Ippudo Express/SolamachiIPPUDO NOODLE EXPRESS 東京ソラマチ店/ソラマチ

 

Ippudo "cafeteria-style" at Tokyo Sky Tree. Service was extremely quick, just line up at the first counter and pay, then go collect your ramen at the second counter a mere 3 feet to the right. Plenty of space to sit in a general shared food court area. Menus in English and other languages. They have the shiro-maru, the aka-maru and the hakata chuuka soba, unfortunately the porkslices are so thin you can almost see through them. What can I say, this was the same basic Ippudo taste. No porky tonkotsu smell so I wonder whether they truck the broth in from another place or not. My first time to Tokyo Sky Tree - all new, very touristy, and there are several other ramen options in the place. Hard to recommend this as the first choice even though Ippudo is usually my default recommendation for people when they ask me what ramen shop to go to in Tokyo (many shops, consistent product, no fuss).

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Daisangen/Kinshicho大三元/錦糸町

 

First place in Sumida-ku. Good mid-price Chinese about 5-10 mins walk north from Kinshicho Station on the JR line. Also accessible via Hanzomon Line. Excellent suratanmen - but very peppery. Thick broth with somen noodles. Very flavorful full-length negi cuts. They have it with and without the noodles so be sure to specify. Many interesting things on the menu (the ones I could read) but it is hand-written in very-difficult-to-read script with very little kana - bring a someone who is a good experienced kanji reader. Many couples in there for a lunch on a Sunday - there was a line inside and outside the shop.

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Interesting Article on Kinshicho Here