バリネギラーメン / Bari Negi Ramen / Hakata Ramen Kazu — Akasaka, Tokyo

Tonkotsu ramen contains a soup made from pork bones and water only. This style of ramen with a mature porky smell is generally made via the ‘yobimodoshi’ method, essentially using the same stockpot for years on end. The stockpot is never emptied, with new soup added to the old soup in the same pot every day. The soup at this shop is a hybrid of this method, with three separate stock pots of different aged soups blended together. Thin straight Hakata style noodles are shipped in from Fukuoka by the purveyor Torio Seimen. Topped with pork belly chashu, wood ear mushrooms and extra negi.

Master Keisuke Baba-san was born in Saitama and worked as a mechanic until he injured his back (herniated disc) while still in his early 20’s. It was around the same time that his father decided to open a ramen shop with an acquaintance in Akasaka. The shop was originally called Hakata Ramen Nagomi, and for the first several years business was not good. The manager (who opened the shop with his father) quit after only one year. Baba-san started working there and vowed to turn business around, it was his first time in the ramen industry. The first 3-4 years were quite difficult, as the ramen was cheap and he was still an ametuer. Determined to improve, Baba-san studied ramen Youtube videos and began to eat at various ramen shops known for tonkotsu ramen. Over time he made gradual improvements and created the hybrid soup method which is used today. The shop is currently one of the highest ranked bowls of Hakata style tonkotsu ramen in Tokyo. 12 seats. Open since March 26th, 2014 @hakataramen_kazu