Ramen FeeL in Ome, Tokyo

0 Reviews

Ramen FeeL

Ramen FeeL is the hottest new ramen shop in Tokyo. It’s probably the hottest new shop in Japan. Despite the distance from central Tokyo, this is one of those inevitable must-hit shops that you should slurp at if you live in Japan. For tourists awaiting the reopening of this country, consider a half-day trip to the countryside. Homemade noodles, five kinds of chashu, and specialty everything goes into this stellar bowl.

The location is out in the western reaches of Tokyo, past Ome. This part of Tokyo feels like another planet next to the bustling metropolis. River rafting, hiking, and fishing replace karaoke, fine dining, and crowded trains. The name of the ramen shop, FeeL, is an homage to the pleasant get-out-of-town vibe. I have no idea what “Small bowln’ Big dream” is meant to mean.

An hour on the expressway and you’ll understand. While FeeL is still within the urban expanse, it’s on the edge. Twenty minutes or so past the shop and you’ll be in the forest.

The system is sure to be different when you try and go. Their opening week in February 2021 had people showing up as early as seven in the morning to get a time-marked ticket. I showed up around ten if memory serves, and got a ticket for close to three. They were only doing 90 bowls daily, so I barely made it. 危ない!

As of writing this (August 2022) they are still only doing 90 bowls, and start giving out their tickets from seven in the morning. I guess nothing changed. It’s about an hour and a half drive or a two-hour train ride from central Tokyo. Plan accordingly. If you are on your way, keep an eye on their Twitter account. They update their list every hour. I’m writing this at 8:30 am on a weekday and they have given out 32 tickets.

One last note, you can pick up five “FeelPass” tickets per person, so one early bird can grab a seat for everyone.

So what’s so special about Ramen Feel? This is the first official descendant of Ramen Idashoten (らぁ麺屋飯田商店), the highest-rated ramen shop in the country for many years. Idashoten is known for its attention to detail and specially sourced ingredients. In the ramen world, the opening of FeeL was a very big deal.

Take the shio ramen for example. Four kinds of salt, including sea salt from the Christmas Islands, give the initial impact. The clear soup is made from pork and chicken and accentuated with pork backfat from Iberico pigs. The crispy chicken chashu bite sits atop a slice of sous vide pork shoulder.

One more bowl?

The shoyu ramen blends ten different soy sauces from around Japan. Noodles for this bowl use eggs from prized Nagoya Kochin (名古屋コーチン) chickens. Pork belly and shoulder, as well as roasted duck are standard toppings. While the shio is turning into the bowl they are famous for, both were top-tier slurps.

Admittedly, two bowls in a row is a bit much for me these days. Two bowls of tokusei ramen with all the extra toppings is way too much. My days of bowl after bowl after bowl are long gone, but I can power through when it’s something important like Ramen FeeL.

Congratulations on your opening!

Official Instagram here.

Official Twitter here.

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