Nagi (Ramen)
In an unassuming building on the other side of Shibuya station, we find Nagi.
No. That’s not entirely true. Ramen Adventures found Nagi. I just found the trail of the Adventure.
Speaking of the Adventure, these ramen blogs are ruining me. Last weekend in Nikko, I had what (two months ago) I would have thought was perfectly fine ramen. But since then, having experienced some of the finest noodles in the city, my perspective is skewed. I’m spoiled by preemo slurpage.
Now when I say that Nagi was *really good*, you know where I’m coming from. But the best? That spot, my friends, is reserved for the extraordinary Bassanova. (Special thanks to Keizo at Go Ramen for both being so hospitable when we’re there, and also for having such a killer ramen blog.)
But back to Nagi. This location in particular is known for their strongly flavoured fish-broth based soup. It tasted rich, like a little old man stewed fish heads overnight. I was worried that it would be a bit too… challenging of a flavour for some of our friends that night, but everyone seemed really impressed by it. hurray!
But never mind the ramen. The gyoza was the shining star of Nagi that night. I remember thinking “my god, this is the best gyoza I’ve ever had, ever”. The filling was moist and very flavourful, the wrapper was perfectly seared-crispy but not soggy on top. I couldn’t believe it. … Until I walked past the kitchen and saw the guy that was making them. Making them. Not “dumping them out of a frozen bag onto a grill”, but pounding out the wrappers into little circles and mixing the fillings.
Ah, the secret. They’re handmade. Packaged foods can’t hold their ground against “made with love”.
Tune in next time: I found another kitkat!! (Oh, and we had an amazing weekend in Nikko last weekend, which I’m excited to tell you about!)