This is a journey in ramen from Osaka to Tokyo, in the order that I experienced it. On each photo there is the shop name, the bowl/style, and then the region it’s located in. Maybe this dish has become a bit of a cliche the past few years with the proliferation of mundane and redundant shops in the states (there are still great ones from coast to coast if you know where to look). But I love it regardless, especially when done right with passion and discipline.
I visited Japan for several weeks last December (‘24) and January (‘25), nearly a month in fact. I ate a lot of ramen in that time. 18 bowls. Not as much as I thought I would, and maybe not nearly enough variety, but I got to experience some incredible shops. Places I’d only ever dreamed of visiting. I discovered unexpected gems, dined in the presence of a master, and also took a gamble on some mediocre bowls. I missed out on many, due to holiday closures or just time constraints. I regret not eating ramen in Hiroshima. I was too preoccupied in studying local seafood and okonomiyaki, and I also regret not spending more time there, I really loved it in Hiroshima. Between my time in different parts of Tokyo, I spent a week sojourn in Chichibu, another beautiful place I’d love to hideaway in and write a novel and tend to vegetables. I didn’t eat any ramen there either, though I wish I had. I was treated instead to wonderful home cooked meals by
@yukikoshishikura , and learned about Kurumi Soba, a hyper-regional soba noodle with a walnut based dipping sauce that nears perfection.
I will save all that for another post, celebrating our time across nine different cities, eating so many other wonderful dishes, drinking, and exploring. I’ve been working on this post on and off for 6 months now. Social media is sometimes like pulling teeth. A great big dance to look at me. But here I am, so look, goddamn it! Hopefully, I’ll get the next post finished sooner.
I’n the meantime, you can check out the substack link in my bio for more about each bowl if that’s something you’re interested in. Maybe I’ll keep writing there
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#ramen #ramenislife #noodle #jirostyle #ramentomita #japan #ramennoodles #ramenshop #travel
