中華そば児ノ木

It is tough keeping track of all these quality new shops lately, and Chigonoki just adds to the mix. Actually, what I really like about this spot is just that, a mix.

Niboshi ramen. I love it. Bitter, smoky fish flavors, often garnished with a mound of raw onion that melts into the soup, giving it a bit of sweet and a bit of spicy. It is, though, an intense flavor that quite a few foreigners (and locals) don’t like.

Well, this was part of a ramen tour, and we had enough people to try it all.

The third row reads 鶏 + 煮干し, chicken and niboshi blend. This one is your standard niboshi broth, cut with some high quality chicken soup. Definitely the choice for someone unfamiliar with the niboshi flavors.

But this is no watered-down bowl. It uses 茜鶏, akanedori, a specialty chicken breed and three kinds of dried fish.