かしわぎ

Ramen shops come and go, and sometimes a popular shop disappears for no apparent reason. I never made it to 麺処今川 (Imagawa), but I had heard good things. They closed a while back.

Well, their spiritual successor recently opened, and much closer to where I live. Good news.

The other good news is the price. 680 yen is a steal these days, especially for a high caliber bowl like this one.

The shop has space for larger groups, though you should always eat at a spirited pace and give up your seat for the next customer. Ramen etiquette 101. I was doing a food tour this day, and this is something I tell all of my customers. Some people don’t like it, being pressured to stop talking, eat, and get out, but this is the way it is in Japan.

If you want to hang out at a ramen shop for 45 minutes, there are plenty of popular chain shops that will let you do this.

Kashiwagi uses a pork and shellfish soup, picking umami-rich clams to give this bowl a nice balance. It is very simple, but each aspect is high quality. I’m not sure why the price is so low.

The egg is legit.

Though the shio ramen is what most people want to try, the shoyu uses a blend of three different soy sauces for an aroma and flavor synergy. Love the dark color.

Keep in mind that the hours have expanded since their opening in June, 2017.

東京都中野区東中野1-36-7
Tokyo, Nakano-ku, Higashi-Nakano 1-36-7
Closest station: Higashi-Nakano

Open 11:30-15:00, 18:00-21:00
Sundays and Mondays 11:30-15:00
Closed Tuesdays

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かしわぎ (Kashiwagi in Nakai)

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Noodle Stand Tokyo in Harajuku

長浜らーめん (Nagahama Ramen in Setagaya)

凪Noodle Bar in Shinjuku