This post was written in 2005. Shop details and prices may have changed since then.
Miso ramen seems to suit Korean tastes really well. Shoyu ramen and shio ramen are uniquely Japanese
and you can’t really get them in Korea, but miso (doenjang) is a familiar ingredient back home too, so I guess
that’s why. In that sense, the Tokyo branch of Junren, the famous miso ramen shop from Sapporo, where I just went,
seems like a great place to recommend to Koreans visiting Japan as tourists.
To get the same taste as in Sapporo, they bring their ingredients in from Sapporo, and the sous-chef who
used to run the kitchen there came over himself to look after things.
I ended up going because a coworker recommended it. I showed him the photos I took at Menya Musashi,
and he suggested this place instead. Said it was better.. He’d eaten at the original in Sapporo himself, and said the Tokyo branch
tastes no different, so out of curiosity I gave it a try.
The sign. It’s near Takadanobaba Station, two stops from Shinjuku. Get off at the station and walk about 100 meters away from Waseda
University and you’ll find it right away.
Another sign.. I went a little after lunchtime on a Saturday, and I think I waited about 20 minutes.
Takadanobaba seems to have lots of other famous shops besides this one. I’ll have to check them out later. ^^
The pride of the house, the miso ramen. I ordered a regular size, and the portion is so-so. If you’re eating it as a meal
rather than a snack, you’d better add a bowl of rice or order a large.
You can’t see it in the photo, but the noodles are fantastic. I think this is the first time since coming to Japan I’ve had noodles this good.
The broth was a bit on the salty side, but not a big deal, and the chashu was really tasty too. You could almost call it
perfect Sapporo-style ramen. In my view it’s a notch above Shinjuku Gen, another Sapporo ramen shop.
But if I compare it with Menya Musashi, I’m siding with Musashi. Mainly because of the noodles:
Musashi’s noodles are thick and have a unique chew. I can’t say they taste better, but they felt fresh.
Junren’s ramen has that orthodox taste with a long history behind it, but it lacks something original. As someone who loves
ramen, I’m more drawn to a bowl that shows me something new than to the finished form of existing ramen…
Some people may dislike new trends as shallow ^_^; but that’s how I felt.
Lately it feels like all I do is go to ramen shops.. -_-;; I’d like to find something else to write about soon..
What with buying a lens and my CD and book collecting still going on, I’m in poverty mode for a while… T.T I don’t think
I’ll be going anywhere amazing, but still, you’ve got to enjoy life.. I shouldn’t let a little thing
like this get me down..