Like so many of us, I came to know ramen via the instant stuff at the supermarket, but when I first visited Japan as an exchange student I fell in love with ramen all over again. Fast forward a few years and I'm now a graduate student at Columbia writing a dissertation on modern Japanese literature. Before I came to Tokyo this time around, a friend dared me to eat at all the ramen shops that lined the street leading to the library where I do my research. I took up the challenge and began this blog as Waseda Ramen, cataloging my attempts to eat at the 100 or so shops in my neighborhood. The scope expanded, it became a downright obsession, and now I have *almost* as many ramen-related books on my shelf as Japanese literary anthologies. But if my adviser is reading this, don't worry, dissertation chapter two is underway!

Matt's article does a great job discussing the noodles that criss-cross the streets of Tokyo, but the best part of living in the largest megalopolis on Earth is that there's always a new shop to discover! By some estimates, a new ramen shop opens every single day somewhere in metropolitan Tokyo, and my fellow ramen bloggers and I always have our noses out, our mouths open, and our ears perked to listen for the sound of slurping. I don't have the picture-taking prowess of Ramen Adventures, nor can I give an insider perspective like Go Ramen, but with Ramenate! I like to serve up a lot of background, shop history, funny personal stories, ramen-related cultural commentary and criticism along with the noodles.

Enough chit-chat, eh? I thought to celebrate the occasion I'd do a quick rundown of some of my all-time favorite shops and old posts that give some perspectives on the truly amazing depth and breadth of "noodles in soup!" You already know the shops in the article are good, so here are a few more favorites:
For the meanest bowl of miso (classical division): Sapporo Junren
For the meanest bowl of miso (new wave division): Kururi
For the best bowl of porky tonkotsu eaten in a red-light district: Shinjuku Hitotsubo
For a battle with the most infamous bowl in town: Ramen Jiro
For the fatty fat fattiest bowl out of town: Tsubame-Sanjo Ramen
For enough habaneros to make you see stars: Yagura-tei
For a spicy red bowl fit for Genghis Khan: Moko Tanmen Nakamoto
For ramen without a speck of soup in sight: Bubka
For ramen eaten in the glow of late night neon: Nagi Golden Gai
For ramen that will take you on a time slip: Milk Hall Sakaeya
For ramen that helps you get your veggies: Heibon

For a brief history of ramen in Japan: The Yokohama Raumen Museum
For an archaeological expedition to the origin of the noodle: Ramen on the Silk Road

For an account of what it's like to spend one day on the other side of the counter: The Great Tsukemen Festival
I always love hearing about new noodle finds, so post comments and tell me about some of your favorite bowls in Japan, the US, or anywhere in the world! And if you're in town drop me a line to say hi - I may not always be able to make it out (I do have that dissertation to write...) but maybe we can grab a bowl sometime. If you'd like to contact me directly, my email is nshockey at gmail dot com . There are more bowls of ramen than there are soup stains on my clothes...and that's saying something, so don't stop slurping!
28 comments:
I have been following Brian's Gajinbash and Ramenadventure websites and enjoy his unique perspective on many things. This is my first visit to your website. Hope that I will come back many times.
I am a New Yorker and a big fan of Japanese food. Few years ago, there are only few Ramen shops in NYC-I only count
the ones that truly specialized in nothing but Ramen. Now, due to popularity, many more has been opened in the past couple of years.
With respect to your post on Korean Ramen, I would like to share my perspective as "a" Korean's view.
1) Koreans generally do not highly regard about Ramen since they only see their garbage version of instant Ramen like Shin Ramen.
2) Koreans eat and cook Ramen because it is cheap and easy to cook.
3) Koreans have other noodle dishes comparable to Ramen: Kal GookSu and Jang GookSu. Like Ramen, these two noodle dishes have own unique toppings and different style of broth by the preparers-my mom has her own version unique to her family. There is also famous "Naenug Myun", which is a cold buckwheat noodle dish.
@Edward - glad you found the site! indeed, new york has seen a big boost in shops in the last couple of years, not the least of which are the crazy lines at Ippudo.
as for Korea - I wish I had a chance to try Kal Gooksu and Jang Gooksu while over there! I did have some Neng Myun, which has always been one of my favorites. i'm guessing that besides being cheap and easy, the other reason people in Korea love shin ramen is because it's delicious! i did notice a bunch of newly opened "Japanese style" ramen shops in Seoul, and my friend says its even more popular there than in New York, which is saying something...
WE KNEW YOU WHEN. BARIKOTE 4 LYFE
Congrats on the article!
what are the best ramen places in nyc?
I like Minca in the east village...
Awesome blog - followed the link from the NYT article. Thanks for the info and congrats on the article.
Nate, like many others I found your site via the NYT's excellent article. I want to thank you for the "introduction" article, the pictures are so damn enticing it is making me really hungry for ramen at 9 am on Sunday!
I am likely to be heading out to Tokyo (Fuchinobe) late this year for work, and will definitely use your page as a guide!
Thanks again!
I just discovered real ramen on a foodie marathon with my brother in New York. I'd love to come eat ramen with you! I have a blog about nomadic wanderings and food as well (ramen included). I'll be finishing my Ph.D. in Mexico next year, so I'm excited about the potential for more food writing.
I just arrived in Yokohama- please help me! I need Raman ,
ptone@uwm.edu
thanks
I did reach your blog from the New York Times, but I have enjoyed what I have read so far. Therefore I will return again!
Hello! I found your blog via NYTimes and I must follow your posts now.
I used to live in Japan and this gives me a taste of "home."
Bye for now~
Does any place in Tokyo serve vegetarian (no meat, no seafood) ramen?
I have just discovered this blog and was glad someone is writing ramen up as more than just a no-money-in-the-bank foodstuff:) I lived in Tokyo from 1997-2000, and have been back every year since, and I love ramen! I remember taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo Eki all the way up to Hokkaido (the northern island), and there was a 5 minute layover along the way where everyone rushed off the train and slurped up hot ramen waiting for them on the platform. The trains are nearly always on time in Japan (earthquakes and suicides notwithstanding) and the proprietor of a JR (Japan Rail) platform ramen shop can count on having a full house at a very specific time. On this particular trip, in late December, there was snow swirling around the train as I stepped off and the ramen shop, literally located directly on the platform, was enmeshed in steam. I could hear, more than see, dozens of men like myself who had rushed off the train with exact change, and were trying to slurp down an entire bowl before the train began moving once again. I was able to inhale my bowl of piping hot tempura-ramen with 20 seconds to spare; then it was on to Hokkaido and the hot springs hotel in Hakodate. Mmmm, I miss that day.
Hello, I just found your blog and have really enjoyed reading it! I am a Tokyoite, and ramen has always been my favorite food! Thanks for the great blog. I will be following your ramen reports from now on.
I too found your blog via the Times. Have had a love of Korean food since the army but the Japanese ramen shops in NYC are amazing. Great resource you have here. Glad I found it.
I just found your blog through the NYT article and I love noodles in soup! I'm so to find others who do too! I'll be checking back here from now on!
Found your article on the NYTimes and I love the blog.
Keep up the good work!
こんにちは。はじめまして。ニューヨークタイムズの記事を読んで、訪問しました。私は、アメリカ在住4年の日本人です。私自身も、アメリカ人の夫も、Nateさんのブログを拝見して、今晩は、ラーメンにすることに決めたので、味噌ラーメンのスープ&麺を家で作ることにしました。定番ですが、餃子も。Nateさんは、ラーメン屋さん歩きだけでなく、ご自分でも作られるのですか?
I guess you can read Japanese so I am leaving a comment in Japanese. Great pictures! Your blog made me think of my country Japan and its various kinds of noodle! Thanks!
I am such a big fan, I read the article in NY Times and was so happy to see it!
Now craving some ramen...
Wow everyone! Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog and for all the love! It's always good to know that there are others out there who can get so much pleasure out of a (not so) simple bowl of noodles.
@Dan - it's true brotha.
@Edjusted - thanks! i love your blog too!
@vrone - i like minca pretty well, i think rairaiken has the most "classic" ramen shop atmosphere, and of course ippudo has the best soup...if you can stand the line.
@Lizzy - thanks so much! keep on reading for a lot more ramen. i've had four bowls just since the article came out!
@Julius - any time is a good time for ramen, no? hopefully i'll eventually get maps and addresses up so people can actually find the shops i'm talking about...
@Alice - post your blog link! if theres one thing that rivals my love for ramen it's mexican food...
@peter - take a gander through the blog and see what strikes your fancy, then follow www.ramentokyo.com 's guide to the supleks ramen database to find the shop location. or you could just start off at the Ramen Museum in Shinyokohama.
@kelsey - definitely come back, glad you enjoy.
@perridactyl - yep, it's gonna be hard to leave ramen behind once i set out for US shores again. maybe some new good shops will open up in the states?
@kevcham - truly vegetarian ramen in a japanese ramen shop doesnt really exist to my knowledge. very sadly. though i eat seafood, i actually eat no meat whatsoever...except for ramen soup. any pieces of pork you see in photos get quickly distributed out to friends. if anyone does know of a ramen shop that uses only vegetable and seaweed broth, let the world know immediately!
@photomatte - now THAT is what ramen is all about. the total experience! tempura ramen...are you sure it wasnt buckwheat soba?
@Tomoko - i'd love for you to share some of your own favorite ramen spots in Tokyo!
@tintin - be sure and check out the other ramen blogs I have linked, like www.goramen.com and www.ramenadventures.com for even more bowls and perspectives.
@Graneledone - yep keep checking back, the bowl backlog is building up quick!
@mike - thanks! glad you enjoy it.
@tanuki - nope, i dont make it, just eat it! Keizo over at www.goramen.com is a full time ramen cook though, definitely check out his blog!
rite, i followed the NYT and find this blog. A chinese.
Just went to Tokyo a couple of weeks ago and I sooo wish I came across your site before my trip. All the soups in the pics look amazing!
yay on the article!!!
Would love to have a bowl of ramen with you when I visit Japan!
sorry for the late reply on your comments guys, been purty busy running around these days...
@jerrysheng - cool, hope you keep reading.
@ana - guess youll have to come back again! ramen will only get better!
@tanya - thanks alot, let me know if youre in town and ill see if im free.
I would like to thanks for sharing high value and informative article with us. And i hope you'll sharing more idea's and keep writing more like this one.
cara mengobati asam lambung
cara mengobati herpes
cara menyembuhkan liver
cara mengobati keputihan
cara mengobati fungsi ginjal rusak
cara mengobati vertigo
obat penghilang bekas luka
Permainan Slot Pussy tentunya banyak kalian yang belum tahu tentang permainan nama slot ini, jika sudah mencoba pastinya kalian lebih memilih permainan slot pussy daripada slot lainnya, karena pussy memiliki permainan slot yang sangat banyak, silahkan kunjungi situs kami untuk mengetahui lebih banyak.
game slot online terbaik
login aplikasi slot pussy888
daftar akun pussy888 slot
unduh apk pussy888
daftar slot pussy888
layanan livechat pussy888
livechat pussy888
deposit slot pussy888
deposit pussy888 via pulsa
download aplikasi pussy888 apk
aplikasi slot pussy888 apk
deposit slot pussy888
deposit pussy888 via pulsa
deposit pussy888 via ovo
deposit pussy888 via pulsa
deposit slot via pulsa
deposit slot pulsa via telkomsel
deposit slot pulsa via xl
daftar akun pussy888 slot
layanan livechat pussy888
akun pussy888 slot
link alternatif pussy888 slot
daftar akun pussy888 slot
download pussy888 apk
aplikasi pussy888 apk
replica bags in dubai official statement g9a41h7y19 replica bags from china free shipping 9a replica bags replica gucci t2v95e4g98 replica kipling bags her latest blog t9q84b2y86 replica louis vuitton handbags replica bags in gaffar market
q3e12h1x09 a1l11f6r84 z4q61v2u57 o9y82s2h86 u9e41k0q61 p3e91s1l42
Post a Comment