice) and was very delicious. The whole art of eating this dish was trying to evenly distribute the pork sauce with each bite of noodles.

Overall - I was slightly dissapointed with my first bowl of dan-dan noodles in Chengdu. The noodles were too soft, plus I was hoping for something spicier, though the pork sauce was good. Zhong ShuiJiao is really famous for its Zhong ShuiJiao dumplings and I should've tried that instead.

The Zhong ShuiJiao store that I visited was located on ChunXi street North section, in an alley near the McDonalds. Though there are a half dozen of these stores all over Chengdu.

★★ 神座 (Kamukura) - Tokyo

2006-09-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

Kamukura claims to be Osaka's most popular ramen. Having established itself in Dotonburi, Osaka's most popular shopping district, Kamukura has expanded to a dozen stores in the Kansai area before starting two stores in Tokyo. I visited their store in Shinjuku's Kabuki district. Kamukura's store front looks more like a fashion boutique than a ramen store, but as I'll find out later, their decor wasn't the only thing out of the ordinary. I tried their most popular menu item 小チャーシュー煮卵ねぎラーメン (cha-shu pork, boiled egg ramen).

The Soup - is a surprisngly light, slightly sweet pork and vegetable broth. Since the latest trend in Japanese ramen seems to be heavier with more oil, a soup that relies more on vegetables for the flavoring really stands out. However, the soup does taste quite thin, almost feels watered down compared to other ramen. They have a lot of toppings available on the counter that you can add as much as you want, after adding the soy sauce flavored nira (leek) the soup tasted more complete. I also tried some garlic, but it didn't match well with the soup at all.

The Noodles - are slightly thin curly noodles cooked a little on the soft side. These noodles are springy and light, not the type of noodles that I like but seem to match the light soup just right.

The Toppings - are lightly seasoned cha-shu pork, lot's of boiled napa cabbage, and a flavored boiled egg. With all the napa cabbage I felt like I was eating a Japanese hot-pot dish, like shabu-shabu or something. Napa cabbage and ramen just don't seem to mix that well. The cha-shu pork was tender and had decent flavor.

Overall - a light and healthy ramen that doesn't really provide the "ramen" experience but you feel a lot less guilty afterward eating it. This ramen seems to be about the soup and the mixure of toppings that you can add such as leeks, garlic, flavored bean sprouts to add variety to the flavor of the soup. Try it if you are in Shinjuku and Shibuya and want a change of pace from the normal ramen, otherwise I'd recommend you try another place that offers a more standard ramen experience.

http://www.kamukura.co.jp/
Shinjuku store - http://www.kamukura.co.jp/store/shinjyuku.html
Shibuya store - http://www.kamukura.co.jp/store/shibuya.html

Tan-tan ramen 担々麺

2006-09-23T03:43:00.000-07:00

Tan-tan ramen noodles were originally from China's Sichuan prefecture area where it is considered a 干面 (dry noodle with no soup). I put this Tan-tan ramen under the Japan group because the Japanese variety has departed quite significantly from the Chinese version.

Japanese Tan-tan noodles were imported to Japan in the 1980's, where it first became popular in Chinese restaurants in Tokyo. To make the ramen appeal more to Japanese the spiciness was significantly reduced, converted to a soup based ramen and overall portion size increased.

Tan-tan ramen soup is usually a pork bone/chicken based both blended with a creamy sesame sauce, it has the sourness of vinager and the spiciness from red chili peppers. The noodles are usually medium thickness straight or curly noodles. Toppings range from the standard Japanese cha-shu to the authentic Chinese ground pork, vegetables such as spinach and bean sprouts.

★★★★ 亜寿加 (Asuka) - Tokyo

★★★ 光麺 (Koumen) - Tokyo

★ 麻辣麺荘 (Ma-ra Mensou) - Tokyo

★★★ 光麺 (Koumen) - Tokyo

2006-09-23T02:48:00.000-07:00

This is my second entry for Koumen on this blog. This time I tried their 焦がし担々麺 (burnt tan-tan noodles).

The Soup - is a pork based soup that is blended with roasted sesame paste to make it really rich and creamy. The soup is topped with a dark colored oil called ラー油 (ra-yu), which gives the ramen its burnt flavor. This ra-yu reminds me a lot of the burnt ramen I had at Nantsuttei or Go-gyou, though Koumen's burnt flavor is much more toned down. The soup isn't very spicy, probably only a 1-2 stars out of five.

The Noodles - are medium thickness, curly noodles cooked firm. A great match with the soup.

The Toppings - are some Chinese spinach, slices of spring onions, and roasted cha-shu pork. To match the soup they roast the cha-shu at very high heat, adding a thin burnt coating to it. The pieces of charcoal like substance that you see in the photo is actually the pork.

Overall - a delicious combination of different flavors and aromas. The tan-tan ramen is well balanced with its saltiness, spiciness and hint of sourness, while the sesame soup is a perfect match with the burnt flavored oil. However, if you want a bowl of really good tan-tan noodles in Japan then I recommend Asuka in Shibuya, their sesame flavors just seems fresher and stronger.

I also reviewed Koumen's other ramen dish 熟成光麺 (Jyukusei Koumen) in an earlier entry. There are ten Koumen stores located in Tokyo, you can find a store in near the train station of Roppongi, Harajuku, or Akihabara. There are three stores available around Shinjuku station alone.

http://www.kohmen.com/index2.html

★★★ 沧浪亭 (CangLangTing) - Shanghai

2006-09-22T00:25:00.000-07:00

CangLangTing is another ramen chain store in Shanghai that I visited during my last trip, right after entering this place I noticed it was a few ranks above the other places like ShiZhiLing or BeiWanXin. CangLangTing was cleaner, the interior slightly fancier, but most noticeably was the quality of service. The waitress can still be a little impatient when asking for you order, but overall things felt more professional. The kitchen was busier, waitresses in the store were moving around faster, you ask for a napkin they'll give you a napkin rather than a very long stare.

CangLangTing has a seasonal menu, four different types of ramen corresponding to the type of meat or seafood that is available during that season. I visited during Summer time so I gave their 三虾面 (sanxia mian) or three shrimp noodles a try.

The Soup - was very nice. A rich pork broth that had a hint of shrimp flavor to it, seasoned with soy sauce. This soup is as good as some of the best ramen that I've tried in Japan, the wonderful flavors of the pork and shrimp dominates, the seasoning is just right and not too salty. The flavor and style of this ramen soup is similar to Suzuran in Japan.

The Noodles - are thin, straight noodles cooked quite firm. Again the standard Shanghai noodles with its chewy texture, these noodles went great with the soup. Just the combination of the soup and noodles would make me recommend this place.

The Toppings - were baby shrimp stir fried with dried shrimp in a thick Chinese rice wine sauce that was served on a separate plate. This dish was absolutely delicious. The aroma of the dried shrimp and rice wine went so well together, I wished I had a bowl of rice to go with it. However, it didn't seem to match a bowl of ramen as good though.

Overall - if you are in Shanghai and you want to try some of the local ramen then CangLangTing is the first place you should go. The place is pricy though, $4 US dollars for a bowl of noodles! no wonder why the locals are complaining about the price on the message boards. (Usually, a bowl of ramen is about .60 cents to a dollar US.) I hope to try out the rest of their seaonal ramen which includes: Spring - mackerel pike ramen, Fall - shrimp crab ramen, and Winter - lamb ramen.

Here is the address for CangLangTing in Shanghai:
沧浪亭卢湾区上海淮海中路689号 63594370

★ 北万新 (BeiWanXin) - Shanghai

2006-09-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

BeiWanXin is a ramen chain store that has about half a dozen stores in Shanghai. While the quality of the food or service of BeiWanXin is no where near the higher end of what Shanghai has to offer, I wanted to find out more authentic Shanghai ramen, to try out what the locals have. So I visited one of their restaurants at noon on a weekday, ordering their 焖肉面 (menrou-mian) or slow cooked pork noodles.

The Soup - was this watered down pork broth that was seasoned with soy sauce and some sugar. This soup was not as sweet as the other ramen I've had in Shanghai so far, it was slightly saltier but the taste was still very thin and not especially delicious.

The Noodles - are thin, straight white ramen noodles cooked rather firm. Chewy and has a good texture, the Shanghai noodles usually don't dissapoint.

The Toppings - nothing fancy here, a big slice of slow simmered pork. The met is tender and the seasoning is simple, slightly salty with a hint of some Chinese herbs. This seems to be the origin of the cha-shu pork that we see in Japanese ramen, even though the name cha-shu is actually from Cantonese.

Overall - I doubt any foreigners will actually dine at a place like this. The food was half way decent, but the store decor and service will definitely turn you away. After entering the store and looking at the menu for about 30 seconds, the waitress stares at me as asks: "So?... what the heck are you going to order!?" But for roughly $.60 cents per bowl this is a reasonable price for locals. They also have other local favorites like steamed buns, etc.

Here's the address if you decide to go. just show the address to the Taxi drivers.
北万新静安区陕西北路667号（武定路口） 62153874

★★★★ はやし (Hayashi) - Tokyo

2006-09-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hayashi is in Shibuya, located about 5 minutes walking distance south west from the station. Hayashi is only open 11am-5pm from Monday to Saturday, not very convenient to visit here unless you work in the Shibuya area. I made the trip to Hayashi four times before finally catching it when it was actually open. The store is very small, a bar counter type ramen store that seats only 11 people. Hayashi is very popular and when I visited there were many people waiting outside in the rain, I waited about 20 minutes until I got seated. They have only three items on their menu: ramen, ramen with egg, or ramen with extra pork. I ordered the 味玉らーめん (ramen with flavored boiled egg).

The soup - is a blend of rich chicken/pork bone soup and sardine/bonito soup. The deep flavor of the chicken soup is matched perfectly with the strong aroma of the fish soup. There is also a slight trace of 柚子 yuzu, a Japanese citrus that adds just the the slight sour and refreshing taste to the soup. The soup is not oily at all, rare for these rich seafood type ramen.

The Noodles - are medium thickness, straight noodles cooked very firm. These heavy weight noodles have a strong presence, necessary to match up with the perfectly blended soup.

The Toppings - are cha-shu pork, menma bamboo, nori dried seaweed and the flavored boiled egg. The cha-shu is very tender, yet the seasoning is simple, the flavor slightly dissapointing. The menma bamboo is soft and sweet. The boiled egg is delicious, but avoid it if you don't like the yolk half cooked.

Overall - This place ranks up there with Aoba as the best rich seafood double blended ramen that I have had. I give it higher marks for achieving such flavor in the soup without using much oil. If you are going to be in Shibuya on a Saturday then have lunch at Hayashi, it is located south of the Markcity West shopping mall.

http://www.mendo.jp/shisyoku/hayashi/
Link to map

★ 蔵太鼓 (Kura-daiko) - Tokyo

2006-09-20T23:36:00.000-07:00

Kura-daiko is a Kitakata style ramen store located in Shinjuku near the train station's southern exit. I came here during lunch time on a weekday and there was a short line formed on the outside the store. I ordered their basic らーめん (ramen).

The Soup - is a chicken and pork based, soy sauce flavored clear soup. The seasoning is quite heavy, couldn't taste much of the flavor.

The Noodles - are slightly thicker curly noodles. Very surpsrising since Kitakata ramen is famous for its flat, curly noodles. While the ramen noodles here are cooked firm, the overall texture of the ramen is only slightly springier than any other usual ramen.

The Toppings - are cha-shu pork, menma bamboo and slices of spring onions. The cha-shu are thinly sliced, simply seasoned and tender. The bamboo is on the soft side and sweet.

Overall - I don't recommend you visit this place, unless you are in the area during lunch and have to chose between this place and the McDonalds next door. Kura-Daiko share the same flaws of a lot of other chain stores where they hide the thin flavor of the ramen with too much salt. The noodles, which are supposed to be be the specialty of Kitakata ramen, are nothing special either.

http://www.kuradaiko.co.jp/

★★★★ 亜寿加 (Asuka) - Tokyo

2006-09-19T03:33:00.000-07:00

Asuka is a ramen store in Shibuya that is famous for its tan-tan ramen, unusual since tan-tan ramen is more often a side option on the menu, for those who occasionaly want to try something different from the common shoyu or miso ramen. I visited Asuka at around noon during a busy weekday, there was a short line formed on the outside of the store. Once inside, there was another long line that went around the crowded modest sized room. After about 15 minutes I finally sat down and ordered a 四川辛味坦々めん (Szechuan style spicy tan-tan ramen).

The Soup - is a sesame sauce flavored soup that is rich in texture, yet sour and spicy. Usually tan-tan ramen soup in Japan is thick, with an almost like sauce like texture. Asuka's tan-tan soup is thinner, similar to the texture of miso soup. The sesame sauce is what makes Asuka's tan-tan ramen special, the freshly ground roasted sesame has a much stronger aroma than any other Japanese tan-tan ramen I've tried.

The Noodles - are thin, straight ramen noodles cooked firm. These noodles are dense and require a bit more chews when eating. A great match with the rich flavored soup.

The Toppings - lightly seasoned cha-shu is cooked to bring out the natural flavors of the pork, it is tender and holds up on its own against the rich flavors of the soup. There is also a lot of slices spring onions and some boiled vegetables.

Overall - the best tan-tan ramen I have had in Japan. The difference all lies in the freshly grounded sesame sauce, most other places have this pre-made sesame sauce that is rich but lacks the aroma of Asuka's. The soup also balances the salty, sour and spicy flavors just right. The noodles match the soup well, while the toppings are all there with a purpose.

If you are ever in Tokyo in the colder seasons of fall or winter, drop by Shibuya and give Asuka's Tan-tan ramen a try. Asuka is located to the south of Shibuya station just across the pedestrian bridge, under a guitar store.

http://www.mendo.jp/shisyoku/asuka/

★★★ 宏記麺館 (HongJi Noodle House) - Chengdu

2006-09-18T02:44:00.000-07:00

HongJi Noodle House is the first ramen noodle that I tried in Chengdu, the capitol of Shechuan province famous for numbingly spicy food. I did some research on the internet and tracked down this noodle house in the busy shopping district of Chengdu's ChunXi Street. I came here for Dan-dan noodles but was surprised to find out they didn't have the item on their menu. Instead I asked about this 甜水面 (tian sui mian) or "sweet water noodles" on their menu, I asked the store if this was a dessert item, they said "no". I asked what's in it, they replied "just order it and you'll find out". So I gave it a try.

The Sauce - There is no soup, just a thick oily chili sauce that is mixed with 五香粉 five flavored spice, 花椒粉 Sichuan pepper, and quite a bit of sugar. The chili sauce has a lot of flavor to it, probably made from stewed pork. The noodles become dark brown after mixing all the ingredients together with all the bits and pieces of the powder clearly visible on the noodles.

The Noodles - are thick straight, almost udon like noodles cooked on the firm side. The noodles are very chewy, forcing your mouth to deal with all the hot spices swallowing it.

The Toppings - are just the spices, no toppings.

Overall - what an experience! The chili powder's heat counters the cooling sensation of Sichuan pepper. At first the sweetness of the noodles are quite strong, but as your mouth numbs, the flavor of the meat chili suace takes over. This dish is down right addictive. I think the key for this "Sweet water noodles" lie in the firmness of the noodles. I like how HongJi Noodle House uses thick firm noodles forcing you to deal with the barrage of spices. I've found that roughly half the ramen shops in Chengdu that have this dish, give it a try and enjoy this numbingly delicious ramen.

Located in Chengdu's ChunuXi shopping district, on ChunXi road North section, at the end of the alley near the McDonalds.