Tokyo Bay Fisherman’s Noodle in Yokosuka, Kanagawa

0 Reviews

Tokyo Bay Fisherman’s Noodle

With a name like Tokyo Bay Fisherman’s Noodle, this spot was high on my list. Photos seen on Instagram made it look like a sure-fire catch, but I’m not one to fall for the ol’ bait and switch. Would I be hooked? How would this rank on the Ramen Adventures scale? <insert more fishing puns here> This was a damn tasty bowl of ramen. And I’m not trolling!

Tasty, but a bit far from the nearest station. And the nearest station is a bit far from central Tokyo. Yokosuka is well known for its Naval base, curry restaurants, and fresh fish from nearby Tokyo Bay. In this case, fresh shellfish.

Tokyo Bay Fisherman’s Noodle was given all kinds of rookie awards when they came on the scene. The most notable was the best new salt ramen of 2021 from TRY magazine.

They use Hon Venus Clams (ホンビノス貝). Also known as a hard clam or a round clam, Mercenaria mercenaria is native to the Atlantic side of America. New England clam chowder anyone? It is suspected that a few made their way to Tokyo bay clinging to the hull of a boat in the late 1990s, where they flourished locally. These clams aren’t considered an invasive species. In fact, Funabashi City in Chiba has more or less adopted them as a savior of their fishing industry.

The soup is 100% hard clam, finished off with pork skin for a little heartiness. Shio tare uses scallop and littleneck clams. It should go without saying that this is a bowl for shellfish lovers. The umami is rich in this bowl.

I was thoroughly impressed by the ramen, and since this was my only meal of the day, I ordered a rice bowl to soak up some of the soup. More of those thin, lightly seasoned bamboo shoots with some sautéed pork chunks and green onion salsa.

Since writing, they’ve opened a second shop in Chigasaki. Although Chigasaki is about as inconvenient as Yokosuka, it is a lovely beachside part of Kanagawa. I’d recommend the second branch as part of a nice day out. For you Navy folk stationed in Yokosuka, head to the original one just down the road.

Official Instagram here.

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