Ippudo Asakusa ROX (Tokyo 2016): Tonkotsu Ramen

You can’t talk about Japanese food without mentioning ramen. This quintessential comfort food touches the heart of many people so it shouldn’t be a surprise that Japan has quite a few of these ramen shops, each one serving a slightly different version.

Ippudo happens to be a large chain of ramen shops and we came across this particular location in the ROX shopping centre in Asakusa. After our long jaunt around the Nakamise shopping area, we needed a place to sit down and rest and get some nourishment. Fortunately, this smallish restaurant (about 30 seats) had room for us.

We knew this place would be a good spot for ramen once we saw the painted mural on the wall… those guys look really serious about their noodles!

Fortunately, they had a small English menu. We decided on getting the Special Shiromaru Classic Ramen (¥1020) and the Special Akamaru Modern Ramen (¥1080).

First off, however, was an order of Gyoza. These small dumplings were heralded by a wonderful aroma. While bite size, the light and crisp exterior encased a juicy filling.

This is their original tonkotsu ramen with a broth that’s cooked for over 18 hours and then aged for a further 24 hours. The homemade Hakata-style noodles are thin and straight.

This modern take on ramen uses a special blended miso paste with fragrant oil and medium-thick homemade noodles.

The broth here has a deep flavour and really stands out. Plus, the pork is super tender. Unfortunately, I was so tired that I forgot to cut open the egg to show the golden yellow yolk. Looking back at these pictures, my mouth is still salivating from the ramen here.

ROX shopping centre ground floor
1-26-5 Asakusa, in the ROX shopping centre
Taitō-ku, Tōkyō-to 111-0032

www.ippudo.com/store/asakusa

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