Ramen in Japan!

Written by Bryan Chua

Sushi. Ramen. Anime. Manga. J-Rock. Sure, they all have one thing in common: they originate from Japan. And, sooner or later, the focus of conversations on Japan veers towards food, because Japanese cuisine is such as big part of the cultural experience. It is deemed as elegant (sometimes pricey), and just downright yummy. Although sushi may the most well–known food in Japan amongst citizens and foreigners alike, I have a soft spot for ramen.

Well, what exactly is ramen? Calling it mere noodles and soup doesn’t do it justice. In a nutshell, ramen is primarily the exquisite combination of noodles and a soup base made from boiling pork (and sometimes chicken) bones for hours to bring out the full flavour of the broth. Meat and vegetables are added later to make the ramen a complete meal.

If you ever come to Tokyo, I highly recommend these two restaurants:

The first on the list is Budoka Ramen. It is just a 5-minute walk from Exit 3B of Waseda Station, along the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line. My seniors, three Mass Communication alumni, currently undergraduates at Waseda University, recommended that I check out the ramen from this humble and seemingly ordinary little shop. Was it really that good? I had to taste it for myself.

I ordered a “staple” ramen set – Chashu Tamago (pork ramen with egg). The moment I sipped the soup, I knew this would be a very good ramen experience. The soup was red, thick and richly flavoured from the marinated Chashu. It also had tiny bits of minced meat, which helped to give the soup more body. Chewing the firm and chewy noodles added to the contrasting textures to the dish. The leek in the ramen enhanced the taste of the noodles with a refreshing and tangy aftertaste, which helped to cut the richness of the soup.

The fact that the noodles were bright golden yellow also helped to make the dish look appealing. I just slurped and slurped loudly. (In Japanese culture, slurping loudly is a gesture to indicate that the food is splendid!)

When my bowl was about ¼ full, it was time to savour the Tamago (egg). The soft boiled egg was skillfully prepared, its cooking timed perfectly to render the yolk semi-liquid and custardy, while the egg white cooked firm to the touch. It was just delicious. It was as close to heaven as I could get!

I finished my meal at Budoka by exclaiming “oishii” (“delicious!”) pretty loudly and thanked the chefs for the simple yet exquisitely prepared meal.

When it comes to ramen, one awesome meal wasn’t enough. I couldn’t forget the experience or the lingering aftertaste of Budoka’s Chashu ramen, so I explored Waseda again in search of Ippudo Ramen, the second ramen restaurant recommended by my seniors.

After walking for about 13 minutes, I finally arrived at Ippudo Ramen, in West Waseda. The traditional red lanterns, wooden shop theme and tattered Japanese navy banners outside the restaurant differentiates it from all the all the other shops located near it.

I ordered the Buta Ramen, which was again, a “staple” ramen combination. Although the soup was not as thick than the one at Budoka, it was special because a secret seasoning available only at Ippudo was added to the soup to bring out its fullest potential. Indeed, this soup left me speechless. It had this sweet yet salty taste (umami) that made my eyes light up when I encounter an unforgettable ramen.

However, the thin and limp noodles in the Buta Ramen was disappointing. When I chewed on them, the starch disintegrated (a result of overcooking, perhaps) and left me with a sticky-gooey mess in my mouth. Fortunately, that was the only downside to the dish. The egg was splendid, just as good as Budoka's version! (I’m now convinced that the Japanese make the best soft-boiled eggs!)

The pork in this ramen was thickly sliced to retain the most flavour in the cooking process. The feeling of biting into a piece of thick-cut, tender buta is just heavenly. The flavourful soup oozed out of the meat as I sank my teeth into it. The meat was fresh and was the perfect accompaniment to the soup! If not for the overdone noodles, I really enjoyed the Buta Ramen at Ippudo.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend Budoka Ramen and Ippudo Ramen if you are ever in the Waseda neighbourhood. Ramen in Tokyo is generally very good; one can hardly find any lousy ramen. If you are looking for a meal that is familiar, and more or less consistent everywhere, ramen is your best bet.