Tokyo Ramen Report:Takahashi
Have you ever met a bowl of ramen which makes you say "OMG, this is the one!" Or have you ever had an ultimate ramen which perfectly suits you? Actually, I have recently.
Takahashi, is the ramen shop I happened to find a couple of weeks ago on the edge of Shinjuku Kabukicho, super vibrant nightlife district. It stands elegantly as if it were a high-profile Japanese cuisine restaurant.
What Is Special?
The reason why I was badly fascinated by their menu was all because of its soup. They feature "Yakiago" fish stock, which is quite uncommon as a style of ramen soup.
Meanwhile in Japanese cuisine, Yakiago Dashi, soup stock made by grilling & simmering flying fish with great care, has been a huge foundation for a variety of dishes. That's something you never taste at a casual diner in Japan.
As a Japanese, it wasn't difficult to imagine how that rich & layered flavors would be matched with ramen.
Ramen Of The Year
Firstly, look at this beautiful bowl. Elegant, superb, spectacular...use whatever adjectives you can think of! Even before holding chopsticks, you can appreciate this appearance.
Yes, the bowl itself is probably a bit smaller than typical ones you'll see in Japan, but for the people like me (feeling getting-old & worrying about carb), quality overwhelms quantity.
The noodles are easy-to-slurp chewy & their texture was really to the point.
Soup & Char-siu
Do you see the soup inside a spoon? As it's golden & half translucent, hard to clearly see in a pic.
But if you have some knowledge about Japanese cuisine, you'll probably recognize it as a great sign. Yes, in general, that kind of soup has a rich & complex flavor & it actually was here.
I can keep drinking the soup forever...no uncomfortable fish smell, this is so gorgeous.
2 different types of meat are on top. One is a common type of char-siu, which was juicy & full of umami.
And the second one was more like thinly sliced bacon, but this was a killer! I don't know how they cook this, but this thin bacon-like meat was a perfect combination with golden rich soup. You'll feel goodness of it almost every bite!
Don't spoil your valuable ￥800 on cheap & boring bowls. If you're not fish hater, this is the place you should try.
Thanks for reading.
Yakiago Shio Ramen
website: (Japanese)
Posted by 3e-Tokyo Project