Nobody appreciates the fine arts like I do and it should come as no surprise that there’s nothing I enjoy more than hitting the local museums whenever I visit a foreign city. Such was the case yesterday when Akemi and I woke up early so that we could catch the bullet train to Yokohama and check out one of its most famous museums: The Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum. There, we checked out the masters who dabble in oils, broth, and noodles…
Truth be told, it’s not really much of a museum. The educational portion is scant, but the hands-on experience is plentiful with a wide variety of ramen to choose from. The lower level of the museum has been transformed into a latter-day Japan complete with winding back alleys, shuttered old time bars, and numerous ramen-yas.
A chart at the entrance gives you a rundown of the dozen or so chefs and their respective ramen. Then, it’s up to you. Choose a place and enter your order at the little machine outside the restaurant. Then, all you have to do is grab a spot in line and wait to be seated.
The choices were overwhelming, so I simply went with what I thought looked good. We started at a place called Ganja where we ordered…
It was, hands down, the best ramen I’ve ever had. Both broths were incredibly complex, rich with levels of flavor. The thick slice of pork was incredibly tender, the egg I got with my broth perfectly cooked, and the noodles terrific. I honestly could have ordered another bowl – not because I was still hungry, but because I didn’t want the meal to end.
We ordered two small bowls so that we could sample some of the other ramens being offered. The busiest ramen-ya by far was Sumire that had a line-up that snaked around the corner. We dutifully lined up, placed our order, and gradually inched our way toward the entrance…
Wow. And not in a good way. After Ganja, what a letdown. My miso ramen was fine but I found Akemi’s shoyu ramen was possessed of an unpleasant, oily flavor. In fact, both broths were surprisingly oily.
There was a couple standing behind us in line. She didn’t want ramen but he did. Unfortunately, the house rules state that everyone taking up table room must order ramen. So, they compromised. He sat down and ate his ramen while she stood outside and watched him. Weird.
We finished up by taking a tour of the “museum” section and shop that offered everything from ramen keychains and chopsticks to your own personalized box of ramen.
Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum: ２-１４-２１ Shinyokohama, Kohoku Ward, Yokohama
We took a little stroll through Shin-Yokohama, then caught the bullet train back to Tokyo where we took an even longer stroll through Tokyo Station. An unintended one as we got turned around at some point and spent close to an hour trying to find the subway back to our hotel. The place is huge!
Finally, we made it back!
I arrived back at the hotel to discover a package awaiting me. It was from Akemi’s mother and it was filled with what I estimate to be about a year’s word of matcha (ceremonial green tea)! Between this and everything I’m planning to pick up, it looks like I may have to invest in a second suitcase.
We tried to work off dinner with a walk along Ginza-dori…
For dinner we went to Chikuyotei, one of the country’s oldest unagi restaurants. It holds special meaning for Akemi because it was a favorite of her grandfather’s who used to take her there when she was young.
Alas, no tables available so we had to settle for floor seating. And by “floor seating”, I mean we sat on the floor at a low table. Apparently, this isn’t terribly uncommon in Japan and many Japanese have mastered the art. I, unfortunately, have not and spent much to the meal shifting uncomfortably between kneeling, sitting cross-legged, and stretching my legs out underneath the table.
We ordered from an English menu that helpfully warned us to “be careful for the eel bones”. So we were. As for the meal…
Another great meal and, I’m sure, very natsukashii for Akemi.
Chikuyotei: 8-14-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Well, I think the law of averages has finally caught up with me. I fear I’ve done in – not by the little aliens in my soup or the countless cream-filled desserts or even the chicken sashimi. It was the ramen! I woke up this morning feeling like my stomach has undergone a mochi massage…
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