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2007-07-21

Ramen Jiro/Meguro
ラーメン二郎/目黒店

 

The Meguro Ramen Jiro is located on Yamate Dori about 1/2 km or so southwest from Ebisu Garden Place. If you are coming from EGP then I recommend taking a map and trying the backstreets as that will save you a lot of time, however it's a bit hilly. This is one of the best known Ramen Jiro branches, however in my opinion it is not for beginners. It is regularly written up in various Tokyo ramen magazines such as Ikkojin's current special Ramen for Adults as one of the most popular Ramen Jiro branches, no small feat considering that almost every Ramen Jiro has a line to get in every day.

The proprietor is Wakabayashi-san, a very quiet and serious but friendly man behind the counter. This shop is another direct decendant of the Mita Hon Ten 三田本店 (home page). Ths shop offers the standard 4 Ramen Jiro toppings: yasai (veggies, in this store's case mostly moyashi), ninniku (garlic), abura (extra fat) and karame (spiciness). It's a somewhat cramped store, even for a Ramen Jiro, there are only 10 seats in the place (and one of them is on the part of the counter that folds up and is next to the restroom, being a big gaijin that is my least favorite seat). They are open quite late during the week (midnight), but are closed Wednesdays (水曜日). The hours have recently changed so if you see any indications or advertisements that they are open until 4 PM, that's not correct, they are only open until 3:00 or 3:30 now. This Ramen Jiro has a very strong taste, it's quite a bowl especially if you get the abura and karame. They have some of the best pork + broth of any Ramen Jiro anywhere. This one goes on the Recommended List, but for a first-time Ramen Jiro customer I would still go with one of the others on that list first, then work your way up to this one. I also recommend that if you go to this shop, that you poke your head in the door first, before waiting on line, to make sure you are comfortable with the level of crowdedness of the seats and the overall state of the place first.

It's also right down the street from AIUEO (あいうえお), a competitor specializing in shio ramen (salt-flavored broth) who apparently takes advantage of the fact that this Ramen Jiro is closed on Wednesdays. AIUEO offers a seemingly-competing dish called 三郎ラーメン, which I will review at a later date.

ramentokyo.com Ramen Jiro Information Page
NinnikuYasai Page
Amaojisan's Database Page
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