Ryuzan/Ojima龍山/大島

      

So far this is the best suratanmen in Tokyo, in my opinion, and this place has the awards and plaudits to prove it. Ryuzan (dragon mountain?) is out east in Koto-ku on the Toei Shinjuku line. Definitely better suratanmen/sanratanmen (酸辣湯麺) than Youshuu Shonin. Too bad it's a bit far from the loop, but the good news is that you can just walk about 3 minutes from Yodobashi Akiba in Akihabara over the river to Iwamotocho station on the Toei Shinjuku line. This place is right smack in the middle of a residential neighboorhood, any place else in the world like this would look quite out of place. They have an extensive menu of Chinese dishes, with many spicy ones including kuro goma dan-dan men. Pictures are above. At 1 PM on a Saturday there were relatively few people in there. Their sanratanmen ("hot and sour soup" with noodles) has been written up in numerous Tokyo magazines including Tokyo Walker, Ramen Walker, etc. - pictures of their articles ring the walls of the place inside and out. The omori sanratanmen was a huge portion of peppery spicy vinegary goodness. The ingredients were combined in perfect proportions. The vinegar taste was there but not too strong, and the pork and egg were generously apportioned too. They will anticipate the inevitable and deliver a picture of water to your table if you order the sanratanmen. If you like sanratanmen you must go there - no if's, and's or but's.

Livedoor Page
Diddlefinger Map (English labels)
Google Map

Mita Seimen Sho/Ebisu三田製麺所/恵比寿

 

This is the third branch of Mita Seimen Sho, a fairly accurate knock-off of Rokurinsha, basically the same taste, quite good, there is frequently a line here at lunch time, whereas there rarely was one when the place was Misomaru. The pork is better here than at either of the branches in Mita (near JR Tamachi Station) or Kabukicho. As I write this they are now opening a fourth branch in Ikebukero.

Supleks page
Diddlefinger Map (English labels)
Google Map

Xi'an/ShinjukuXi'an/新宿

  

Across from the Shinjuku station Yodobashi Nishi Guchi Tokei Kan (watch store) - where I was getting my wife's watch battery replaced, is Xi'an. It has some of the hottest and most flavorful toshoumen anywhere. It's on the fourth floor in one of the these crazy Sega game buildings. When I got there it was about 1/2 full at 2 PM, and the floors were sort of dark. Many of the wait staff spoke both Chinese and Japanese. Unfortunately you don't get to see them slice the noodles up by hand into the pot (from a block of dough) from the non-smoking section. I ordered the ra-yu-su-ran-men, a form of toshoumen and suratanmen combined - very slippery and rich noodles, lots of ground beef and ra-yu in the broth - definitely good to the last drop, with sesame seeds too. The combination of the ra-yu and the added vinegar gives it the type of taste and smell that can easily overwhelm your nose and tongue - be careful. For another 500 yen you can get a plate of 8 good-sized gyoza with a dipping sauce. However these gyoza have a fairly light taste, not strong, and they was more filler in the filling than meat. However they might be good to dump into the soup, the sauce that came with them was good but not spectacular. They will bring you a special bib and there is a pitcher of water at your seat. The portion was decently-sized for the price and there was an option for omori. Take a look at the regular dinner menu also - several delicious-looking things there including a togarashi chicken and black vinegar pork spare ribs.

Tabelog page
Google Map

Ramen Jiro/Senjuohashiラーメン二郎/千住大橋

  

First Ramen Jiro east of the loop that I have been to in a while. The reason for the delay on this one is that I saw a number of scary pictures of lines 40-50 people long for a while, right after it opened (in April IIRC). Take the Keisei line to Senjuohashi station. When I got there on a Saturday at 10:30 (opens at 11), the line was only 10 people long, and a steady rain was coming down. Usually the line will go around the building corner, it's literally right there when you come out of the station. This shop is brandy new, very clean with a bathroom in the back. The noodles were lighter and thinner than most Jiro noodles. However the pork was very dry and had strips of the tough fat running through it. Standard Jiro broth, not much suspended fat. Overall decent but might not be worth the change at Ueno from JR to Keisei to get there. Note that there was also a sign for the new Moriya Jiro in Ibaraki-ken (40 mins from Akihabara on Tsukuba) on the front door, this branch opened on or around the beginning of June and hasn't gotten stellar reviews either. So now were back down to two Jiro branches I haven't been to yet.

Dragonia Ryuhei (good pics)
Google Map