Ramen Ramen

Nothing tastes better after a night out on the town than a steaming bowl of tasty ramen. Mind you, I’m not talking about that instant cup of noodle stuff that most of us have at home, I’m talking about homemade ramen made from scratch. The firm and chewy noodles, the mouth watering broth and especially the deliciously fatty pieces of "char siu" that no self-respecting bowl of ramen would ever be served without. Chinese in origin, Japanese ramen usually consists of wheat noodles in a pork and/or chicken based broth. Toppings are varied and may include braised pork (char siu or chashu), green onions (negi) and pickled bamboo shoots (menma).

In my opinion, the best way to eat ramen is at a yatai or outdoor food stall. Forget the fancy restaurants, there is something much more authentic about sitting at the tiny counter of one of these outdoor stalls while having a bowl of ramen prepared a few feet away from you by a master. On this night in Tokyo we decided to try this ramen stand near our hotel which was literally located in what seemed to be a garage.

My friend Timmy had tried this place a few nights prior and couldn’t stop raving about it. "Order the one with the kim chee and extra char siu" I was advised. Naturally I complied, and a few minutes later I was happily slurping down ramen noodles with a big smile on my face. Unlike America and other parts of the world, slurping your noodles is actually expected of you when eating any type of noodle dish in Japan. It would be almost considered rude not to slurp. The master worked quickly and efficiently, and in no time had presented us with five bowls of steaming hot ramen for our consumption.

As you have probably read in my earlier postings, during this trip my buddy Timmy made friends all over Tokyo. One night it was "Keoni" at Akitaya Yakitori and tonight it was the ramen master! After complimenting the owner on his delicious ramen several times, he was able to convince him and his wife to pose for this picture.