I went to Higomons, a Kumamoto ramen shop and the seventh and last ramen place at Shinatatsu. Kumamoto is a place name in Kyushu. Of all the regional ramen styles, the first one to make it to Shinjuku was Keika Ramen, and I’m pretty sure that was Kumamoto ramen too. That’s how famous the area is for ramen.
The sign
It’s a ramen shop, but it has a bit of an izakaya feel too. You can order side dishes and drinks, and besides the counter there were tables along one side.
Special kakuni ramen
Kakuni is pork belly braised in a soy-based sauce. It’s one of my absolute favorites ^_^ I ordered the ramen that comes with both chashu and kakuni. The kakuni was better than the chashu, but for a place billing itself as a kakuni ramen specialist, both the quality and the portion were pretty weak. Well… cost-cutting, maybe..
The noodles
Thin noodles, typical of tonkotsu ramen. As I ate, the broth started to taste almost the same as Kyushu Jangara Ramen. If I had to compare, the overall execution is better at Higomons, while Jangara seems to have the better toppings. Something like the mentaiko topping there really has a unique flavor ^_^ The broth can easily come across as salty, so it’s best eaten with a bowl of rice.
And that wraps up my visits to Shinatatsu. With this many high-level shops gathered in one place, I don’t think I’ll ever have to wonder where to go when I’m hungry and broke in Shinagawa ^_^ There are lots of big corporations around here, so it’s a concept office workers will really love. Since a place like this has opened and become hugely popular, I’m hoping something similar pops up elsewhere too.
I’d like to drop by the famous donburi places too, but that will have to wait for some next chance, and who knows when that will be. My personal situation keeps changing so quickly.. I can’t even guess what’s waiting for me next week..