I heard that this place has a high reputation and has been in business for a long time, so I decided to drop in and tried their 350g of tsukemen noodles. I thought I might not be able to finish it all, but surprisingly I did! I was worried I might get tired of it halfway through, but I managed to eat it all without any problems. The tsukemen soup is a mix of fish and pork bone broth, with a strong flavor of dried sardines. As a fan of dried sardines, I really enjoyed this rich and flavorful soup. Sometimes, you can also taste a hint of refreshing citrus flavor from the yuzu. Maybe that's why I didn't get tired of it. Apparently, their super rich tonkotsu ramen is popular, so I'll try that next time! As I left, the owner kindly said, "Come back again," and I felt happy and accepted. Despite serving tonkotsu ramen, the restaurant doesn't feel greasy, and I think it's a place where even women can feel comfortable dining.

Visited at 17:00. The temperature is 35 degrees, so I was concerned about the setting temperature of the air conditioning inside the store, but it was perfectly cool and comfortable. I ordered the special ultra-rich tonkotsu ramen with a side of small rice. The richness exceeded Tenkaippin's thick ramen. The thick, gooey soup was delicious. The chashu had a flavor similar to simmered pork belly. I placed it on top of the rice and ate it like a pork belly bowl. The satisfaction was incredible... It may be a matter of personal preference, but I found it to be a taste that I would crave periodically.

I revisited the restaurant in June 2023 around 14:50 on a weekday. There were 5 groups of customers already there. This time, I bought a ticket for the "Super Rich Tonkotsu" ramen and handed it to the staff. Once it was ready, it was served across the counter. The super rich tonkotsu had the usual thick and creamy soup. It paired well with the flat noodles and coated them nicely. It was flavorful and delicious. I might visit again in the future.

I visited around 12:30 on a regular day. There was no line. It had been a while since I had such a rich tonkotsu ramen! I ordered the super rich tonkotsu ramen. In about 5 minutes, the thick tonkotsu ramen with medium noodles arrived. The richness level was like if you made the Kotteri ramen from Tenkaippin even richer with tonkotsu. The tonkotsu flavor was quite strong, and I thought it might not be for everyone. People who like it would probably really enjoy it. As someone who had gotten used to chicken broth, the smell was a bit too strong for me.

I ordered the rich pork bone dipping noodles for 1050 yen. The copy warned that it was so rich, and as a fan of rich dipping noodles, I was excited to try it. When I took a sip of the soup, it was like nothing I had ever tasted before - intensely pork bone flavor! It was hard to describe, but it was 100% pure pork bone soup with no fishiness at all. When I dipped the noodles and tried them, it felt like I was eating thick pork bone ramen noodles. The soup was probably high in calories, but for some reason, I couldn't stop eating it. The chashu was thick and tender, and the half-boiled egg was delicious. The fact that even the side dishes were so tasty makes me think that they intentionally aimed for this unique flavor. I want to try a different menu item next time.

Pinch hitter was safe bunt, thank you! I wanted to wash away the stress that had accumulated from working on holidays every day with Nagasaki Champon, but it turns out it's a day off! There's no point in riding the subway while feeling frustrated, so I need an emergency nutritional boost. Oh, there was a ramen shop, right? Oh, this one over here too! Haha, their Tabelog ratings are almost the same! It's confusing, haha. Anyway, I wanted miso ramen, so I'll go to Katsumi that I found first. I see, thick noodles and rich broth, that's all it takes. Hmm, it was gone before I knew it.

The other day, I had "Nibonibo Chinese" and thought it was okay. I decided to try other ramen as well, so I came back to Japan. Today, I went to "Naohiro." The photo shows the menu with extra vegetables, but in reality, it's not that much. However, you have to push the vegetables aside to get to the noodles. The cabbage is soft and boiled, sweet and delicious. I prefer this over Nibonibo. Nibonibo had spicy green onions. The noodles are thick. I usually come to the restaurant around 12:20, and since I come alone, I can usually sit at the counter. There are also table seats, and the place is spacious. There is a step at the entrance, but if you are with someone, even a wheelchair could probably enter. Next time, I'll try the super rich tonkotsu ramen.

On this day, the second three-day weekend in September, I planned to have lunch at the original pork bowl restaurant TONTON Akebonobashi store, located on the way down from the Gappizaka intersection on Sotobori Higashi Street to the Gappizaka Shita intersection on Yasukuni Street. However, when I arrived at the store at the scheduled opening time, I found a sign saying "Closed on Mondays" hanging in front of the store! Although the store information on the website and Tabelog indicated "Irregular holidays," it was not reliable at all. I saw customers leaving after unknowingly visiting the store without knowing it was closed on Mondays, just after me. I wish the store would at least update the information on their website. I had to think of an alternative restaurant, and the first one that came to mind was this one on the opposite side of the Gappizaka intersection. Although I had been meaning to visit this restaurant for years, I had always put it off for some reason. I went there immediately, and although the store was already open, there were no other customers inside. There were two middle-aged male and female staff members, and I overheard them speaking Chinese later, so they seemed to be from there. The male staff member urged me to buy a meal ticket from the ticket machine on the left side first. Since it was an unplanned visit, I had not studied the menu in advance, so I checked the menu on the spot. Following the rule of the upper left corner, I chose the middle one of the three "Naoojiro Vegetable" for 850 yen (including tax). I sat at a table seat in the middle on the left side after handing over the meal ticket. The "Naoojiro Vegetable" that came out after a while was something I had never tried before, but it looked familiar somehow. There was a mountain of bean sprouts and cabbage on top, with plenty of lard toppings, even on the surface of the soup. Later, I found out that this menu was originally a signature dish of Naoojiro Main Store, a Niigata ramen shop. While Kokuai's menu mentioned "Gaten-style" ramen, Naoojiro is said to be a Jiro-inspired ramen, so this Naoojiro is also a Jiro-inspired ramen. So, I canceled my plans to go to Gaten (laughs). First, I took a sip of the soup. The milky white pork bone-based soup was milder in saltiness than I expected, with a rich and smooth taste. Next, the vegetables. I had to eat through this mountain of bean sprouts and cabbage without spilling them outside the bowl to reach the noodles, so I ate while avoiding the lard toppings. As a result, there was a lot of lard floating on the soup, but it didn't feel greasy when I drank it. Perhaps the watery vegetables helped to alleviate the greasiness, but I slightly changed my perception of lard. There were two slices of chashu. It felt like pork ham, but it was cut thick and had a decent texture. Finally, I reached the noodles. The thick noodles had a good chewiness, which I liked. Moreover, even with a regular serving, there was a satisfying volume, which was nice. There was also miso with chili oil on the table, so I enjoyed changing the taste towards the end by mixing it with the soup. At the beginning, I was a little worried if I could finish it, but I managed to eat every last piece, every drop of the vegetables, noodles, and soup without feeling bloated or heavy. I was pleasantly surprised. This experience made me think that I could handle the original Jiro ramen as long as I watched the portion size. Therefore, although I visited Mentsukushi Kokuai as a pinch hitter, the "Naoojiro Vegetable" that I randomly chose following the rule of the upper left corner turned out to be a big hit. I had been interested in Jiro-style ramen but had hesitated until now. Thanks to this experience, I now want to make my debut at the original Jiro Ramen shop.

I had the "Special Thick Tonkotsu Tsukemen" as the name suggests, the thick and creamy dipping sauce was rich and sweet. It was enjoyable to add vinegar and chili oil for flavor variation. The dish came with three thick slices of pork belly, diced chashu, and bamboo shoots, along with a generous portion of 350g of thick noodles. Despite being quite hungry when I arrived, I managed to finish it. I recommend visiting on an empty stomach. Thank you for the delicious meal.

Just a 3-minute walk from Akasaka Station. Although the area is scattered in all directions, it seems to be quite a fierce battleground for ramen. I was intrigued by the "ultra-rich tonkotsu ramen" that even melts the meat, but I was further drawn to the idea of "tonkotsu + cream" in the "Tonkotsu Assorted Ramen." Today, I chose this one. The "Tonkotsu Assorted Ramen" arrived shortly, and thanks to the cream, it looks like a fair-skinned beauty. In a light tone, the thin pink color of the chashu floats vaguely, and the large pieces of wood ear mushrooms stand out. The soup, both in taste and aroma, lacks the typical punch of tonkotsu, with a gentle touch that is feminine and elegant. The noodles are medium thickness, with a chewy texture that matches well with the gentle, milky soup. The wood ear mushrooms were particularly impressive, with their large, meaty texture providing about twice the enjoyable crunch of regular ramen. Thanks to this, the mild taste of the ramen has a good contrast. I finished every last drop, and yet the perfect balance of "tonkotsu + cream" didn't make it too heavy. It was delicious.

I revisited the restaurant in May 2022 around 13:20 on a weekday for lunch. I bought a ticket for the "Super Rich Tonkotsu" ramen and sat at the counter seat. The ramen arrived in about 5 minutes, and it was a thick and creamy tonkotsu soup that coated the noodles well. I enjoyed it and would definitely go back again when I have the chance.

The Naajirou-inspired char siu at a ¥20 price increase to ¥700 has also become smaller, giving off a subtle feeling of a price increase. It comes with 200g of thick noodles, bean sprouts, and cabbage, which is satisfying. Compared to the original Jiro, the broth is lighter and there is more cabbage.

On a Saturday night, I slipped in just before closing time. I had a sudden craving for ramen - not cup ramen, but fresh noodles! I was a bit drunk and this was the result. On my way home, I found this ramen shop that was open late. I thought it might be a Jiro-style ramen, but the menu was diverse. I ordered the nibonibo tsukemen. The shop has counter and table seating. The soup was thick with plenty of pork bone and dried fish, with yuzu and green onions added. The soup was very rich but not greasy, and the yuzu peel gave it a refreshing touch. The balance was great, but I felt like there wasn't enough yuzu. The noodles were plentiful, and I couldn't finish them all. I'm sorry, but it was delicious and satisfying. Thank you very much.

The rich soup was like a fitting end to my search for a rich ramen. The pork slices were fatty and delicious. I wish the noodles were thinner from the start like an extra serving, but since I didn't get an extra serving, it's okay. I enjoyed adding lots of garlic from the table and finished it all deliciously. I will visit again when I crave something rich.

A ramen shop in Akasaka. I heard it was quite rich, and it really is. The broth is thick and heavy. I ordered the noodles firm as I heard they were soft. I also ordered a half portion of rice, which may have contributed to feeling a bit heavy afterwards. I'll come back when I'm feeling more energetic.

This place near Akasaka Station serves delicious noodles! They have a vending machine outside for ordering, so if it's your first time and you're not sure what to get, go for the popular items. This was my second time here, so I tried the large portion for free. They also offer free toppings on the table, which is very generous and appealing. However, I ended up getting too full, so I'll stick to the regular size next time.

Inspired by Jiro-style ramen, Naojiro costs ¥680. I opted for the default option this time since last time I added extra vegetables and it was too much. There are various types like chewy Chinese-style noodles or rich pork bone broth, but I still prefer Naojiro. The flat thick noodles come with 2 slices of char siu pork, cabbage, and a good amount of vegetables without needing extra. There's more cabbage compared to the original, and it's less oily.

81st Ojiro Special for 1100 yen. Plenty of vegetables such as bean sprouts, but they were cooked too long and turned mushy. The chashu was not dry as it appeared, but just tender enough. The soup was like a tonkotsu shoyu broth (although not very rich). I couldn't really taste the soy sauce flavor. It's a salt-based tonkotsu broth, Jiro-inspired style. The special rich version that other customers ordered looked delicious too.

A ramen shop located near Akebonobashi known for its pork bone and seafood soup. It is just a 1-minute walk from Akebonobashi Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line and a 7-minute walk from Yotsuya-Sanchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line. I visited alone around 1 pm. They have a ticket machine at the entrance where you can place your order. The menu includes rich tsukemen, pork bone ramen, Jiro-style ramen, dried fish Chinese noodles, rich miso ramen, dried fish tsukemen, and more. I opted for the simple dried fish tsukemen without the special toppings or flavored egg (850 yen). I was seated at the counter, and after about a 10-minute wait, my dried fish tsukemen arrived. It looked simple and appetizing, with a rich dried fish dipping sauce and a hint of yuzu. The noodles were medium-thick and straight, serving size 350g. The flavor was delicious, a combination of rich pork bone and seafood broth. They use locally sourced Katsuura sardines and rich pork bone. The slightly chewy noodles paired well with the broth, and the yuzu added a refreshing touch. The chashu pork in the dipping sauce was a nice addition, enhancing the overall flavor. Overall, it was a delicious tsukemen. I look forward to trying their pork bone ramen or Jiro-style ramen next time.