麺や丸三 (Menya Marusan in Okubo, Tokyo)

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麺や丸三

Marusan is a unique brand of ramen from a chef who has been working with Japanese cuisine for over 40 years. Subtle umami, sous vide chicken, and some unusual toppings make this one something special in a sea of Shinjuku copycat ramen shops.

A strange yellow building on the corner of the Sobu Line train tracks. Buy your tickets practically around the block from the entrance at the vending machine. Strange, but effective use of space in crowded Tokyo. The menu might have some random limited dishes but the standard shoyu is always there. Order it.

I’m not sure how Marusan got so high on my radar. Did I see it in a magazine? Another word-of-mouth recommendation? It could have been their unique take on ramen’s most popular topping, the egg.

Instead of your standard half-cooked egg, Marusan serves their ramen with a slice of Japanese-style omelet. Sweetened with a bit of mirin and sugar, this is a tasty treat usually reserved for the end of a sushi meal or a convenience store sandwich. Another topping, yamakikurage (山くらげ) is unique and special. This pickled Chinese vegetable is fresh and green. Crunchy stems that resemble kikurage, jellyfish.

Would you like to live in Okubo? This part of Tokyo is still very much Shinjuku but is also known as Tokyo’s Korean town. Restaurants are everywhere, and crowds of girls (mostly in their 40s) flock to the streets to buy the latest BTS and Black Pink goods. It looks like a two-bedroom will set you back $400,000.

Official Twitter here.

Still reading? Did you know that I released a ramen cookbook? It’s available wherever fine cookbooks are sold, aka Amazon. Can’t wait to see what recipes you come up with!

Click here!

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