Yokohama Style Ramen

My mom always tells me that when I travel, or move to a new place, she’s sees more news about that location than she ever has before.  (Personally, I think she just pays attention to it more than when it’s irrelevant!) But maybe there’s some truth to the thought.

A ramen-devoted blog mentioned in a NY Times article about Ramen in Tokyo, clued us in to a noodle hotspot just blocks from our house. Yoshimura was the first to make what is now known as Yokohama Style ramen (also called Iekei or house-style ramen).  For its ingenuity (and heavy hand with the pork fat), Yoshimura is rewarded with lines out the door every night of the week, and hundreds of ramen spots using the same recipe as chef Yoshimura.

We were lucky to get there before the rush.  After picking a few things at random from the vending machine, we offered up our tokens and waited for dinner.

I picked three tokens (a ramen bowl and two other mystery things), one of which was this bowl of leeks sauteed in…. something slightly spicy.  Hurray for unexpected appetizers!

I think my other extra token was for cabbage, since it was the only thing my bowl had that jon’s didn’t.  Last time we ordered a random token at a ramen vending machine, we got a plate of pickled bamboo shoots. I’d say this was way more successful! Look at that piece of pork!

The ramen was fantastic, though there was entirely too much of it.  The broth tasted like meat juice, very roasty and thick, and the noodles were springy and perfectly cooked. In case the broth wasn’t flavourful enough for you, there were plenty of condiments on the counter for you to sauce up with…