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