ひのりん
"Noguchi Taro Ramen" On a Wednesday night in mid-December, I met up with a former colleague after about 7 months to explore a new ramen shop that we had not visited before. It had been since mid-May when we last visited "Jouhou Rainbow" and "Ramen Toride Teradamachi Store". This time, we visited a place called "Noguchi Taro Ramen", suggested by my colleague. The restaurant opened in May 2022, so it had been about six months since then. We arrived at the restaurant a little after 6:30 pm. There were quite a few bars and eateries in the vicinity of Kita-Shinchi. The exterior of the restaurant was chic, with only a small sign indicating its presence. If we didn't know about it, we might have missed it. The interior was very sophisticated and chic, with a counter surrounding a spacious kitchen that didn't look like a typical ramen shop. There were two cute and neat ladies managing the kitchen. As for our order, we were asked about drinks first, giving off the vibe of a drinking spot, but we decided not to order any drinks (just water) as we planned to go drinking later. We both ordered the "Taro Special Ramen" (1,280 yen) only. While waiting for our ramen, we observed the cooking process and noticed that the sweet potato tempura with a brand was fried only after the order was placed. Our ramen arrived in about 10 minutes. The presentation was luxurious, with sweet potato tempura, white wood ear mushrooms, two types of chashu pork, seasoned egg, princess bamboo shoots, and mitsuba on top of the ramen. It was my first time trying white wood ear mushrooms. I took a bite and first tasted the umami and aroma of shellfish, followed by the soy sauce base, supported by the chicken oil and chicken broth in a subtle way. It was delicious. Oyster, clam, and clam soups can sometimes feel heavy, but this soup had a good balance of umami without being overpowering. The whole wheat thin straight noodles had a perfect chewiness. The freshly fried sweet potato tempura with a brand was incredibly tasty. I didn't quite understand the "Truffle-scented" on the menu, but the seasoned ingredient had a rich flavor, and being freshly fried made it very delicious. I tried adding the shiso oil when I was about two-thirds done with the ramen, but it didn't make a significant difference, just added a slight refreshing touch. It's a bit pricey, but the taste and atmosphere make it worth it. I will definitely revisit when I'm in the area again."