This post was written in 2008. Shop details and prices may have changed since then.
There’s a miso ramen shop in Ginza that isn’t widely known yet but has been getting popular lately, so I went to check it out. It’s called Ginza, but administratively it’s actually Kyobashi, roughly halfway between Ginza and Tokyo Station.
The sign
For such a cool name, it’s a very small, cramped and shabby shop, with about 10 counter seats. It really amazes me that a place this tiny does enough business to pay Ginza’s steep rent and still make a living. Well, it’s a popular spot with a constant line, so I doubt it’s running at a loss.
Rich miso ramen, 800 yen
The version with chashu and ajitama is 1,000 yen, but apart from the toppings there’s no difference. Bean sprouts and corn on top of a rich miso broth. From the outside it looks like the kind of miso ramen you can find anywhere, so I was puzzled, but once I tasted it, it was clean with no off-flavors at all, despite being miso ramen. The ordinary-looking bean sprout topping in particular was crisp and fresh, and went really well with the rich, nutty miso flavor. In a world where new-wave ramen rules the day, a shop that competes with the orthodox style deserves credit for its attitude alone. I’m happy to see what a new-generation miso ramen that has evolved this far looks like.
The noodles
They say they use noodles from Asakusa Kaikaro. The chewiness of the noodles is very new-generation miso ramen, too. A place that satisfied me in every way. It’s the first shop in a long while, since Tsukemen Tetsu, that I’d put on my recommendation list.
After a bowl of ramen, as usual I take a walk around central Tokyo to help it go down.
Kachidoki scenery
Lousy photos, I know. This neighborhood is behind Ginza, right next to Tsukishima. Lots of buildings have gone up recently, so the night view is nice, but it’s inconvenient to get to, so I probably won’t be going back.