Foodle

Omakase gets the spotlight, but kappo is what we should really be seeking out. I hadn’t heard of kappo style until I went to Kirinji in Nagano.

Omakase and “ryotei” are high-end (ryotei even often involve geisha and are invitation only!) but kappo is a down-to-earth approach to premium cuisine. It’s kind of like what Bib Gourmand is to Michelin. Kappo literally means to cut and grill, which reflects what customers can observe after placing their order from their intimate counter seats.

The chef at Kirinji has a fascinating backstory, opening his restaurant just two days after the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. He distributed flyers and offered 100 free meals for two days. Now, 15 years later, Kirinji is one of the highest rated ramen shops in Nagano.

Menu:
🐓 塩そば (Salt ramen) ¥1,200
🥢 つけそば (Tsukemen) ¥1,000

Location:
📍 Noodles Kirinji 麺道 麒麟児
657-4 Kawanakajimamachihara, Nagano, 381-2224

Research:
📝 https://kirinji-gp.com/concept/
📝 https://www.jikko.jp/news/ryoutei Less

When many people think of Chinatown, they picture a sesame tantanmen brimming with bright red oils and crowned with spices. But many don’t know that the hidden best meal to be had is the sword-cut noodle stewed beef bowl. The slow-roasted chunks of meat that just fall apart they’re so tender and the tang of the pickled mustard greens, all in a gentle salt-based soup, is unlike anything you can find outside of the Chinatown district.

The portion of the bowl is massive, so it’s also quite nice to have the lighter soup base where you can feast on the noodles and drain the bowl.

This is called Toki and is down a narrow alley covered in flags and lanterns. I always get a side of the steamed gyoza, which comes with their housemade chili crisp. The sword-cut noodles are shaved fresh to order, and the variation in texture and density is incredibly more-ish. Add this to your next Chinatown itinerary on your trip to Japan. You won’t regret it. I never do. Less

Sometimes you just know a bowl of ramen is going to be good the moment you see it. This one had me at first glance. The clear, glassy stock, the pristine surface of the soup, and the hypnotically textured noodles.

This is Shonan no Temae (湘南の手前) a 12 minute bus ride from Totsuka Station. If you’re up for a ramen day trip, don’t miss it. The noodles are from reputable noodle maker Mikawaya Seimen, and are hand-rolled in house. This gives them that luscious varied texture. If you’ve been to Men Kurai or Hikaage, it’s reminiscent of that.

The soup is built on chicken bones, with kelp and vegetables to deepen the umami. I went for the shio (salt-based) ramen (an excellent choice, in my humble opinion) though a lot of people swear by the richer, darker, temari-style shoyu. The shio is subtle and mild, which lets these gorgeous noodles shine.

The noodles themselves are springy and chewy, somewhere between udon and fresh pasta. I like to order it without the back-fat topping, which can overwhelm the delicate balance of the bowl. Without it, the silky noodles float in a light, dashi broth that’s just perfect. And did I mention they’re open at 7 AM? Did somebody say the perfect breakfast?

The shop’s interior is rustic with unfinished wood and bare concrete floors. But you don’t come here for the atmosphere. You come here for the earth-shatteringly good noodles. Less

The mother lode. A bowl of ramen that comes screaming down the chute like an avalanche on Everest. If you don’t know what you’re getting into when you humbly hand your ticket to the chef at this joint, you’re in for a surprise.

In the belly of Kannai subway station is Ore No Ikiru Michi, a Jiro inspired shop that opened in July 2024. It’s a rich, pork broth with extra thick homemade noodles. But those are minor details when you’re staring down the barrel of this monstrosity I accidentally ordered. Not only was it 300 grams of noodles, but another pound of bean sprouts, gigantic slices of pork, and literally pork back fat crowning the peak. And - the fool that I can sometimes be - ordered EXTRA back fat that they served in a literal bowl on the side. Don’t ask what I was thinking; it was a fugue state.

Swipe to see what a normal bowl looks like here. Downright innocent in comparison. To be honest, the pork is really good, and the simple miso tonkotsu ramen slaps.

So think twice before you place your order. Better yet, think three times. You won’t regret the big bowl, but you better be up to the challenge. Less

The only time it’s a bad choice is when you DON’T order ramen.

The shop is called Ramen Jazzy Beats and is next to the train tracks in Naka Meguro. The inside is super classy and so is the ramen. Perfect for date night or tourist bucket list.

And again, it’s a great choice. You will not have FOMO afterwards. Thank me when you write your personal memoir about all of the excellent decisions you’ve made.

#ramen #japan #noodles #tokyo #tokyolife Less

I’ve never used the phrase “fire sale” more literally than right now. Get this wok-fried, fire-licked Miso ramen before the CERTE building in Kannai literally goes up in flames at the end of 2025.

It’s sad but true, the 6th floor ramen alley will be demolished along with the other floors of intrigue in this stalwart bastion of Kannai’s food culture.

BUT! There’s still time to enjoy this fire 🔥 miso ramen from 味噌麺処 にそう(Miso Noodle Shop Nisou). The noodles are hefty, curly boys that stand their ground against the robust miso soup chock full of stir-fried vegetables. The pork belly is super soft, and the soup’s not overly salty at all. Extra thick soup with a dash of sansho peoper. The depth of flavor in this one is grand, and I’ll miss it dearly when they ride off into the ramen sunset. Less

Soy & Ginger = A magic combination. There’s nothing more satisfying than the harmony between zesty fresh ginger and the deep umami body of high quality soy sauce. Nagaoka, up in Niigata, is famous for soy Ginger ramen, but you can also get it at quite a few shops in the greater Tokyo area.

This is Nagaoka Shokudo, a chain that does the style decently well. The soup is a blend of chicken, pork and back fat simmered for a long time, and topped with raw fresh ginger prior to serving. The noodles are smooth and the pork is sliced to order, a perfect meaty ratio with less fat than other ramen styles.

I avoid shoyu if it’s bitter or astringent, but this blend uses shiitake mushrooms and kelp. It’s rich and mellow and super yummy. Less

Throwback to my last Friday’s lunch at @restaurant_suhring with their newly-upgraded 3 stars from Michelin Guide Thailand this year. Apparently, I still haven’t recovered from their enleta, the restaurant’s fun twist on the hazelnut waffle–now replaced with foie gras–and its Doktorenhof’s apricot vinegar, which actually had me gasping with happiness. (I remember I had to take out my phone right at that first sip just to see if I could buy that whole bottle for myself *turned out I could!). One memorable highlight was the ‘wildpastete,’ the highly-crafted version of the German pie laden with venison, pheasant, duck liver, figs, apricots, pistachio, mushrooms, and lard, all of which were held together by the golden pastry. Less