Old School Ramen

May 21, 2013

Old School Ramen

Three top ramen shops on the streets long before Metropolis

By

Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2013

Modern trends in ramen are all the rage these days. Young, French-trained chefs using certified organic ingredients in new and exciting ways could, though, just be the latest trend. But what about shops around long before anyone ever grabbed a copy of Metropolis?

Eifukucho Taishoken

Eifukucho Taishoken (ET for short; 3-5-3 Izumi, Suginami-ku. Open daily 11am-1am. Tel: 03-3321-5048) is one of those shops. Back in 1955 you could get a steaming hot bowl of their excellent niboshi-rich ramen for a paltry ¥35. Times were tough back then, and ET may have inadvertently created the first round-the-block ramen line for their affordable, comforting bowl. These days, the price my have gone up with the times (chukamen is ¥1,050), but the line is still persistent. A word of warning: the layer of oil on top is near scalding—be very careful!

Sabuchan

Eating at Sabuchan (2024 Kandajinbocho, Chiyoda-ku. Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-3pm & 4:20pm-7:30pm, closed Sun. Tel: 03-3230-1252) is like taking a time machine to a Showa-era eatery. Opened in 1967, we wouldn’t be surprised if they were still using the same pots and pans. One thing is for sure—the ramen master, Mr. Sabuchan, is like a character out of an old black-and-white movie, noir-ishly chain-smoking out the back door between filling ramen bowls and frying rice. The concept of a bowl of simple shoyu ramen with fried rice on the side? Invented here. The half-fried rice with ramen is ¥720.

Hope-ken

Imagine a 20-year-old kid dragging a ramen cart around Kabukicho in the ’60s. This is what the founder did for 15 years before finally moving in to the Hope-ken shop (2-33-9 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku. Open 24/7. Tel: 03-3405-4249) in Setagaya. A landmark in the area, this bright yellow building is impossible to miss. Just follow your nose. The ramen here is intense. Half pure pork bliss and half hot oil. Go for the one with the wonton (wontonmen ¥950). Open 24/7/365.