Ramen Mistress

Don’t be like me and live five years in Japan before trying your first mapo tofu ramen. And for your first bowl, this is the spot to try it.

📍Niigata Sanpō-tei Tokyo Lab Nakameguro
新潟三宝亭 東京ラボ 中目黒店
🚶🏼‍♀️6 minute walk from Naka Meguro Station
📓24 seats
📆Open 7 days a week for both lunch and dinner

#ramen #japan #tokyo #japanesefood Less

When I ask how you’re doing, I mean how do you like what you ordered.

And if you’re curious, this is TRICK らーめん 鶏喰 in Yokohama. It’s been on the Ramen Top 100 list since 2017. Their chicken shoyu ramen is to die for. Deep, bold shoyu with tons of chicken oil. The soup uses five different types of chickens and four different types of soy sauce. The wontons have a touch of yuzu. It’s the perfect bowl for chicken lovers.

#foodie #eating #eat #foodlover #japan Less

I have this one really classy friend who doesn’t go for ramen all TOO often (you know who you are), so when she insisted we hit her favorite dim sum spot for tantanmen, I was intrigued.

Down an outrageously narrow flight of stairs is @steam_dimsum_wine serving tons of Cantonese tiny bites, amazing wine, and the best tantanmen in Roppongi. It was thick, heavy, and perfectly matched flavor bomb for size. They do a smaller bowl which TBH is needed if you’re going to crawl through the menu at a place like this.

As for the dim sum, it was a kaleidoscope of color and flavor. My favorite was the molokhia, the “King of vegetables” in the Middle East, an herbal spinach that worked so well.

The experience at Steam is unmatched. You’ll pay more than at a 3am spot, but after one bite, sip, or slurp, you’ll happily pay double.

#roppongi #tokyo #japan Less

I’ve met Japanese people who have NEVER had Jiro ramen in their life because it freaks them out.

The cultish, hushed tense atmosphere, the globs of pork fat dripping down mountains of bean sprouts, the sweaty bowls of greasy noodles that clock in at over a pound in weight.

Literally everyone in line wears all black and knows the code to order.

Basically, buy your ticket, and get ready to say how much garlic + vegetables + seasoning you want. And be prepared to respond on demand when asked - everyone around you will cast wide eyes if you mess it up.

The taste? Funky, salty, sour. It’s the bodyguard of the ramen world. This is the original shop in Mita, Tokyo. Be prepared for a line.

#ramen #japan #japanesefood #tokyo Less

Do not underestimate the importance of having an arsenal of late night spots for when you get the munchies or miss last train.

And in Japan, there’s good food on every corner available 24 hours a day.

The ramen at Benten in Bashamichi is a classic shio with thin, textured noodles. The pork was so soft and melty, and the wontons were so delicate they immediately fell apart to touch. This neighborhood is a big nightlife district, lots of kyabakura (hostess clubs), so Benten slings ramen all night long from 10am till 4am.

#japanesefood #japan #latenights #ramen Less

After countless bowls of ramen before I ever sip a cup of joe, I can confidently say I feel infinitely better letting the sodium and protein of a well-made dashi stock flow through my veins.

This is Mensouan Sunada 麺創庵 砂田 in Sugamo, Tokyo. They’ve been a top 100 ramen shop for quite a number of years. The wontons are unreal, and they open at 8am five days a week.

I used to be addicted to caffeine. Now I’m addicted to ramen. Less

They say there’s a matcha shortage, but that doesn’t seem to apply to ramen…

Every year Mensho does a “Valentine’s Day” themed ramen. Normally it’s got chocolate, maybe something red, perhaps a western fusion riff. But this year it’s matcha ramen with cocoa noodles. And a diabolical amount of duck.

My favorite part was probably the noodles; it’s no small feat to use cocoa which normally results a crumbly dough - but with ramen you need bounce and cohesion. These danced between a soba/ramen/dare I say masa texture. Loved the originality.

And of course the duck was fabulous. Look at that crimson hue and rainbow of fat. Had to scarf them up real quick before they got any more cooked in the hot soup.

Speaking of soup, it was an EARTHY toripaitan chicken and matcha situation. Not sweet at all - like real matcha - and surprisingly emulsified. Would I eat this often? Nah. But thb again I don’t trend towards creamy chicken soups in the first place. But I can definitely respect it for what it is! It’s not entirely giving Valentine vibes if you ask me, but matcha is what gets the people going, so I can see the allure.

#shibuya #tokyo #japan #matcha Less

I never thought I’d live to see the day that three of my favorite things combine. Ramen+tacos+good beer. I was psyched to hit this pop-up, which is surprising considering I feel like I always miss events like this by a day or two. When I actually manage to hit one, it always blows my mind. With a few simple moves, you can plan ahead to try one, too.

This collaboration was a Sunday afternoon, and the menu was fab. Many shops announce their events a week or so in advance, so just following them is a good start. Also consider following some craft beer or coffee shops; they host fun events, too.

I can’t wait for another ramen+taco collab 🙌 Less

Even though America consumes the third-highest amount of beef in the world (Argentina and Brazil top the charts), most people cringe at the thought of eating the phallic looking cow tongue.

Japan imports over 250,000 metric tons of American beef annually. That’s like 25 Eiffel towers of beef. Or 1.5 MILLION cars. But if you go to the town of Sendai, you can eat bonafide domestic Japanese beef in the form of cow tongue, the pride and joy of the city.

Cow tongue, or “gyutan” in Japanese, took off after World War II. The tongue was less expensive, and some of the pioneer chefs used it as an opportunity to distinguish themselves during a time of crisis.

Nowadays, the pink slabs of tongue have a hefty price tag, and I gotta say, those grill marks and the saltiness of the ramen make for a pretty sumptuous feast.

You can find gyutan ramen at “Zenjiro - Itsutsubashi-yokocho Branch annex” which is about three minutes south of Sendai station. And get some fresh slabs to take back to your hotel as a souvenir. Less

Let’s talk about what you need to be looking for in the kitchen.

If you spot one of these big burly machines in the back, that means they make their noodles in house. Some places leave some flour sitting around too, and the floor gets a bit powdery, which I think is just the most atmospheric choice. These machines aren’t cheap, with many shops outsourcing noodle production for cost and convenience. So when you see an actual machine in the kitchen, you know you’re getting something totally unique.

Menya Mikan is just ten minutes from Shibuya, and is a great spot for fresh noodles. They also do a nice job of rebelling against the stereotype that soy sauce based ramen lacks the body and depth of thicker counterparts. This is a hearty bowl! Less