秋刀鮪だし宣久

秋刀 = Sanma; Pacific Saury
鮪 = Maguro; Tuna
だし = Dashi; broth

So, this shop is making a broth out of two kinds of rarely used fish. That should be interesting enough, but for me the reason to come here is a bit deeper. This is the shop that formerly housed Ivan Ramen, one of the most important shops in the global history of ramen. When Ivan moved his operation to New York, he decided to pass this one off to his staff, who kept some things and changed up the rest.

The noodles are very reminiscent of Ivan’s, who was one of the first people in Japan to use whole grain wheat in his noodles. The soup, however, is a completely new concept.

Fish is underutilized in ramen, apart from niboshi, which is everywhere. Things like sanma and maguro usually only make it into a limited bowl; sanma is one of the signals that autumn has arrived. Both fish are hearty and full of oils that give the soup a deep, oceany flavor.