This post was written in 2005. Shop details and prices may have changed since then.
The rankings of Shinjuku’s famous ramen shops have shifted a lot. I went to Musashi, which used to be number one, and today I walked right in without queuing.
That’s how it goes for any place that lives on popularity… These days especially, the famous ramen shops usually win people over by using some really unusual
ingredient nobody else has. Instead of the classic chicken or pork-bone broth, say, a seafood-based broth… Since the mass media
keeps airing shows that introduce ramen shops, the places that play up some quirky gimmick end up more popular than the ones that stick to
the basics..
Last time I had the light (assari) version, so today I ordered the rich (kotteri) ramen. The topping is a seasoned boiled egg.
The broth was decent enough, but the noodles weren’t as good as before. Does the flavor drop when the popularity drops, I wonder..
Lately ramen just doesn’t taste good to me. I’ve been to Dotonbori Kamukura a few times too, and it didn’t do anything for me. I’ve been working 80-90 hours
a week for months, so maybe that’s why I’m in really bad shape; anything even slightly strong or spicy is hard to get down.
I find myself missing the doenjang soup, gomtang, seolleongtang and galbitang I used to eat almost every day in Korea. Korean tang soups used to perk me up whenever I
wasn’t feeling well, but Japan doesn’t really have that kind of soup. Most of the time I’m fine, but every now and then
when I miss the gomtang at Hadongkwan, I think of Korea..
Next time I get the chance, I’ll introduce the places that are trending in Japan these days, one by one..
Ah.. though before that, I’ll need to get back in better shape..