sanokuni
GOOD MORNING Ramen Shop @ Otorii ● Negi Chashu Ramen 1000 yen
Located a 5-minute walk from Otorii Station on the Keikyu Haneda Line, along the Kanto Highway in Ota Ward, Haneda, is "GOOD MORNING Ramen Shop." This shop is said to be the first store of the nationwide chain of "Ramen Shop" restaurants. As the name suggests, the shop is only open for breakfast and lunch from 6:00 to 13:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, with weekends and holidays being regular holidays, making it a challenging place to visit. Ramen Shop is a roadside ramen shop facing a busy main road, with a large red sign featuring the words "Delicious Ramen Shop Delicious" in white letters, which is a major characteristic. It is sometimes referred to as "Ransho" or "Delicious Delicious." One of the typical menu items is the "Negi Ramen," which is topped with seasoned white leeks and features a pork bone soup with floating back fat, considered the origin of the "Tokyo Tonkotsu Ramen." It is said that the founder of Yokohama-style ramen, "Yoshimura-ya," and the founder of the nationwide chain of roadside ramen shops, "Ramen Yamagokaya," both trained at Ramen Shop in the past. The shop is said to have originated from "Tsubaki Shokudo," which had been operating in Haneda, Ota Ward since the 1960s and later started calling itself Ramen Shop. This "GOOD MORNING Ramen Shop" is considered to be the main store, as it shares the same address and phone number as the franchise management company "Tsubaki Shokudo Management Co., Ltd." which operates the chain. Although the franchise operates over 300 stores nationwide, it is shrouded in mystery as it is a privately held company that does not have a website or respond to interviews. The franchise provides guidance on cooking methods and supplies ingredients such as noodles, sauce, and seasonings, but does not collect royalties based on sales, and it seems that there is no need to source all ingredients from the headquarters. The large, shallow light blue bowls are also a common feature of Ramen Shop, but there are no set rules, and it is okay to use a cheaper alternative if available. By allowing each store to have its unique characteristics without strict control, the franchise continues to evolve, responding to the changing needs of various regions. There are fans who enjoy comparing the various "Ransho" shops across Japan, as each store has different menus and the taste of ramen varies greatly. Ramen Shops that receive seasoning deliveries from the franchise headquarters are referred to as "Tsubaki-style" among fans. The main store offers four menu items: "Ramen," "Negi Ramen," "Chashu Ramen," and "Negi Chashu Ramen," each available in regular, medium, and large sizes. Some stores may offer soy sauce and miso flavors, but this store only offers soy sauce flavor. There are no side menu items such as rice or dumplings. I visited on a Monday morning around 8:00. There may be lines around noon, but at this time, the customers were sparse. The interior of the shop has only 10 counter seats, and the elderly master runs the shop alone. There is no ticket machine, so orders are taken verbally, and payment is made after eating. I ordered the "Negi Chashu Ramen" (1000 yen). I found it interesting to see the master using a unique strainer that was deformed into a U-shape while lifting the noodles, which was different from the typical strainer used in noodle lifting. The pork bone soup is emulsified and cloudy white, with fine back fat floating on top. The soy sauce flavor is not very strong, and the taste is light compared to Yokohama-style ramen or Kyushu tonkotsu ramen, but the saltiness is high, and the umami of artificial seasonings is also prominent. The noodles are thin and firm, with a low water content. The chashu is thinly sliced and comes with 5-6 pieces. The menma is black...