Nippori, Uguisudani and Ueno are actually well known as Tokyo’s rough neighborhoods. Apparently Shinjuku and Ikebukuro used to have that vibe, but these days it has mostly shifted over toward Ueno. I don’t have much reason to go there, but I’d heard there was a good ramen shop in the area, so I made a special trip.
The place is called Burari.
The ramen comes in a broth simmered from chicken bones.
It had that distinctive chicken funk. I was a little disappointed. The broth is rich and good, but I just couldn’t see why I should eat noodles in a soup that tastes like Korean baeksuk (whole boiled chicken). With a broth like this, there are so many other ways to enjoy it. I’m getting a bit tired of quirky ramen.
I ordered rice too, but…
This didn’t really go with the broth.