Since my last visit on May 18th for the "Special Soy Sauce Ramen," this marks my 10th visit. I had planned to try the newly introduced "Grape Pepper Ramen" that started in mid-January, but when I attempted to purchase the "Special Grape Pepper Ramen" from the vending machine, I was met with an "X" mark! I immediately asked Mr. Morishima, "Is the grape pepper currently unavailable?" and he confirmed, "Yes."During this time, Mr. Morishima was also attending to the opening of the Seoul branch following the Hong Kong store's launch in March, so the main store resumed operations on July 9th.Determined to try the "Grape Pepper Ramen" that I hadn't tasted yet, I opened TableCheck at 8 AM on July 12th to secure a reservation for the 10 AM slot, and I was able to book it smoothly. It seems that reservations on TableCheck have become a bit easier, but within minutes, all slots were fully booked. The reservation system for Raa Menya Shima only opens the next day's slots the day before.Mr. Hiroshi Morishima, the owner of Raa Menya Shima, trained at the popular restaurant "Kashiwagi" in Higashi-Nakano after the passing of the ramen master Minoru Sano from "Shina Soba-ya." He then consulted with Shiori Sano, the representative of "Shina Soba-ya," before opening his own shop in June 2020 near Nishi-Shinjuku 5-chome Station. He has been recognized as one of the top ramen shops in Tokyo from 2021 to 2025 and received the Award Bronze in 2022, with a return to Bronze in 2026.I arrived at the restaurant at 9:47 AM and was called in by Mr. Morishima at 9:50 AM. I checked the vending machine for the "Special Grape Pepper Ramen," and it was available today! (Yay!!) Since I was the first to enter for the 10 AM slot, I was told to choose any seat and sat at the far left of the six-counter seats.At 9:58 AM, Mr. Morishima served the ramen.The "Special Grape Pepper Ramen" featured two pieces of charcoal-grilled pork shoulder chashu, smoked pork thigh chashu, and charcoal-grilled pork belly chashu, all beautifully arranged with Kujo green onions on top. Underneath the chashu, there was a seasoned egg, shrimp and pork wontons, and finely sliced menma. Previously, the menma was thick, but it seems they switched to a finer cut around last autumn.The broth was a perfect balance of animal and dried ingredients, rich in umami and incredibly flavorful—absolutely delicious! The refreshing taste of the grape pepper and its pleasantly numbing spiciness added a wonderful accent to the already delightful broth.When I asked Mr. Morishima if the grape pepper was based on white soy sauce, he replied, "Yes, and I also added a bit of salt."Grape pepper is a cultivated variety of the citrus family originating from Aridagawa Town in Wakayama Prefecture. Compared to regular pepper, it has a much stronger aroma, a refreshing citrus-like quality, rich flavor, and a mild yet profound umami with a tingling spiciness.The noodles were silky with excellent texture and mouthfeel. Some might find them a bit soft, but the level of tenderness and delicacy is consistent with the standards set by Iida Shoten and Muginawa, as well as Raa Menya Shima.And above all, the finishing touches on each chashu and the overall deliciousness were outstanding! The shoulder and thigh chashu were delicate and perfectly rare, while the belly chashu had an incredible texture and flavor. The shrimp and pork wontons and the soft-boiled egg were also spot on. The grape pepper provided a pleasant accent throughout, and the combination of the broth and noodles showcased an impressive level of craftsmanship.It was incredibly delicious! It was a great meal!
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