Recommended bowl: The OG

Ezawa Shokudō was founded in 1954 as a family restaurant in Katsuura, a remote coastal city on Japan’s Boso Peninsula. At that time, many local people worked on boats, such as fisherman and traditional ama-san (women shell & pearl divers). Master Ezawa-san wanted to make a spicy Sichuan-style tantanmen to warm up his sea weary customers, but it was difficult at the time to get some of the ingredients, such as Qi Mahjong (Chinese sesame paste). So he improvised and used chili oil instead, topping the dish with minced meat and onions. So began the ramen sub-genre of Katsuura-style tantanmen, a dish the region is now famous for. After the OG master Ezawa-san passed away in the late 1990s, his son reopened the shop in 2001. It later closed and moved to its current location in 2013. The shop is now in the OG master's grandson's hands, having survived into a third generation. This is the Mecca of Katsuura Tantanmen, so expect a wait at the door. The shop usually runs out of soup by mid-afternoon.