The art of perfection is everywhere in Japan. In its laquerware, electronics and especially in its food. Dessert Le Comptoir in Fukasawa, Tokyo is an example of food perfection. A 10 minute bus-ride from Jiyugaoka, it’s a bit of a challenge to make it out here if you are not given specific directions, but when you arrive, it’s worthwhile. Our friends who live in Fukasawa invited us here on our last day in Tokyo before heading back to Berkeley.

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On a dull, drizzling day in Tokyo I set out for my second-ever bowl of tsukemen (ramen dipping noodles). After its introduction in the early 2000′s, tsukemen has boomed in popularity, rising to a crescendo a few years ago and still going strong. Many, many shops in Tokyo offer both standard ramen and tsukemen, and the consensus is that the majority of the latter tastes relatively similar no matter where it’s eaten (although the quality varies).

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Yakitori at a cramped stall in Omoide-yokocho (Memory Lane) in Shinjuku. The skewer came in a weird soup. Master called it “henna soup”. It was tonkotsu-ish.

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Ramen has always been big in Japan, and since the mid-2000′s it has exponentially grown in popularity and trendiness, with younger entrepenuers trying their hand at making the nation’s most beloved B-kyu (B-Class) food.

B-kyu foods are defined as “comfort foods” like curry, ramen, gyudon (beef bowl) and yakisoba. In contrast, A-kyu (A-Class) foods are the countless kaiseki and Michelin-starred restaurants that populate Japan.

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If I gave you several options for dinner and you knew nothing about the restaurants other than their names, and one was called “Junk Garage”, you’re eating there, right? I’m going with Junk Garage every single time.

I heard about this shop through the usual ramen fanatic-suspects and was fascinated by their namesake ‘junk’ ramen, or mazesoba… a “mixed” ramen sans soup.

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Cream anmitsu at Nakamuraya on the 9th floor of Tokyu department store (west wing) in Shibuya.

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Oden shack on the backstreets of Monzennakacho, Tokyo.

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Sakura-ebi kakiage at Nunotsunesarashina in Tsukiji, my favorite soba spot when I lived in Tokyo.

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My second day in Japan was inauspicious. The sky was dreary, overcast, drizzling all day and on into the night, and I woke up with a full-blown cold to boot. So in other words, the perfect day for a bowl of ramen.

After spending the day at the National Museum in Ueno Park, where my memories consist of stunning ancient sword blades, beaded necklaces from 500 BC that are the epitome of current hipster style, and having to run to the bathroom every 15 minutes to drain my flooded nose, I finally had my first shot at tasting one of the top ramen shops in Tokyo: Kururi.

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This one was a long time coming.

Since I first started reading about ramen over at Ramenate I’ve been fascinated by Jiro-kei (Jiro-style) ramen. What is Jiro you ask?

Jiro is an institution. It has spawned several official offshoots and many more imitators. Jiro is to ramen as suicide sauce is to wings. It’s the ultimate Man vs. Food event. Making it to the end of a bowl is an endurance test, and just finishing the toppings is exhilarating. 

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