(As seen on mangojuiced.com)

Before I was scheduled to meet my high school friend, Sherilyn, I knew I had to get some shopping done.  Stepping out of my hotel, which was 5 minutes away from Tsukiji Market, I did my final shopping run. The outer market of Tsukiji was a field of activity, like the Greenhills tiangge but only of food!   I managed to buy my Katsuoboshi (bonito flakes), which was my main goal. In Tokyo, they were sold by bulk and prices were by 500 grams. Then, i grabbed some preserved ginger and apples. Sold by the roadside, these were excellent snacks and pasalubong as well.

Breakfast would be freshly-made Tamago. There were plenty of Tamago stands along the streets and i grabbed a “small” one with chili flavor. Nicely cooked and not too sweet, an excellent way to jump start the morning! The best part was there were tons of flavors available, ranging from chicken to seaweed.  On the way back to the hotel, I spied some Togarashi pepper, it looked fresh and it wasn’t as grounded as the ones we’re used to here so I grabbed a bottle. This was my kind of shopping trip!

For lunch, I headed to meet Sherilyn to check out, in her opinion, one of the best noodle places in Tokyo.  Steps away from the A4 exit of Iibadashi train station lay the tsukemen place.  The funny part is, you place your orders and pay through a vending machine OUTSIDE the restaurant and then you line up and wait for them to call you when your seats are ready.  The tsukemen, though, was no laughter.

Tsukemen is basically noodles, which are thicker than the usual ramen, served cold, with a bowl of a thick, rich broth and a soft cooked egg.  What a broth it was! It was bursting with deep, powerful flavors.  The tonkotsu broth was obviously cooked with a boatload of pork bones as it was rich and sinful. You always know how much pork bones they use by the feeling you get around your lips after you drink the broth.  Moreover, it was also powered by a great umami flavor from katsuoboshi.  I never knew a broth could be that packed with flavor and I knew this was something special.  Flavorful and salty are two distinct things so to be able to balance the saltiness despite the mountain of flavors is a skill most chefs, including me, dream to perfect. The noodles were awesomely al dente, thanks in no small part to them not being soaked in hot broth. The perfectly cooked egg with a gelatinous yolk is a win in any language. My eating companion, Sherilyn’s daughter Ruby, gave her approval by slurping away and in between my amateurish attempts to slurp loudly, I realized I had myself a winner!  After I finished with the noodles, I placed my broth bowl on the counter and the chef diluted the remaining broth so I could finish it off.  Oh yeah.

While a trip to Tokyo and not having ramen may be an incomplete one for some, I honestly didn’t miss it. What is up with the ramen craze sweeping the country anyway? I’m taking a well-made tsukemen over ramen anytime.