Ramen Daijiro/Akihabaraらーめん 大二郎/秋葉原

 

On the street in Akihabara that runs parallel to Chuo Dori but more west, a new Jiro-like place opened up in late 2008, the only one of that type in the area I believe. However of course the Kanda Jiro is about 10-15 mins walk to the west. Technically this area is Suehirocho or SotoKanda but I will list it under Akihabara since that's what many visitors will be looking for. This is the first Jiro-like ramen place in the immediate area that I know of. When you go there, it's very important to remember that the owners do not want people waiting inside the store - don't enter until someone leaves. While waiting outside, if you are tall, please don't bang your head on the lantern. They have one table for 4, and a total of 12 counter seats (3 and 9), and a toilet in the back. I always wondered why there weren't more Jiros or Jiro-like ramen places in the upper right hand corner of the loop, and more specifically why there wasn't one in Akihabara - you would figure this would be the perfect place for one based on the type of people who like Jiro and hang out in Akihabara. The former name of this place was "winter horse" I believe. The noodles were spaghetti thickness and while they were the right Jiro color, they didn't have as much bite or taste as the thicker ones found at many Jiros. The soup was mostly shoyu, with only some tonkotsu - there were fat chunks but the broth was still relatively clear for a Jiro-like broth, whereas in some places the broth becomes a brownish gravy (at least before the fat rises to the top). The veggies were about 50/50 moyashi and cabbetsu and the cabbetsu was cut into very big pieces - however the pork was one area were it was significantly different from Jiro locations - most Jiros branches use a loin type of cut - tenderloin or eye, which come with some fat - but these were belly cuts, like kaku ni-style - don't get me wrong, it was good, it was just not a true "Jiro" style rough pork cut in that sense. Each piece was more than 1/2 fat, which would be a problem even at a real Jiro. There were 4 people working there - the most I have ever seen in a place like this, I think - very orderly, getting bowls to people quite quickly after they sat down. Tissues and spoons. Recommended for the taste and the novelty in Akiba.

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