I went to Watanabe, a famous ramen shop in Takadanobaba, one of Tokyo’s three big ramen battlegrounds. I was in the area on an errand at a wine shop nearby, and on the way back, while wondering what to eat, I decided to drop in. It’s tucked away down an alley, so it’s not that easy to find.
The entrance
The interior is stylish, and the inside has a stylish feel too. The reason this place is famous is that it’s where Mr. Watanabe, who’s active as a ramen producer, makes his own ramen himself. I heard it was the first shop in Tokyo to serve ramen with a tonkotsu-and-seafood broth.
The ramen
It’s a well-made broth, but it doesn’t stray far from the usual tonkotsu-seafood style. The ramen world is so sensitive to trends that the pioneer’s ramen has already fallen behind the times.
The broth was just so-so, but I still enjoyed it. It doesn’t show well in the photo, but the toppings are amazing. The chunky menma and the chashu that melts in your mouth are like nothing I’ve seen at any other ramen shop.
The noodles
The noodles were good too. It’s tonkotsu-seafood ramen, which has become commonplace by now, but it still has the air of a famous shop. Still, the broth was ordinary, and this neighborhood has so many famous shops that I probably won’t be coming back..