About food in Japan

Discover life of Japanese in good old days at Open Air Architectural Museum

We found an interesting spot that must be attractive for those who are interested in Japanese food and culture behind it. It is called "Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum" (江戸東京たてもの園) and it is a branch of Edo Tokyo Museum (江戸東京博物館) in Ryogoku.

Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum is located on the outskirts of Tokyo. It might not be easy to access for non-Japanese speakers because of a bit complicated local public transportation. We still believe that, for non-Japanese tourists who are interested in discovering Japanese traditional life and culture including food, it is worth visiting and taking a half or one day there.

The open air museum operated by Tokyo Metropolitan government conserves buildings that had been used as a house, shop or for other purposes and also are considered important from the view of history and as culture heritage of Tokyo, Japan. It shows them to public as an open air museum on the land of 7ha area. 

Before going into deep of the museum, one advice we can give you.

To visit the museum, be ready to take your shoes off!! as same with modern ordinary private houses in Japan, it is required. 

What to see: For food lovers traveling in Japan, not-to-miss spots are followings. They are mainly situated in East Zone wherer traditional commercial buildings of 19th to early 20th centries are demonstrated in a row like a shopping archade.

Izakaya bar (called Kagiya 鍵屋)

 

Grocery store (Kambutsuya 乾物屋)

 

Aramonoya (荒物屋)

It is a shop selling hardware closely related in daily life such as cooking, cleaning, washing.

  

 

The open air museum sometimes shows "behind the scene", demonstrating pieces of real life at the time. One example is this tiny table (chabu-dai) with a tea set. 

 

 

When the weather is not too hot,

you will find Irori (囲炉裏, fire place) in a few of farmer's houses.

Rare to find it especially in Tokyo.

 

 

Apart from food and gastronomic fields, we can find some other interesting spots such as a perfect-look of public bath (not for taking but for looking at the archtecture and decoration) which is said to be one of models for "Aburaya" depicted in "Sprited Away"(「千と千尋の神隠し」), the award-winning animation movie by director Hayao Miyazaki. 

  

 

 

Where to have lunch: Two food & beverage facilities are in the museum. One is tea room in Western style building and another one is Udon noodle shop named "Kura (蔵)" accommodated on the upper floor of a Kura (蔵, storehouse) style buidling.

The Udon noodle shop offers several types of udon noodle dishes in local Musashino region style which includes some vegetables. This is Musashino Tsuke-jiru Udon (武蔵野つけ汁うどん, Udon with dipping sauce in Musashino style). 

To enjoy Udon noodle at the restaurant Kura, first purchase a ticket from a vending machine at the restaurant's entrance, selecting your order. Take a table and pass your ticket to a staff. It is casual style dining at resonable prices because of the museum run by Tokyo local government. But the taste of noodle is not as much as simple like the serving style.

 

How to go: There are several ways to access to the museum by public transportation from central Tokyo. We think this is the easiest way.

Take JR Chuo line from Tokyo or Shinjuku towards Tachikawa and/or Hachioji direction from East to West.

Get off at Musashi Koganei (武蔵小金井) station and go out from North Exit for the bus stop No.2 or No.3 (both operated by Seibu Bus) which are facing to the station. Take a bus from either bus stop to "Koganei Koen Nishi-guchi " (Koganei Park West gate).  It will take around 5 minutes.

Walk down through the large Koganei Park which is just in front of the bus stop, following sing boards of "Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum (江戸東京たてもの園)". You will find the building of its visitor center with large black tiled roof in mid of the greenery Koganei Park.

To help you more, please also check the map and direction explained in English by the museum from here.

Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum is also described well in general, not specific for foodies, by Around Tokyo. Please visit the page from here. 

 

Name of place: Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum (江戸東京たてもの園)

Address: 3-7-1 Sakuramachi, Koganei-city, Tokyo 

Official homepage: http://tatemonoen.jp

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Oreno Hamburg Yamamoto (俺のハンバーグ山本)

In modern days, "Hamburg" steak (ハンバーグ)  is one of the most popular menu for Japanese kids or even among adults. Not only as gourmet hamburger like we mentioned on a post last year, lunch set menu with Hamburg steak as main dish will be also worth trying in Japan.

Hamburg menu can be found for lunch at many casual restaurants in Japan, apart from ones offering pure traditional Japanese cuisine. In many cases, it is offered as a lunch set with either rice & miso soup or a piece of bread & Western style soup.

The restaurant, Oreno Hamburg Yamamoto (俺のハンバーグ　山本) , our recommendation, highly focuses on the popular menu, as it is taken for the restaurant name.

Before we start talking about the restaurant, the name in Japanese sounds quite unique. "Ore" "俺" is a word to indicate "me" but in very informal and masculine way. It means that we won't use the word in business communication and in front of someone we respect. And a woman never uses it. "Yamamoto" is the owner's familty name. Then from the restaurant's name, we sense unusual persistence in Hamburg by the restaurant's owner called Mr. Yamamoto.

The restaurant aims to energize people with its Hamburg menu that many have loved since young age. The restaurant offers several kinds of main dish on the menu but over 80% of them are "Hamburg" in different versions.

If you try the restaurant and Hamburg in Japan for the first time,

we recommend its flagship dish, again the name!, same with the restaurant name,

"ORENO HAMBURG".

   

 

Oreno Hamburg Yamamoto cooks demiglace sauce from its original recipe, using miso paste and Japanese soup stock as hidden taste. It intends to create a good match with cooked rice and miso soup, as we had the menu at home when we were young. But unlike (in many cases) the menu cooked at home by mother, hamburg steak is cooked in sauce for long time. So the minched steak is served with very tender and juicy condition and by thick earth pot which keeps the meal warm for longer time.

 

The restaurant owner makes sure the taste and quality of rice at the beginnig of new season every year and he selects the best suitable rice for the restaurant's main dish. Additional bowl of rice(okawari, お代わり) is complimentary.

 

With starter, green salad, Oreno Hamburg serves a glass of vegetable juice for diners' better health.

 

 

 We hope you enjoy Hamburg steak in Japan, as many locals have done since their youth!!

 

Restaurant name: Oreno Hamburg Yamamoto (俺のハンバーグ山本)

Website: http://www.orehan.com

Location:

Main branch Ebisu

Address: 1st floor, 4-23-12 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

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Shibuya branch

Address: 1st floor, 3-18-5 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo     

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Hokusai (北斎), Japanese restaurant in Tokyo Disneyland

Some of you may plan to visit Tokyo Disneyland while you stay in Tokyo. Even the American theme park exists in your country, it will be interesting to visit the one in Tokyo and to see how they are different across countries. 

This will be one of the differences of Tokyo Disneyland from other Disney parks in the world. 

A Japanese restaurant is available in Tokyo Disneyland which will be celebrated for 30th anniversary from 15 April 2013. The restaurant is called "Hokusai" (北斎). Obviously it is named after the most famous block print artist in Edo period, Katsushika Hokusai. The Japanese restaurant has been operated since the park opening. Originally Restaurant Hokusai was designed for Japanese senior generation which were not familiar with Western style food like hamburger in early 1980's. Nowadays Japanese elderly people are also happy to enjoy any kind of Western food with their grandchildren. So the role of the Japanese restaurant has been changed for adding more dining choices in the most popular theme-park in Japan.

 

 

Restaurant Hokusai is located in World Bazaar which is the theme park's largest shopping zone close to the entrance gate.

Don't miss the sign board and entrance door on the ground floor.

The restaurant itself is on the upper floor.

 

On the upper floor, it is decorated in traditional Japanese style with some Japanese arts. The space is quite far from the world of Disney films. We cannot believe that it is in Disneyland!!  

 

 

The Japanese restaurant offers several different meal sets with each typical Japanese main dishe such as tempura, udon noodle and pork shabushabu (fondue). 

   
Udon noodle (left) and Chicken teriyaki with rice (right)

  

Sometime we can find a clue of Disneyland like this.

A piece of carrot in shape od Mickey face in udon noodle!!

Japanese traditional dessert is also available.

 

 

 

Enjoy Japanese traditional meal even in the Magic Kingdom! 

 

We will also report food for souvenir of Tokyo Disneyland soon.

Restaurant name: Restaurant Hokusai (北斎)

Location: World Bazaar, Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo Disneyland official site: http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/en/index.html

 

Try TKG (rice with raw egg) at Haneda Airport

Following our previous post introducing TKG (Tamago Kake Gohan, rice with raw egg), this post brings you an option to try the simple Japanese food at a casual restaurant.

Uchino Tamago Chokubai-jo (うちのたまご　直売所, Stand of our eggs from a farmer) is accommodated in Terminal 1 of Haneda International Airport where it is mainly used for domestic filghts operated by Japan Airline group. The casual Japanese restaurant is close to Keikyu train station and monorail gates on the underground (B1) floor.

It opens from 8a.m. to 9p.m. and is available even for breakfast to quick dinner if you would.

As the restaurant's name shown, "a stand of eggs directly from a farmer", food with fresh eggs is its specialty at the casual first-food like stand. Actually the main menu choices are only two, Tamago Kake Gohan (TKG, rice with raw egg) and Oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl). All others are side dishes such as miso soup, drink and, cake and pudding made with the high quality fresh eggs. The shop is operated by Akasaka Umaya upper scale Japanese restaurant, introduced on our another blog post, which features selected fine food from Kyushu region. 

If you still...mind raw egg, Oyakogon (chicken and cooked egg on top of rice in bowl) will be the better option. Otherwise, we recommend that you try a few raw eggs came from a certain farm in Fukuoka and kept fresh and at high hygenic standard. 

Two bowls of rice and two eggs, two small condiment dishes are included in the set menu Tamago Kake Gohan at Yen 500. Miso soup with nori (seaweed) is an option at + Yen 100. 

   

On the counter table, two bottles of soy sauce are offered as seasoning for raw egg. One is especially made for the simple menu, rice with raw egg, and another light taste sauce made from bonite stock.

 

    

We also found black pepper mill and Japanese red pepper with 7 spices (shichimi togarashi, 七味唐辛子) provided for seasoning. These spices could be good to adjust to more familiar flavor for you. Some locals also take the option. 

 

Oyakodon (親子丼 chicken with egg on top of rice)

is also a good alternative

if you are not able to take raw egg TKG.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With these condiments, spices and pickles, enjoy two bowls of rice with two raw eggs.

Then you will become the fan of TKG !!

 

Restaurant name: Uchino Tamago Chokubaijyo

Address: B1F Terminal 1,  Haneda International Airport, 3-3-2 Haneda Airport, Ota-ku, Tokyo

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Tsukiji Jogai market (築地場外市場)

Following our previous post about Ota Market for December 2012 monthly feature, "Market"(市場), we picked up some scenes at Tsukiji Market on December for this post.

Once in 2011 we introduced Tsukiji Market with a seriese of posts mainly for Jonai (場内, inside) or wholesale area, where it is known for Tuna Auction. This time we focus on Jogai (場外, outside) area in Tsukiji Market.

Tsukiji Jogai market (築地場外市場) is situated next to the Tsukiji Market Jonai (築地市場場内) or wholesale area. Jogai, representing "outer area" in Japanese, is targeting more at non-professional buyers or local ordinary people and tourists, while Jogai area(inside) is mainly for professional buyers such as restaurants, retailers. Jogai area looks more like shopping arcade. It is the busiest around the end of December by local people who are looking for seafood and related products to be prepared for their New Year feast.

In other parts of the world, especially in Christian culture, maybe you have a feast on the Chritsmas day with your family, while you spend fun time with your friends or a partner on New year eve and New year day. In Japan on the contrary, New Year holiday 1st to 3rd of January is a period when we share time with our family in traditional ways, while we are likely to enjoy Christmas season with friends or a partner by having parties in a modern way. So New Year holiday for Japanese is to Christmas day for Christial family. Then you can imagine why Japanese locals are eager to organize a big feast on New year holidays. 

Celebration in Japanese traditional style, seafood is one of the biggest feature among New Year plates. So local people rush to Tsukiji for high quality seafood at less expensive price. Then on the last half of December, we can find some gorgeous seafood products or delicacies which rarely could be seen in other seasons. 

For examples....

Crab, salmon roe

 

whole fis of salmon in wooden containers

 

During the last few days of December, Tsukiji Jogai market is extremely busy with local people. If you could arrive there in very early morning before 9 a.m. or earlier period, before 27th December, you will be able to enjoy finding such seasonal delicacies and vital atomosphere more comfortably, although the weather is a bit cold. It could be less than 10 C degree outside even during the day.

After or before such joyful discovery of rare Japanese seasonal delicacies, let's have breakfast or lunch at a restaurant in the area. We can find many casual restaurants at Tsukiji Jogai markets. Majority of them offers Kaisendon (海鮮丼, seafood bowl) prepared with fresh ingredients, of course, from Tsukiji wholesale market just a few hundreds meters away and some other provide ramen that must originally target at market workers.

Today's our recommendation is a bit different from such typical Tsukiji meal.

Toritoh(鳥藤) is a wholesaler of chicken meat based in Tsukiji over 100 years since the beginning of 20th century. One of restaurants which the wholesaler company operates is located in Tsukiji Jogai area. 

The name as same with the company, the casual Japanese restaurant Toritoh is specialized in plates and bowls with Chicken meat. The most recommendable specialty of Toritoh is Oyako-don (親子丼, bowl of chiekn and egg on top of rice) which is tradtional home-made style food in Japan.

 

Fresh tender chicken meat mixed with

high quality scramble eggs on top of rice

The sweet and gentle flavor suits not only for lunch but also for breakfast. 

At Totitoh, Oyakodon is served with a cup of chicken stock soup which is also very nice.

 

The restaurant is small with several seats at the counter in front of open style kitchen as well as a few of tables. From the counter seats we can enjoy looking at the chefs preparing chicken for Oyakogon or Yakitori (skewered chicken) etc. Oyakodon is cooked on a very small pan for each diner one by one. Yakitori is grilled very carefully little by litthe by the chef. They know well how much and how these chicken pieces are cooked for each menu. The casual Japanese restaurant maybe is a place where we can taste chicken plate in the best way!! although the price is just around Yen 1000 or even less per person.

 

  
Half-boilded egg with chicken on top of rice (left)

Spices offered on the table (right) can be added as accent of flavor if you would.

These spices are also produced by Toritoh especially for chicken dishes.

 

Restaurant name: Toritoh Bunten (鳥藤分店)

Address: 4-8-6 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Open: 7:30am - 14:30

Official website (in Japanese) : http://www.toritoh.com/contents/tenpo01/

 

 

   

 大きな地図で見る

 Link to related posts:

Tsukiji Market (築地市場) 

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2011/04/tsukiji-market.html

 Ota Market visitor course (大田市場見学者コース) 

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2012/12/ota-market-visitor-course.html

 

What to have at Ota Market

Following our last post about Ota Market visitor course, we introduce two Japanese restaurants situated in Ota Market, which is the largest fruit & vegetable wholesale market in Japan.

How to get to Ota Market, please refer our previous post. 

 

Daimatsu (大松)

Location: on the second floor of Office Wing (Jimto, 事務棟), which is the start point of the Visitor Course and also is in front of the bus stop. 

Please check the market plan from here. 

The typical casual Japanese restaurant offers bowl (don, 丼) menus of seafood and deep-fried.

What to have here is "Anago tendon" (穴子天丼, deep-fried conger with rice bowl).

For those who is unfamiliar with Anago(conger), it looks similar to eel with long body like a snake. Anago is often served as a piece of Sushi, after cooked with sweet sauce. Tempura (Japanese style deep-fried ) is another good way to enjoy conger.

 

Anago tendon at Daimatsu

with incredibly large anago piece!!!

These two pieces are much over the bowl size...

crispy and of course tasty!! 

 

Anago Tendon at Daimatsu is something rare to find even in Tokyo.

 

Restaurant name: Daimatsu (大松)

Address: Ota Market Jimuto 2nd floor, 3-2-1 Tokai, Ota-ku, Tokyo

Official site (in Japanese): http://homepage3.nifty.com/fujiken-daimatsu/daimatsu.htm 

Webpage on Ota market supplier association(in Japanese): http://www.otashijo-kanren.jp/tenpo/ji_4.html

 

Fujiken (富士軒) 

Well our second recommendation is for fresh seafood menu. In Ota Market, fresh seafood is also dealt with, even though the market size is not as much as of the famous Tsukiji Market. So why not try fresh seafood at a restaurant in Ota Market? They are equally fresh and high quality and luckly unlike some restaurants in Tsukiji Market, you do not have to make a long queue.

Location: Fujiken is situated in Annex or Kanrento (関連棟) in Japanese. Annex is tightly sandwiched between Fruit & Vegetable market and Seafood market. It is like a shopping archade, where more than ten shops & casual restaurants serving the market workers and wholesale traders visiting the market. We can find some shops selling processed food or packing materials and restaurants there.

The Annex has two streets, West and East but it is not so long and complicated. So it won't be difficult to find Fujiken there, especially because of clipping articles of Japanese magazines featuring the restaurant and autographs appearing at the restaurant's entrance.

 

This is the most famous specialty of Fujiken,

Fuji-don (富士丼), obviously named after the highest mountain in Japan

and also the name of the restaurant

All imaginable kinds of edible seafoods on top of rice bowl!!!

Oyster, the biggest feature, comes from Hyogo for this day.

One of rare spieces, "Chushingura"(忠臣蔵),

as per introduction by the hostess of the restaurant.

Crab with the shell, sea urchin (uni), salmon roe (ikura), scallop (hotate)..., uh,

Usually we feel happy, even if we can have one of these Japanese delicacies but here... 

in addition, squid (ika), conger (anago, again after Daimatsu above),

negitoro (tuna & shreded leek), two kinds of sashimi fish and egg cake!!!!!

Can't be better than this.

What an attractive seafood bowl...

Fujidon costs Yen 1950 per bowl, the most expensive bowl menu. No one should complain for it. The ingredients could be changed slightly by season but the sensation level is similar for a whole year.

 

If you feel it is too much, Fujiken offers various versions of seafood bowls with less ingredients and at less expensive price.

 

 

 

Restaurant name: Fujiken (富士軒)

Address: Annex (関連等) Ota Market, 3-2-7 Tokai, Ota-ku, Tokyo

Official site (in Japanese): http://homepage3.nifty.com/fujiken-daimatsu/fujiken.htm

Webpage on Ota market supplier association(in Japanese): http://www.otashijo-kanren.jp/tenpo/d_5.html

 

Actually Daimatsu and Fujiken are brother properties operated by a same owner. The family has operated the restaurants for over 100 years since they were based in a former market in Kanda, East Tokyo.  

 

It might be worth visiting Ota Market for either of the two restaurants. But the problem is.... if you have only a chance to have lunch, which one you will go?! Both are too attractive options.

 

It is up to you!!!

 

How to go to Ota Market, please check our previous post. 

  

 

 

 

Recommendations from local Ramen Lovers

At the end of our monthly feature seriese for November 2012 "Ramen", we asked help of a Ramen-lover group for their recommendation from our food lovers network in Tokyo.

 

The group of some very enthusiastic Ramen lovers is actually a team working for another interest, not food or Ramen. But the team members love ramen so much that they always hold their meeting at a Ramen shop. The group is called "Cinema Colors creative team" which introduces the latest information of films in Japan through their website (http://eigairo.com).

We found the team's catch phrase on the official　site....,

"Our meeting is always held at a Ramen shop.

We deeply love both cinema and Ramen.

Cinema Colors creative team "

( ミーティングはいつもラーメン屋。映画とラーメンをこよなく愛する、シネマカラーズ編集部) 

You see how much the cinema site creative team loves Ramen too?

As per our request, several restaurants are kindly listed by Cinema Colors creative team as their recommendation for international tourists.

From the list, we visited 3 Ramen restaurants. Here are the report of our experiences at these three Ramen restaurants recommended by the Ramen lovers team.

Stagaya (せたが屋) at Shinatatsu (品達) in Shinagawa

Characteristic: The first option is basic or general type of Ramen. 

Setagaya is one of the most popular Ramen restaurants in Tokyo. The name "Setagaya" comes from the district of same name (but different letters, 世田谷) where the flagship restaurant is located.

Location: "Shinatatsu (品達)", where one of Setagaya units is accommodated, is another ramen restaurant collection site along a street, like Tokyo Ramen Street near JR Tokyo station, which we introduced on another post. It is a few minutes away from JR Shinagawa station.
If your accommodation is in Shinagawa area, it will be the easiest dining spot to enjoy Japanese casual local foods.

Recommendation comment from the local Ramen lovers' team:  Enjoy very-Japanese taste stock soup made from fish powder and dried bonite

Our visiting...

When we visited at around 9 p.m., most of seats and tables are already taken mainly by Japanese businessmen. It was a bit late as dinner time in Japan. The fact already showed us how much the restaurant is popular. We can imagine people waiting for the ramen if we visited earlier.

Our order definitely "Setagaya Ramen"(せたが屋ラーメン) that includes all toppings, even though it is a bit more expensive than others.

The restaurant is international tourist-friendly

as the menu in 4 languages, Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean.

Some ramen restaurants ask us some questions for how much to cook noodle, to put galic etc upon ordering a bowl of Ramen. At Setagaya, that sort of adjustment leave on the chef.

While waiting my ordered Setagaya ramen, we enjoyed the chef and the team were working in the kitchen over there.

This is Setagaya Ramen!!

The toppings include

char siu (braised pork slices), Menma (メンマ, bamboo shoot pickles),

Nori (のり, seaweed), Tamago (玉子, boiled egg)

and Aosa-nori (青さのり, special salty dried seaweed from Shimanto-River). 

The soup referred by the Ramen Lovers team is rich and fish-origin flavor. But it is never too strong and that must be liked even by most of non-Japanese people who are less familiar with fish flavor.

If you wish more fish flavor like some Japanese locals, add the original special sauce "Gatsun-shiru"(ガツン汁) placed on your table.

The size of char siu is significantly thick. We were so happy to bite the melting piece.

Restaurant name: Setagaya (せたが屋) Shinagawa branch

Address: 3-26-20 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Official website (in Japanese) : http://setaga-ya.com

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The Ramen chain operator also has an unit in New Jersy in U.S.A. 

Lucky for you, New Jersyite! You can enjoy one of the best ramen taste in your place.

Restaurant name: Ramen Setagaya

Address: 243 Main street, Fort Lee, NJ 07024

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TETSU, Roppongi Hills North Tower

Characteristic: The speciality of TETSU is "tsukemen" (つけ麺, dipping style soup) as Rokurinsha on our previous post. The restaurant is accommodated in Roppongi Hills North Tower,  a luxury shopping complex. TETSU is recognized as one of the best Tsukemen restaurants in Tokyo, as it has been awarded by some Japanese medias.

The Tsukemen soup is profound mix of thick fish stock and chicken stock cooked for 2days.     

Location: Roppongi Hills North Tower is a part of the high-end commercial complex Roppongi Hills. The building is the closest to Roppongi subway station on Hibiya line. If you get off from Exit 1b, Roppongi station, the building is just a few meters away from the station gate. TETSU is on the Basement 1 floor, which is directly connected from the subway station and where many other casual restaurants gather on a floor.  The ground floor is occupied by Banana Republic on one side of Roppongi Street.

Recommendation comment from the local Ramen lovers' team:

The location, Roopongi, is easily accessible even by international tourists. The biggest feature at TETSU is a hot stone to be put into the tsukemen soup in order to re-heat the soup along the way. It must be fun for everyone to look at the Ramen soup heated by a stone. 

Our visiting...

Like many other Ramen restaurants, first thing we have to buy a ticket for a Ramen bowl to order, before taking a seat. The restaurant's staff came to greet and will be happy to help a new guest for the automatic ticket machine. 

The restaurant's walls are decorated with red bricks and iron-looked black plates. With the pop BGM, none can recognize it as a Ramen restaurant but could believe that it is a Western style restaurant like "American style diner" where hamburger is often provided. We observed that this Ramen restaurant is fun and a bit different from typical ones.

The restaurant asks all guests to wait for over 10 minutes until he/she get a bowl of noodle. The noodle is another feature of TETSU's Ramen. It is very thick like Udon Japanese noodle.

The restaurant offers a choice from hot or cold noodle depending on your taste. 

After 10 minutes or around from our order, we got our Tsukemen noodle.

The thick noodle is resilient and the texture is also like Udon noodle.

It is better match also with creamy tsukemen soup.

   

It is also interesting to have cold noodle dipped in hot soup. The cold and hot food are mixed in the mouth. 

"Ajitama" (cooked half-boild egg) is an optional ordered with supplement Yen 100. The value to enjoy the cooked egg is much more than a coin, Yen 100. Try it!!

One thing we regretted.... the tsukemen was so good to make us keep enjoying the noodle without a break and forget to order a hot stone to re-heat the soup, as recommended.

So we cannot show the stone and how the soup is heated visually.

Sorry, you can try it by own at Roppongi TETSU!

Restaurant name: Tsukemen TETSU 

Address: B1 floor, 6-2-31 Roppongi Hills North Tower

Official website: http://www.tetsu102.com

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Tsukumo Ramen (Ebisu Honten) (九十九ラーメン　恵比寿本店)

Characteristic:  Tsukumo Ramen (九十九ラーメン) seems to be a typical independent small Ramen restaurant at a glance. It has only two units in Greater Tokyo area.

It is a menu that makes Tsukumo Ramen differentiate from all other Ramen restaurants. 

We will of course talk further about the interesting food later. 

   

Location: Tsukumo Ramen is in Ebisu (恵比寿) for which JR Yamanote line serves and it is next to Shibuya. Some people may know Westin Hotel and Ebisu Garden Place with Michelin 3-star French restaurant, Joel Robuchon, as major spots in Ebisu.

The town is not known so much by international tourists but for Tokyoite it is one of the most attractive gourmet spots where we can find some small independent but very nice restaurants from casual standing bars to some Michelin-star-awarded. Tsukumo Ramen and its innovative menu may be appropriate for the town, we believe.

Recommendation comment from the local Ramen lovers' team:

Tsukumo Ramen's specialty, "Ganso Marukyu cheese Ramen" (元祖○究チーズラーメン) has a very strong visual impact and is served in the rich soup made from miso and cheese. The unique menu must attract international tourists too. 

Our visiting...

Tsukumo Ramen is about 5 minutes walk from JR Ebisu station which is one stop from Shibuya. It is located on a main street stretching away from the train station. As long as you hold a map for the direction, it won't be difficult to reach to the restaurant, going through a pedestrian bridge. 

The shop is enough big easily to find it from the exterior with a red "chochin"(Japanese lantern) lamp and a set of wooden table appropriate for family guests when the weather is fine. From the entrance, you will find the kitchen with a long counter table and some tables.

Like other popular Ramen restaurants, Tsukumo Ramen opens from lunch to dinner time (and much later until 5A.M. in the morning) without a break. 

Taking a seat on the counter table, we found three pots as condiments. 

They will be put into Ramen bowl to make the taste change a bit. 

Here we do not have to think over about what we should take.

We ordered "Cheese Ramen" as already decided.

Just keep in mind that  "Cheese Ramen" is available only for 200 bowls per day, maybe because of limited availability of the special cheese. 

As per the shop staff, the menu is likely to be run out on early evening around between 6 to 7 P.M. If you won't miss it, it is better to arrive there before 6 P.M. for early dinner or lunch.

Finally it is arrived!!!

The cheese is high quality award-wining, hand-made Tom cheese produced by Hanabatake Bokujo (花畑牧場) in Hokkaido.

It must be appreciated even if it is served only with a piece of cheese. But Tsukumo Ramen provides the cheese shredded and put on a bowl of Ramen.

The volume of cheese is impressively large like a full portion of Camembert cheese. 

For those who love both cheese and Ramen independently, Marukyu Cheese Ramen must be a dream combination.

Well, let's try.... when we try to have the first bite, cheese flavor struck us.

The way to enjoy the cheese the most, as per the restaurant's staff, is to make the cheese melt in the thick miso soup little by little. 

Actually it is interesting to have the Ramen in different way, just take a spoonful of cheese, enjoy mix of soup and cheese or have noodle with melted cheese.

We never thought Ramen with a mount of cheese until we came to know this Tsukumo Ramen. The combination is fantastic.

We could come here in a week...and are also a bit curious about other menu listed, Tsukumo Ramen with Tonkotsu soup, miso or shoyu Ramens.

 

Cheese Ramen at Tsukumo Ramen will become unforgettable meal for you too! 

Restaurant name: Tsukumo Tonkotsu Ramen (Ebisu Honten) (九十九ラーメン　恵比寿本店)

Address: 1-1-36 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Website:http://www.tukumo.com

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We got some other Ramen restaurants recommended by Cinema Colors team.

We will keep trying to visit them and report that on this blog continuously even from next month!

Great thanks to the Ramen lovers' team, Cinema Colors!!!

Website of Cinema Colors (in Japanese and not mainly about food though):

http://eigairo.com 

The easiest way to find the best Ramen in Tokyo - Tokyo Ramen Street

Following the unusual Ramen restaurant, Ichiran on our last post, today we will introduce a group of Ramen restaurants that could make you feel more comfortable in term of location easily accessible even by international tourists. 

Tokyo Ramen Street (東京ラーメンストリート) is located on one of the largest underground shopping streets in Japan, Yaesu underground path (八重洲地下街) area which is directly connected from JR Tokyo station on the basement floor. Along an underground street, 8 Ramen restaurants gather and compete for authentic ramen, as the street's catch copy "Champion's League of Ramen." 

It is said that the developer of Tokyo Ramen Street tried 100 to 200 ramen restaurants in Tokyo to select the Champions of Ramen. Yes, looking at the names, we can find that they are already very popular for their authentic ramen with the chefs' passion. Some are located in residential areas a bit far away from central. So the location, just next to JR Tokyo station where even Shinkansen stop, is the biggest advantage of Tokyo Ramen Street for tourists. It is easily and comfortably accessible even on a rainy day and allows you to select one (or even two) from several Ramen restaurants with the quality for sure.

We found an interesting movie on the official website. The video briefly shows you what is authentic ramen, how noodles  and soup are different by restaurants and how it is prepared by chef with skill and passion, even you do not understand Japanese language.

So we share the link here before we introduce restaurants there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MZ8KrErViI 

  

You can search your Ramen dining easily on the site as each ramen restaurant shows the menu with photos in front.

Here we listed up two examples from Tokyo Ramen Street.

     

Rokurinsha (六厘舎)

Obviously it is the most popular one for which people make a long queue throughout a day. It has a legend that its first and former main unit in residential area had to be closed because the long queue by hundreds of people for the ramen had disturbed neighbor residents. The story tells us how much the ramen attracts locals. 

Rokurihsha's specialty ramen is "dipping" style (tsuke-men, つけ麺). The dipping soup is cooked so long time to make all ingredients melted and transformed into smooth liquid.

 

An option to avoid a looooong line of Rokurinsha is to arrive in the restaurant at the opening time 7h30a.m. or around in the morning.

For morning time, it also provides special menu with lighter soup suitable as your first meal of the day.

Shichisai(七彩)/Edoama(江戸甘)

The restaurant offers two different types of menu by time lunch or dinner. Until 17h00, it provides ramen with soy sauce flavor, Kitakata Ramen (喜多方ラーメン), local specialty from Fukushima prefecture. For dinner time after 17h00, it does main product with miso flavor. Ramen with soy sauce flavor (醤油ラーメン) has clear soup in most case and it will bring you fresher and lighter taste compared with other types of ramen. Soup of ramen with miso flavor(味噌ラーメン) is normally brown and muddy. Miso flavor soup will wam your body and it is more suitable to be taken in cold weather. Miso ramen can be often found in Hokkaido, the most north region of Japan.

Specialty of dinner time,

"Edoama Tokyo Miso Ramen"(江戸甘　東京味噌ラーメン)

The soup is made with Edoama Miso which is a traditional ingredient in Tokyo and has been loved by locals for centuries since Edo period.      

Toppings for the special miso ramen include not only such traditional one but also Western type of ingredient, grated cheese.

 

Let's try one of the best ramen at Tokyo Ramen Street on the way of your transportation even after or before excursion outside Tokyo. 

We hope that you won't have to wait for long time at least!

Name of place: Tokyo Ramen Street

Official website (in Japanese) : http://www.tokyoeki-1bangai.co.jp/ramenstreet/

Will be easy to access to the site if you get off from Yaesu Central Underground Exit of JR Tokyo station (八重洲地下中央口). 

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Ichiran (一蘭) - unusual but best environment to enjoy tonkotsu ramen

Ichiran (一蘭), providing tonkotsu ramen, is one of the most popular ramen operators originated from Hataka (Fukuoka), Kyushu region which is proud of tonkotsu (pork-flavor) ramen, as its local specialty.

The word of "Tonkotsu"(豚骨) means "pork bone" in Japanese. Soup of tonkotsu ramen is made with stock soup from "pork bone" cooked for long hours. The stock of pork bone is richer than chicken or fish, with collagen. The soup of tonkotsu ramen has white color in most cases and it can be easily recognized by the color from other flavors such as miso and soy sauce in brown color.

Some people do not like the strong flavor. But especially the best ramen restaurants, like Ichiran, have made efforts to remove the strong uncomfortable smell from a bowl served to their clients. Then it becomes the best Tonkotsu ramen.

Well, speak more about Ichiran ramen restaurant, the biggest feature is the table. Ichiran has obtained a patent for the table style, which they call "aji shuchu counter" (味集中カウンター = "Concentrate on the flavor" counter). At Ichiran's counter table, unusually each seat is surrounded by walls in three dimension so that each guest can concentrate on enjoying the flavor of ramen. You won't be seen or disturbed by the restaurant staff, nor by neighbor diners, while you are enjoying your bowl of ramen. The high counter with walls seriously reminds us a "voting station"!!

Yes, Ichiran is not a place to enjoy chatting with your accompanying friend/family or partner, while you have a meal. All guests at Ichiran are expected simply to enjoy the flavor of ramen and the restaurant provides the best environment and system to do so.

Make sense ? as long as you know the rule.

Ichiran is also eager to promote tonkotsu ramen in the world and welcomes non-Japanese guests. It has a unit in New York, U.S.A. (Check the address at the bottom of this page). The official home page has an English version, which is rare as a non-large ramen restaurant chain and it tells you the restaurant's system in detail.

Steps to your Ichiran's experiences...

 http://www.ichiran.co.jp/english/html/oshokuji.html

 Roughly as steps to enjoy ramen at Ichiran,

first buy a ticket for your meal from an automatic machine at the entrance.

Then check the seat availability board and take a vacant seat.

At your "Concentrate on flavor"counter table, fill out a form there for your taste customized, such as taste (mild, strong, soft or rich), volume of seasoning and ingredient (garlic, leek, original hot pepper sauce etc), noddle (how much cooked, hard or soft).

Water tap is equipped at each seat with glasses.

Help yourself for a glass of water!

The wall in front is actually bamboo blind which will be opened by a staff working behind, only when your order is passed and ramen is served.

After your oder is arrived,

just CONCENTRATE ON the flavor

at the BEST environment to do so!!!

 The taste of ramen at Ichiran, authentic tonkotsu ramen, may be needless to say how much it is good. It will be natural that Ichiran attracts many people, considering that the restaurant owner makes huge and unusual effort to provide the best ramen. As per the official homepage, the ramen is made from collaboration works by over 40 cooking professionals dedicated exclusively to Ichiran's products.

If you like the tonkotsu soup and have extra space in stomach, you can order refill of noodle by a bottom on the counter to call a staff. Ichiran's space is quiet as a ramen restaurant, because it is made to communicate through a paper form with their staff, rather than oral communication. That is also for allowing guests to concentrate on the flavor.  

As an optional, Ichiran offers a boild egg. As per their explanation, boild egg can clear flavor remain in your mouth. So it suggests that we have a boild egg for refreshing and being more sensitive to the coming flavor before you have the ramen.

Egg was served with a reflet of explanation, while ramen was cooked.  I added it into the ramen, even though I am not sure if it is recommendable by the restauran or not.      

  

Don't have to think about so much after you knew with what kind of system it works,

just try and enjoy the unusual ramen restaurant!!

 

 

Restaurant name: Ichiran (一蘭)

Official website (with perfect information in English): http://www.ichiran.co.jp/english/ 

 < Major units in central Tokyo >

Shinjuku Chuo Higashiguchi

Address: Peace bld. B1 floor, 3-34-11 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

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Shibuya

 Address: Iwamoto bld. B1 floor, 1-22-7 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

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Roppongi

Address: Roppongi GM Bld. 2nd floor, 4-11-11 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo

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For more locations including the flagship restaurant (the First One)  and others in Fukuoka, please visit the official site in English.

http://www.ichiran.co.jp/english/html/map.html

 

< New York Branch >

Address:1013 Manhattan Avenue,Brooklyn,NY 11222 U.S.A.

Information (Exterior photo and Google map) 

http://www.ichiran.co.jp/html/kg_gaiyou3.html

 

 

Ramen Zero Plus, Omotesando (表参道), Tokyo

We feature Ramen this month!!

Finally the time has come. On November 2012, we are going to focus on our recommendable Ramen restaurants in central Tokyo.

We know Ramen(ラーメン) becomes more popular year by year as food in Japan among international travelers, while local Japaneses are likely to consider that Ramen is categorized in Chinese meal, rather than Japanese. 

The noodle of Ramen is surely originated from China and in general Ramen is provided at Chinese, often casual, restaurants. So Ramen is also called "Chuka-soba"(Chinese noodle, 中華そば). At least we understand that the noodle in thick soup and bowl is Japanese style. In China and other countries, similar noodle is often taken with sauce or seasoned but not in soup. From that point, it can be said that Ramen is Japanese food.

From around 1970's, ramen has been independently focused from Chinese meal and casual restaurants specialized in ramen were emerged and have been developed until today. Now we can find a ramen restaurant everywhere, as you know if you travel in Japan. It is one of the most popular menu for quick lunch but with sufficient volume. 

Some ramen restaurant chefs are very stick to the quality of their products and take many hours to produce their noodle and soup. For those restaurants, some people make a queue to have a bowl of ramen, waiting for a hour sometimes. In many cases, such restaurants provide modest space as a dining; narrow counter or stainless tables with back-less chairs. But they are so attractive for these people, even if no-Michelin star, no wonderful service. Simply the ramen taste filled with passion of the chefs is great!!

Their profound soup is thick and rich in taste. We believe that it exceeds your imagination, if  you try a real good one. Noodle, barbecued pork "char siu" and cooked eggs, all other ingredients are also carefully selected and well-considered to harmonize with the soup and all together. We understand the profound and rich flavored soup with noodle attacts even people around the world.

We highly recommend that you try a real good Ramen restaurant, while you are traveling in  Tokyo and other cities. It only costs around Yen 800 - 1000 per person. 

Ramen can be categorized mainly by the flavor and ingredient of soup, such as miso (soy beans paste), soy sauce, salt or stock soup from pork bone (tonkotsu) and from dried fish powder etc. Tonkotsu (pork bone) soup is seen more in Kyushu region, while miso and soy sauce soup are often used in north like Tohoku and Hokkaido. Some restaurant offers variation in taste as well as topping such as boild egg, barbecued pork "char siu", garlic and vegetables.

  

Well, our first recommendation is for those who feel uncomfortable with the casual food at a casual local restaurant, even if you know that the food is nice.

Ramen Zero Plus is located in one of the most luxury shopping complex, Omotesando Hills. Omotesando Hills, which is close to Harajuku, accommodates collections of high-end global jewelry and fashion brands such as DOLCE&GABBANA, HARRY WINSTON, Yves Saint Laurent. Even locals cannot imagine a Ramen shop is in such luxury shopping complex. It is same that you won't find McDonald in such places. So Ramen Zero Plus is unusual in that point. 

The interior is not like an ordinary ramen restaurant but is like a chic modern cafe, matching with other tenants in Omotesando Hills. Anyone will feel comfortable with the clean and modern atmosphere. 

However the ramen' taste and quality are never away from others at Ramen Zero Plus operated by "Setagaya" (せたが屋), one of the most popular ramen restaurant operators in Tokyo. Zero "0" implies that their meal prepared without any seasoning, but only with stock soup taken from various food ingredients. We cannot imagine how many hours required to cook the soup.

The specialty menu "Ramen Zeo" includes typical ramen condiments such as boiled egg, shredded leeks, a few slices of barbecued pork and nori dried seaweed.

The soup flavor is mild and never be too strong. 

That is another reason that we recommend Ramen Zero Plus for ramen beginner! in addition to the comfortable location.

Restaurant name: Ramen Zero Plus (ラーメンゼロ　プラス)

Address: 3rd floor Omotesando Hills, 4-12-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Website (in Japanese): http://www.setaga-ya.com/shop/ramen_zero_plus.html

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