Ayu Ramen

With so many restaurants in a city like Tokyo, it can be tricky to narrow down your favorites. Brad and I try to make it to a new restaurant when we can, but it is often difficult to order unless one of our Japanese-speaking friends accompanies us. Sometimes there’s even a handy-dandy English menu. One of our favorite meals in Japan is ramen (the good stuff, not the noodle block and powder packet you subsisted on in college). However, ramen is not the best thing for the waist-line. Brad’s favorite ramen has the fatty, pork based broth and several slices of pork tenderloin. It’s the kind where you can literally see the fat floating on the surface of the broth. I love it too. But my hips? Not so much.

While I do enjoy accompanying Brad to “his” ramen shop on occasion, I tend to shy away from eating there too often. Unless I have a cold. Or if I can make up another excuse to eat a whole bowl on my own. Instead, I stick with Ayu ramen. It is a much healthier option that provides some noodle intake in a way that creates much less guilt. Last night, I went to Ayu Ramen, a ramen shop that is about a 10 minute walk from our apartment. We have been there several times and will continue to return. Let me tell you why…

Ayu Ramen is served from the restaurant’s tiny kitchen. The broth is light rather than fatty, but still full of flavor. The grilled fish, called ayu, does not have that overly ‘fishy’ flavor that turns some away from seafood. The texture, once the ayu is grilled, is meaty and mild. The fish is eaten whole, bones and all. I was a little nervous about this the first time, but trust me when I say that it is worth every bite. The bones are only noticeable in the head, so you could skip that if you wanted to. Also, at this restaurant, the guts have been removed. But that may not always be the case. (Just sayin’!)

The ramen is topped with negi (leeks), nori, and a beautifully grilled ayu (sweetfish from Gifu, Japan).

My favorite part of the meal (because I have an obsession) is the yaki-onigiri. I mean, how could you not be totally in love and obsessed with this:

Perfectly grilled rice. Salty, a little nutty, and totally delicious. I could use one right now…

Brad and I were joined by our friends Brendan and Michael as we invaded the ramen shop on what ended up being one of the hottest days we’ve had in the past week. Like, skin-melting-off kind of hot. Not ramen weather whatsoever. Like many restaurants in Tokyo, Ayu Ramen is a hole-in-the-wall joint that seats 6. The space is tiny at the dining counter, but so is the kitchen. I tried to get some good photos but it was tough to fit 2, let alone 3 people back there! Somehow, despite its small size, Ayu Ramen has managed to stay open for 8 years. And it is still going strong.

I love the way this place feels. It is a little more classy than your run-of-the-mill ramen shop with a warm wooden counter and a beautifully decorated wall; perfect for cold winter nights when all you want is to curl your fingers around a pair of chop sticks, hold your face over subtly scented steam, and slurp ramen noodles until you are warm all the way through. I can’t wait for that.

Even though 90 degree weather is not ideal for eating ramen, this was a fantastic place to take some photos, eat ramen, and spend time with friends. Thanks to Yoshi and Kouichi for opening an hour early just so I could come and do my thing. You guys are wonderful!