Senrigan (Ramen), Higashikitazawa

If you're a Ramen eater, I strongly recommend you go to this place: it's good, filling and fun. OK, it's a little out of the way and you will have to walk a little bit, but that resulting exercise might actually be necessary and beneficiary when looking at the amount of calories and food involved in that one bowl of noodles.

It took me a while to first enter this place, as the orange and yellow nameboard outside saying "Ramen Senrigan Ninniku" (Ninniku meaning garlic) made me think that there would be too much of that Dracula-killer in the soup. I still decided to give it a try one day, as I kept seeing people flocking in the place. Since then, I've been a fan. It's cheap (regular Ramen at ¥680), it's filling with its 300g worth of noodles and it's fun with all the mountain like toppings you can add for free.

You first buy your meal ticket at the vending machine. The choice is simple and limited: "Ramen" (¥680), "Ramen" supersized (¥780), "Buta Ramen" (Ramen with added Chinese-Style pork bbq Chashu at ¥850), "Buta Ramen" supersized (¥950), "Buta Dabulu Ramen" (even more Chashu! at ¥980) and finally the gigantic "Buta Dabulu Ramen" supersized (¥1080).
To make it easier for you, I'd recommend you go for the regular Ramen which will most probably largely satisfy your hunger.

The mountain of Moyashi

The regular Ramen's toppings consist of boiled Moyashi (bean sprout), Kyabetsu (Chinese cabbage) and Chashu. However, when the dish is almost prepared, the cook will call out your seat number (written in front of you on the counter) and ask you if you want some garlic in it.

Seat #3 waiting for the call

Check out the following video to see how that works and the impressive topping of Moyashi:



To which you can reply Nashi (for no thanks), Sukuname (for a little) and Onegaishimasu (for yes please)
You also have a choice of free toppings:
Yasai Mashi (literally More Vegies)
Abura (more fat)
Karame (stronger broth)
Kara-age (deep-fried Tempura batter Tenkatsu with hot chili powder)
Just ask for what you want, and they will add that on your bowl.

Regulars seem to go for Zenbu Kudasai (please top everything), but I tend to like my noodles simple, so I always only ask for Yasai-Mashi and Ninniku Sukuname to make myself feel better knowing that I did order "healthier" vegetables...
The result is colossal, as you can see it from the pictures.

The rather thick, almost milky-textured Tonkotsu(pork bone) and Shoyu based broth is very rich and surprisingly not garlic flavored. Add some garlic only if you like it and you want a little kick, as the soup is well good enough without. I have seen some customers down the whole artery-clogging soup, but I don't have the courage to imitate them as it's already tough enough to finish the ingredients...
The noodles are brown-colored (just like Sobas), quite thick at 3-4mm (not different from the Moyashi width) and with a good koshi (firmness). As you have to fight through 300g of them, you're pretty much full when you've finished chewing them.

The three thick slices of Chashu are wonderfully tender and melt in your mouth, if they haven't already disintegrated while sitting in the soup. They are a bit salty but the combination with the boiled Moyashi and Kyabetsu is good.

No explanations will come close to actually trying it, so if you're into Ramen, the detour is definitely worth it. For your information, "Okame" and "Ramen Yamate" are in the same street.

Senrigan is closed on Mondays and open the rest of the week
from 11:00am to 14:30pm, 17:00pm to 22:00pm Tuesday through to Saturday
from 11:00am to 14:30pm, 17:00 pm to 21:00pm Sunday and on National Holidays
Meguro-Ku, Komaba 4-6-8
03-3481-5773
It's about 500m from Higashi-Kitazawa (Odakyu Line) and Ikenoue (Inokashira Line), or 15-20mn walk from Shimokitazawa
Click here for a MAP

Ramen Yamate (Ramen), Komaba Todaimae

This place is a little far from Shimokitazawa, as you will need to walk for about half an hour, but it's quite worth the walk if you are a Ramen addict. Actually, "Ramen Yamate" being located by the Tokyo University Campus, the promenade can be quite pleasant as you could cut through the verdant school grounds to get there. The mix of old brick academic buildings and modern structures looks quite nice on photos, so if you're an adept of that particular visual art, that's another reason for you to wander through the premises.
If you have no interest in walking or photography, that's still OK, as the bowl of Ramen is interesting and good enough to go all the way there. It is also a big favorite among the college's students and you will see many of them in there.

"Ramen Yamate" kitchen

What's so special about this place is the noodles, and most of the people will agree with me in saying that they are pasta-like: they have the egg-yellow color, more or less the taste and definitely the firmness of slightly al dente Italian pasti. I think that's quite original but I know for a fact that some hardcore Ramen-eaters find that a blasphemy. Well, that's too bad for them, as the "Togarashi Ramen" (chili ramen) I had yesterday was excellent.

"Togarashi Ramen"

The broth in Ramen Yamate is Tonkotsu-based (pork bone), to which they add some Tori-Gara (chicken carcass), Konbu (tangle), garlic, ginger and Shiitake mushroom, all of which they simmer for 24 hours. This makes a light-flavored Tonkotsu soup that I find very appetizing.
Friends from college who are readins this blog (thank you) might remember our favorite "Akashiroya" in Yoyogi-Uehara (the place is gone now). Well, "Ramen Yamate" is the mother shop and tastes quite the same.

Yamate's most popular dish is the "Yuki (snow) Ramen" which consists of that basic broth with toppings of roasted garlic and onion, and a final thin layer of lard on top of the soup. That light blanket of fat, which supposedly adds smoothness to the broth, looks like snow, hence the name of the dish.
As mouth-watering as that sounds, as I said earlier, I went for the "Togarashi Ramen" which is a hot version of the basic broth, with added chili in it. The soup looks hellishly red and spicy, but that's really on the surface, and they manage to keep it very eatable. The soup actually tasted so good that I even thought for a while of downing it, but fought such calorie mega-intake with courage.

Togarashi Ramen Soup

The ramen comes with Menma (Japanese style Sungan) and a slice of Chashu (Chinese-style bbq pork) that somehow tastes a little bit and has the fibrous texture of canned tuna. Both toppings are a little too low on salt for my liking, which is a shame as they definitely need more flavor to compete with the rich spicy soup

The pasta-like noodles are freshly made on site (the "noodle factory" is next door) by the manager and were originally studied and designed as to give the best Nogo-Doshi possible (literally Passing the Throat), an important notion in Japan where firmness of food can be a matter of lengthy heated discussion. Nodo-Goshi can designate anything from firmness, smoothness or fluidity, but is really basically about how easily and enjoyably you'll down the stuff.
Even after more than 30 years in Japan, Nodo-Goshi is still a slightly difficult notion to grasp for me, so let me just say that their noodles provide a nice resistance, are tasty and are a pleasure to swallow with a little bit of soup. Once again, Ramen purist might tell you that they do not mingle well with the broth, but that's the least of my concerns.

Whether it has something to do with the fact that the noodles do seem a little "Italian", I don't know, but Yamate also offers a "Tomato Ramen" (left on the picture above), with Italian tomatoes, wine, aromatic herbs and chili-infused Olive oil, which might be a wonderful match for the "pasta". If you're in a challenging mode, go crazy...

"Ramen Yamate" (mid to far right) and the "Noodle Factory" (left)

Ramen Yamate is open everyday from 11:30am to 02:45am
You can walk there from Shimokitazawa (30mn), Higashi-Kitazawa (20mn) on the Odakyu Line or 10mn from Komaba-Todaimae (2 stations from Shimokitazawa on the Inokashira Line)
Shibuya-ku, Tomigaya 2-21-7

03-5453-7290
Click here for a MAP

Part 2 - Okame (Oden), 15mn walk from Shimokitazawa

There is no particular order in which you should order your Oden, but people tend to order it towards the end of the meal, which we do as well.

Here are the stuff we ordered yesterday:
Uzura egg (quail eggs) and Gobo (burdock) both in Satsuma-Age ( fried fish cake)
A whole portion of Tofu with some leek and Yuzu peel on top of it. An absolute must.

Rolled cabagge stuffed with minced meet, some Hanpen (white surimi) and some Shirataki noodles (the white block of Konjak noodles on the left)

If you are into fish, you should absolutely try their Tako (octopus), which is really just boiled slices of octopus , quite chewy but oh so fresh. You eat it with a separate Wasabi-Shoyu sauce.

For an idea, for all that stuff, we paid just over ¥6,000 for two with 2 beers and 2 cold sake. Do the maths! Nothing extravagant right?

Every other Oden ingredients are good, so just go nuts. You can eat Oden only too, so if you want to skip on the other fares, don't hesitate to do so. You will just miss on some good stuff!

"Okame" is closed on Wednesday, and usually open from 17:00 to 24:00.
In the winter time, the place is packed from about 18:00 and you will have to wait a good half-an-hour before you get a seat. The only way to make a reservation is if you book for at least 4 people, in which case they'll seat you in their tatami room on the second floor. It's nice and quiet, but you'll miss on the izakaya atmosphere of the ground floor.

The place is much closer to Higashikitazawa, but you can walk from Shimokitazawa. 15mn walk.

Shibuyaku, Uehara 3-25-9
03-3467-4734
click here for a MAP

Part 1 - Okame (Oden), 15mn walk from Shimokitazawa

"Okame" is one of the best well-kept secret in the Shimokitazawa area (though much closer to Higashi-Kitazawa). This rather hard-to-find place is specialized in outstanding Oden fares but the rest of its menu is also excellent. Talking about the menu, don't be surprised when you have a look at it: there are no prices on it. Rest assured though, a good dinner with sufficient drinks will usually costs an average of 4,000 to 5,000 yen per person. Nothing outrageous considering the quality of the food. Prices will jump up if you order a lot of their excellent Sashimis.

Here's the Oden below, with all the ingredients stewing in the broth
Click here for the Wikipedia article on the "Oden", but be advised that the article has a major flaw in that it has reversed the Kanto and Kansai word in its "Regional Variations". What you need to know is that the Kansai (Southern Central region of the main Honshu Island) version has a lighter broth than the Kanto one ( Tokyo and the prefectures around). "Okame" serves the delicate Kansai version which is said to be truer to the taste of its ingredients as the clearer broth interferes less with them.

When you get in, they'll serve you the always good Otoshi (side dish served before the meal, on the above picture). It changes daily and yesterday's was a Squid dish and the other an Eggplant one. No need to say that it goes well with your opening beer.

As I said earlier, "Okame" is basically an Oden restaurant, but they also serve other delicious cuisine. Went yesterday for the above "Anago No Agedashi" , a lightly deep-fried Eel served in a Tentsuyu broth (the broth served with Tempura) and some chopped Spring Onion. It was served with Eggplant, Shishito Peppers, Shiitake mushrooms and Nori dry seaweed.

Chose the "Yamaimo No Isobeage" as well: Japanese Mountain Yam rolled in Nori sheets and deepfried. Add some touch of salt and go for it. Theirs is really good.

I always order their great Hakusai Zuke (pickled Chinese cabbage ) on top of which they grate a little bit of fresh Yuzu for the flavor. So good! And the portion is big (above picture)

I strongly suggest you order their Kajiki-Maguro No Teriyaki (Swordfish Teriyaki sauce) which is a killer. The fish will melt in your mouth!

Uchimura (Egyptian), 10mn walk from Shimokitazawa

This restaurant/deli might be the best middle-eastern place in Tokyo in terms of quality/cost ratio. The place is managed by an Egypto-Japanese couple who used to live in Luxor. They serve an incredible Falafel in Pita bread, as well as some wonderful pastes/dips such as Musa'ah (eggplant and green paper) , Hummus, Fuul (broad bean and green paper), Baba ghanoug (eggplant). A full Pita with choice of pastes is ¥500, and their meat dishes (kebab and co) around the same price.

Their bean salad (bean, garlic, cumin, chili, vinegar) is wonderful

and the Tabbule (parsley, tomato, cucumber, onion, green paper), a bomb of freshness.

Finish the lunch/dinner with the cardamom-flavored Arabian coffee (¥300), and you're VERY happy.

"UCHIMURA" (Setagaya-ku, Kitazawa 3-2-11) 03-3468-2715
2-3mn walk from Higashikitazawa Station on Odakyu Line, or 10mn walk from Shimokitazawa
Closed on Sundays

click here for MAP