Met up with my friend Chris near his Shimokitazawa turf out in Kamikitazawa to try ramen from Ramen Koike, which has been recognized by Michelin’s Bib Gourmand for 2018. Though the shop is already highly rated, the benefit of such ramen shops out in the burbs is that the lines are usually measured in minutes rather than quarters of an hour. (Another favorite, Ranchu, replicates the setting and seating setup almost exactly) So despite Chris proudly wearing his ushanka, we were seated relatively quickly and protected from the 50F/10C Tokyo cold. (eyeroll)
I’ve had limited experience with niboshi broth, but I think what is key is the thickness of its preparation: there are famous shops like Nagi Golden Gai and Ibuki that are known for an incredibly thick and over-compensatingly pungent/salty niboshi (and tonkotsu or chicken paitan) broth that I find off-putting. But the thinner assari niboshi broth, like here at Koike or my first love Itou is just packed with flavor that stirs the senses without overwhelming it.
Besides the excellent broth, the noodles were nice and firm with a bit of an akali finish. (This is a good thing) The nitamago had a nice jelly-like yolk. I thought the very-thinly sliced pink chashu was skillfully done, both in terms of the prep–I haven’t seen many chashu that was more pink than this–and the thinness of the slices. But the flavor didn’t really stand out to me; the slices might’ve been too thin.
As for the other toppings, the chicken tsukune meatballs were a nice addition to the dish, but didn’t really add much, to be honest. Other toppings like the greens and chopped white onions didn’t add much–I actually thought the sharp taste from the onions clashed with the also-strong niboshi broth.
Overall, a very good ramen worth venturing out to the Tokyo suburbs for. They also have a richer chicken paitan-niboshi ramen for rich-ramen afficionados, as well as a Taiwanese minced pork ramen that would be worth trying on a second trip.
Q Factor: 10 minutes (Weekend 1315)
Sense: Suburban ramen shop with a speedy service
Price: Deluxe Niboshi Ramen (¥980)
らぁめん小池 (Ramen Koike)
〒156-0057 東京都世田谷区上北沢4-19-18
Kamikitazawa Station (Keio Main Line)
Kamikitazawa Station (Keio Main Line)
