Living The Ramen Dream® by Keizo Shimamoto
Day 757:
Our record month has slowly winded down. And what a month it was.
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| Tsukemen from Menya Tenhou in Honancho |
I mean, I’ve worked really long hours without much sleep during my programmer days, but my lifestyle now seems crazy in comparison.
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| Free dessert! |
And I love it!
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| GCS! |
But I also know my limits. So for those of you who know who you are…please don’t worry.
Day 756:
This is what you’re missing…
Shio Ramen from Nakata Kyodai.
But this is what you’re really missing (thanks to your mum!)…
Now hurry up and come back!
Cuz as much as I like hanging out with Nobo and Choco Latte…
I’d like to have back what I’m missing.
Don’t blame me, blame your mum. 😉
Day 755:
After a long weekend of working back-to-back 15 hour shifts, Mondays are no longer to be hated.
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| Daitabashi Taishoken |
Especially since Mondays are my days to only do prep. So Ebisu here I come!
Woah, Dyurumen Buta-aji (づゅる麺 豚あじ 恵比寿神社前) has a new Showa Era Chuukasoba (昭和の中華そば)!
I guess I gotta try it.
Not bad, a little sweet, but the tsukemen here is the way to go.
Dammit, I hate last train.
I stopped by the local Family Mart on my way home and saw these new limited edition Slime nikuman’s and just had to get one.
Sorry little guy…
It tasted like a normal nikuman, but felt like I was eating a smurf…
Day 754:
I feel like I’m in a good place.
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| Kiraku in Shibuya |
But I realize that ‘that good place’ could change in less than a 3-minute instant.
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| Wontonmen |
Unfortunately, the only real solution is to try to get back to that good place (which may even be different from the last good place).
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| starchier than I remembered |
Our challenges may be uniquely different, but we all face them.
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| Wontons |
And remember, even if you get distracted by a kebab…
You’ll always be able to go back to a bowl of ramen.
Hang in there!
Day 753:
Brian and newly friended Sarah came in for lunch today and Brian brought with him a souvenir chanpon from Nagasaki.
Nagasaki Chanpon! haha check out Brian’s blog for our reactions. (What happened to Boom? lol)
Anyway, I had a little time to explore for a bowl between shifts and found myself bicycling to Marucho (丸長豪徳寺店) in Gotokuji.
At the time I wrote: “It smells like propane but this ramen is closer to perfect than u think.“
Would you like me to expand that thought? Actually, it’s almost impossible for me to explain without having you sit down in this exact position. Of course a bowl slurped within good company will always make for a more interesting critique, but a bowl slurped alone without the influence of others can touch your soul deeper than you can imagine.
Just work with me on this…
Day 752:
One of my most favorite ramen counters…
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| The counter at Onya |
Supports one of my least favorite bowls…
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| Torori Tsukemen |
But today it tasted better due to this torori chashu.
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| Torori Chashu |
Now time to wash it down with something good.
More samples!
Over the past year I’ve developed a relationship with our noodle makers and today they begged me not to ever leave Japan. hahaha I wonder where that came from…
Day 751:
No matter how high or low things get, I am thankful for being able to live my dream… Happy Thanksgiving from Tokyo!
If you live in Setagaya-ku, there is a ramen shop that has gained legend-like respect from everyone who’s slurped there. Seitoku (自家製中華そば 勢得) in Sakuragaoka has been on my list for years but it’s not the easiest of places to get to.
But I got there…and I’m very thankful for it.
Seitoku’s Tokusei Ramen (得勢らーめん) is probably one of the best gyokai-tonkotsu that I’ve had in awhile.
Dusted with an aroma of roasted shrimp, this is truly the stuff of legend. Now if only it were easier to get to.
And again, Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks Boom for preparing our turkey dinner! lol.
I do have a lot to be thankful for…
lots…
Thank you very much!
Day 750:
I lost the game of darts…but I found a place that’s willing to revive my dj skills. (details to come!)
Anyway, I felt like taking a ride to Koenji for lunch. Menya Hayashimaru (麺屋 はやしまる) is famous and it’s practically in every ramen magazine every year.
The Mixed Wontonmen (Shoyu) is a shinasoba that’s been freakishly charged with a fat, homemade noodle.
With obvious roots connected to that shop in Hamadaya, this is an impressive bowl. It might take some getting used to seeing a shinasoba with a thick, udon-like noodle, but after a few slurps you won’t want anything else.
And the wontons are very, very special.
Hey look what we got delivered from next door!
The circle is still far from being full…
Day 749:
Happy Birthday bro!!!
After a quick workout I needed some protein and carbs so I settled on nearby Goukai for some Fat Meat Ramen (太肉らーめん).
Fat Meat = Fat Kakuni!
Then it was off to a local bar for some Anchovy Garlic French Fries.
And as Nobo and I were enjoying our drinks at the bar next to basa, a customer came in with a fat piece of maguro to share with all of us.
But when another customer heard that we worked at the ramen shop next door, he told us that we have to go to Dosanko (どさん子大将) down the street. I’ve passed by this shop plenty of times. But…I mean…it’s a Dosanko. Right? Well sort of. Dosanko might be one of the oldest ramen chains in Japan but this one seems to have earned its independence.
From the outside it’s a filthy, dying shop. I guess it’s like that from the inside too. Anyway, the locals seem to love it here and I can(‘t) see why.
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| hey dad, didn’t you have on of these too? |
I got the shoyu ramen.
And Nobo got the miso.
We also ordered gyoza.
Yup, it’s still a Dosanko.
Anyone up for a game of darts?
Day 748:
Whenever I feel reckless, I feel like a bowl from Gamushara. Or was it the other way around?
Regardless, I felt reckless.
Well look who decided to finally come into Bassanova, Mihoko and Regina!!! Mihoko and I go way back…high school back! And they came at the right time because today was my day to get off early.
And this is where things get a little blurry.
But a stop at pops brought things back into focus.
Then there was my encounter with this fella.
Seriously, this fella was bigger than my middle finger…
Go Ramen!® 