This post was written in 2008. Shop details and prices may have changed since then.
Not many people realise it, but Meguro has quite a cluster of ramen shops. I think it’s because the area is full of salarymen working late into the night. It’s not quite Shinjuku or Ikebukuro, but it’s a small ramen battleground in its own right. I went to one of them, a place with an unusual name that’s supposed to be pretty popular.
It’s called Zuyurumen Ikeda.
It’s a really tiny place.
The style is similar to Setagaya, with plenty of katsuobushi flavour in the broth.
It was a little less punchy than Setagaya. Not bad at all.
The noodles.
The thick noodles take about 7 minutes to cook. You have to wait a good while, but they came out nicely firm and springy, and they fill your whole mouth. A large portion is free, and it seems to be almost double the amount, so only order it if you’re a big eater.
That was good.
There are quite a few ramen shops around here. I have a feeling I’ll be back a fair bit.