I had the meat soba shoyu ramen at "Niigata-born Naoji Kojiya Store" located along the Haginaka shopping street in Ota-ku, Tokyo (950 yen). I also got the half rice for free. The meat soba shoyu ramen was topped with plenty of pork belly, onions, and bean sprouts. There was also a raw egg yolk in the center on top of the green onions. This was my third visit to Naoji. The restaurant mainly operates during lunch hours, but sometimes they open for dinner as well. The noodles in the meat soba shoyu ramen were thick and chewy, with a slightly sweet flavor from the vegetables and pork belly in the soy sauce broth. It was a perfect dish for the colder season. Overall, it was a delicious meal.

I ordered the "Back Fat Shoyu Ramen with Onions (890 yen)" at "Naooji Kojiya Store," located about a 5-minute walk from Keikyu Airport Line Kojiya Station (open from 11:00 to 15:00, closed on Sundays and holidays). The appearance of the ramen is quite unique, with the noodles submerged in a soy sauce-based broth! On top, there are tender menma, thinly sliced chashu, and rich back fat... and chopped raw onions. The taste is delicious! The back fat is tasty, and the spiciness of the raw onions harmonizes well with the flavor of the back fat. As time passes, the onions become slightly sweet as they absorb the heat. There are other menu items available, so I will challenge them next time!

A franchise New Niigata ramen shop opened near my home about 2 years ago. This place not only serves ramen, but also offers a proper fried rice dish, which is rare for these types of restaurants nowadays. My son, who loves fried rice, occasionally asks to eat here for lunch. While the shop mainly focuses on Niigata Tsubame-Sanjo ramen, they also have various inspired ramen dishes available. This time, we ordered the ramen with back fat and topped it with pork seaweed and onions, along with fried rice. I couldn't help but compare it to the famous Niigata ramen shop, Jun, in Kamata, so it felt a bit lacking in comparison. However, the taste was not bad. The amount of noodles was a bit small, so I always end up wishing I had ordered more. The fried rice had plenty of thinly sliced pork and a simple yet decent flavor. Unfortunately, this time, I'm not sure if it was just a one-time thing, but the soup that came with the fried rice had a bad acidity and fishy smell. If this was intentional, it's disappointing.

Around 11:45 on June 20, 2022, I went to the popular ramen shop called Charumera, but unfortunately it was closed on Mondays. Feeling disappointed and craving ramen, I decided to visit a nearby shop called Naoji. Without doing any research, I ordered the signature menu item, Chashu Chuka Soba for 750 yen, with an extra noodle portion for 150 yen. I handed over the ticket at the counter and was served the ramen after about 10 minutes. The appearance resembled Kyoto-style ramen with pork back fat. The noodles were slightly thicker than I expected. When I slurped them, they indeed felt a bit thick. The soup had a nice balance of soy sauce flavor, but the noodles were not to my liking. I prefer thinner noodles with lower water content for this type of soup. There was also a ramen called Naojiro that I would like to try next time. Overall, thank you for the meal.

Here is a past log from last month that I visited, Niigata-born Oji Kojiya store. Oji is known for being the origin of Niigata, and 12 years ago, a small izakaya called "Mukashi Shokudo Oji" opened in Niigata. The ramen served there gradually gained popularity, leading to the opening of a ramen specialty store, which seems to be the beginning. It was my first visit, and being weak to limited items, I immediately chose this one and had the Tsuyu-nashi Abura Chuka Soba [880 yen]! Oh!! This is delicious. They faithfully reproduced Niigata ramen very carefully while making it delicious as a mixed soba dish!! It was right up my alley. This might become a regular menu item haha. Thank you for the meal~

Chashu Chinese onion ramen with back fat for 850 yen. This is a shop I often visit in Ochanomizu. It is a major store from Tsubame Sanjo that has expanded to Tokyo, along with Jun. I wasn't too impressed with Jun the last three times I visited, so I decided to try this place and see what Tsubame Sanjo ramen is all about. It was past 8pm when I arrived, and most of the shops in the shopping street were closed, with few people around. There was one customer already inside and a group of two entered at the same time as me. There was one male and one female staff member. The two customers ordered the fried rice set, so I waited for about 10 minutes for my order to arrive. Oops, I forgot to ask for extra fat... After my experience at Jun, I always feel a bit unsatisfied even when I ask for extra fat here. The soup is on the lighter side but has a strong dashi flavor. The noodles are not extremely thick but have a satisfying thickness and firmness. Here are the differences between the two shops: - This shop has a light soup with a subtle bonito-based flavor. You don't need to add extra seasoning. - The fat content is on the lower side. Even when you ask for extra fat, it's not too much. - The chashu is thin and tender, almost to a commendable degree. - The chopped onions add a nice texture. The extra portion is within reasonable limits. - Jun has a soy sauce-based soup with a strong kaeshi flavor. The dashi is not very noticeable. Adding extra fat makes it even richer. You need to use the sauce on the table. - You can specify the fat level. Even the normal amount is quite generous. You can add more until the soup turns white. - The noodles are firmer and thicker, resembling those from the original area. - The increased portion of onions (5 servings) is too much for one bowl. And you can get up to 2 servings for free. Looking at all these points, it may seem like Jun is the winner, but ultimately, ramen is all about the soup. The fact that this shop doesn't rely on extra toppings gives it the edge. Alright, these two shops are not that far apart, so maybe next time I'll do a ramen crawl.

On my first visit, I ordered the signature dish, the back fat ramen with less oil. The first sip of the soup filled my mouth with a strong aroma of dried bonito. The right amount of back fat and thick noodles paired well with the soup, making it quite delicious. It was much better than a popular Niigata ramen shop near Kamata Station. If they could chop the onions a bit finer to reduce the spiciness, and lower the saltiness of the noodles a bit, it would be perfect in my opinion.

In this area, I haven't had a good impression of ramen shops, so I decided to try a new place for the purpose of updating. "Naaji Kojiya Higashimurayama store" originated from Niigata. Upon entering, the restaurant was very quiet. There were no other customers and no staff in sight, which made me doubt my decision to come here. However, I reminded myself that every experience is valuable, so I decided to order the following: Niigata Tsubame-Sanjo style back fat ramen. The bowl arrived in a few minutes, and it looked like a typical Tsubame-Sanjo style ramen with chopped onions and plenty of back fat. I took a sip of the soup with a spoon and realized that despite being advertised as Tsubame-Sanjo style, it was not quite what I expected. I tried the noodles, which were chewy but lacked any distinct characteristics. The chashu and menma also seemed average. Overall, I was disappointed as the ramen did not live up to the Tsubame-Sanjo style it claimed to be. I probably won't be visiting this place again. Thank you for the meal.

New discovery. The pork back fat ramen with flavored egg, topped with dried seaweed. Thick noodles cooked firm and delicious. Regular size portion with just the right amount of soup. The broth had a strong bonito flavor but was lukewarm and not great. The chashu was dry and disappointing. Unfortunately, this one was a miss. Arrived at 13:30 and there were about 10 empty seats. Left the restaurant at 13:45 and there were only about 3 empty seats left.

If you walk for about 5 minutes from Kojiya Station, you will see a bright yellow sign that stands out. It is a rare Niigata Tsubame Sanjo back fat ramen shop in Tokyo. I was curious about what it would be like, so I decided to go in. In the kitchen, one person was quietly cooking. I bought a meal ticket first, and the fried rice set seemed to be popular. There were several types of ramen available, such as back fat, dried fish, and Jiro style. The back fat ramen was surprisingly light and I wished it had a bit more richness, but it was delicious. The fried rice had few ingredients but was skillfully cooked and tasted good. I thought it was a convenient and satisfying restaurant nearby.

Lunch - Spicy soy sauce ramen with half fried rice for ¥1000. Noodles: Thick, chewy, and bouncy like Echigo Sanjo style with extra water. Soup: Soy sauce base with plenty of pork back fat, soy sauce, dried fish, and chopped green onions. Toppings: Chashu without three-layered pork belly, thin egg shells, young bamboo shoots. The pork bone smell is mild. The half fried rice was surprisingly delicious, with each grain cooked separately.

I thought it was just a chain store and nothing special, so I thought, "900 yen, huh. That's expensive." But when I tried it, it had a rich pork bone flavor with the umami of dried fish and plenty of back fat. The medium-thick noodles, strong ginger-flavored chashu, and tasty seaweed all complement each other well. The balance of this ramen is well put together. Authentic flavors really do maintain a certain level of quality. I'm sorry for judging without trying it first. lol

Naoojiro ramen costs 880 yen with the option to add vegetables (worth 150 yen) with a stamp card. The flavor is rated 4.0, price 3.0, staff 3.5, interior 3.0, and location 3.0. It is a Niigata-style ramen with back fat. It feels like a genuine ramen shop has finally opened in this area. It would be appreciated if vegetable toppings were free, but the price is reasonable.

On October 23rd, there are several Echigo Sanjo chain stores in Tokyo. After finishing the night shift, I visited the Naojikojiya store in Kojiya, which originated in Niigata. It is located in the middle of a shopping street with a noticeable yellow sign. The menu includes rich tonkotsu ramen with back fat and light shoyu ramen with dried fish broth. They also offer something called "Naojirou". However, it is said that the amount of noodles is small, although the vegetable portion is clearly stated on the menu. To start, I had a highball and tried their gyoza, which was juicy and delicious. For lunch, I ordered the back fat ramen with extra fat. The soup was a mix of pork bone and dried fish broth, giving it a light flavor. Despite ordering extra fat, it wasn't as rich as expected. The noodles were straight and medium-thick, with a good texture. The chashu had a lot of fat but was thin. Next time, I might try the "Naojirou".

Niigata, Ensanjo-style uncle, ¥850. Looks like Jiro-style, but only in appearance. Vegetables, ¥180. Soup is emulsified, not just tonkotsu. Noodles are thick and straight, smooth, with a lot of water (180g). Chashu is thin, three slices, no belly wrap, but still has a meaty flavor. Vegetables are crunchy, with a lot of them, similar to Jiro's "mashimashi" style. Overall, a good amount of vegetables is necessary, otherwise it's not enough.

I had spicy miso ramen for lunch. The spiciness level can be adjusted to your liking with the separate condiment. It wasn't as oily as I expected, and it had plenty of vegetables. The noodles were thick, providing a satisfying meal. It was delicious.

Originating from Niigata, this restaurant offers two main dishes: "Niboshi Shoyu Ramen" and "Tsubame Sanjo-style Back Fat Chuka Soba." I don't know much about it, but I have seen it near Ochanomizu Station's Seibashi exit and heard about it from people who are fans of the restaurant. Personally, I find Niigata's Niboshi Shoyu Ramen to be hit or miss, but I decided to give it a try based on my mood at the time. I ordered the "Niboshi Shoyu Chashu" (1,050 yen) which came with beautifully arranged pork belly chashu, topped with some negi and menma. The thin straight noodles seemed to be of a high-hydration type, with a texture that I couldn't quite figure out, but they paired well with the soup. The soup itself was a light niboshi-based broth with a subtle soy sauce flavor that complemented the noodles nicely. However, I did notice a slight off-putting taste when using the plastic spoon to drink the soup, possibly due to the silver skin of the pork. Overall, I enjoyed the meal, especially the well-handled pork belly chashu. Next time, I would like to try the back fat version, as I have heard that it has a sharp back fat flavor that I find intriguing. (Reviewed by Kyonatsu Shuusora, 2020.5.16) (4 reviews/3.05)

I wanted some vegetables so I decided to try "Naaojirou" for lunch. Even though I usually avoid double carbohydrates, I couldn't resist ordering the fried rice set. With a stamp card bonus, I added extra vegetables and a boiled egg to my meal. The fried rice was simple but had a nostalgic taste like the Chinese takeout I used to have. When the huge bowl of ramen with lots of vegetables arrived, I realized I had made a mistake as I usually never eat ramen from the "○ro" series. It took some time to reach the noodles, but the chewy texture and abundant vegetables left me completely satisfied, despite feeling guilty at the beginning.

Yesterday, I gained 1kg from overeating, but I was able to get back to my original weight by not eating until the evening (^o^) I didn't feel like going far, so I searched for a ramen shop within walking distance from my home and found "Naoji"! Naoji used to be located on Meguro Gonosuke-zaka, and I used to go there often. Now they have branches in Ochanomizu and Shinjuku. They are famous for their Echigo Sanjo-style ramen with back fat. When I arrived at the shop, there was no line! I ordered the following from the ticket machine: Back Fat Ramen with Flavored Egg - 850 yen, 3 Gyoza & Half-Fried Rice - 600 yen. The back fat ramen with flavored egg has thick straight noodles that are like round udon noodles. The chewy texture of the noodles is very pleasant. The soup also blends well with the noodles. The soup has a subtle flavor of dried sardines with a rich taste enhanced by the back fat. It's delicious. The gyoza has a crispy exterior and a chewy interior wrapped in a soft skin. The filling is a classic combination of vegetables and pork with a hint of garlic, making it delicious. The half-fried rice is like fried rice with a moist texture. It's simply delicious! It's not incredibly delicious, but it's consistently good for everyday use. Thank you for the meal.

I have been interested in this shop for a while now. When it comes to Niigata ramen, I often eat at Ramen Jun in Kamata, but this time I decided to go to this shop. I bought a ticket from the vending machine and ordered the Niigata back fat ramen with extra onions. The restaurant was about 70% full around 12 o'clock on Saturday. The ramen arrived in just a few minutes. The spiciness of the onions is nice, and the soup is also good. The noodles are easy to eat with smooth straight noodles. Next time, I want to try the ramen with lots of vegetables!

The pork back fat soy sauce ramen with fried rice set plus dumplings. The finely chopped onions are a nice accent to the pork back fat ramen. I like this ramen. It's not so delicious that it makes you cry, but it's just delicious. I thought the fried rice was a bit bland, but it balances well with the stronger flavor of the ramen. If this was all planned out, it's quite impressive. The restaurant only has a counter, which is a bit unusual. I will visit again soon.