2022
One of my good friends that used to live in Tokyo kept telling me how good this place is, so during my last visit to Tokyo, I decided to check it out. The place is called Tokyo Abura Soba
Abura Soba is basically dry noodle, mixed with special sauce, veggies, meat, and other condiments. They have several branches around Tokyo, but I tried their main store in Ginza, Tokyo, because it was pretty much just five minutes walk from my hotel. This is what it looks like
It's quite an interesting process to enjoy this dish, and if you're not used to it, it will be an interesting experience. When you enter the shop, you need to get coupons from a vending machine that shows selection of your food. I actually forgot to take photo when I was here, but it's something like this (taken somewhere else)
The thing is, all the selections were in Japanese. So I asked them if they have English menu, and thankfully they do! Otherwise I would've had trouble ordering my food. So basically what I did was just matching the number from the English menu to the number on the vending machine. Insert your coin/ bills, punch in your selection(s), give the coupons to the cook, then sit at one of the chairs.
Turn it around, and it also shows you directions on how to enjoy the soba
I ordered medium size, and followed the direction, and it tasted just right! Also you may have noticed that the price for medium, large, and extra large portion are the same. I always find it fascinating. I never feel cheated though, and when I travel in Japan, I always go for the smallest size. Why? So I can eat more at other places 😛 But yea, this is not the only place I've been to that charge the same price for different size of meals. I really doubt this practice will be accepted in US, but it seems it's a common practice here in Japan. If you live in Japan or know the reasoning behind this, please do share!😄
Anyway, after you put in the chili oil and vinegar, mix them well, then enjoy!
Seriously though, this is so delicious. I actually regretted that I only tried this on my last day, before I had to leave for the airport. Otherwise, I would've gone for another visit. Also the great part is that they open until 4am, so if you're jetlagged and hungry in the middle of the night, you can just go here.
Last thing, I'll share you what the shop looks like:
It's pretty small isn't it? Make sure to come early to make sure you get seated quickly. Otherwise there might be a bit of a wait. The thing about this place is that people usually come to eat, and they quickly leave. So don't get discouraged even the line is a bit long, it might still move fast.
Make sure to try this when you're visiting Tokyo!
My submission for #DeepJapan by @YasumiKikuchi
@Ivi_Ge you might like this too!
@HiroyukiTakisawa have you tried this before? 🙂
Hello, @iyudhi ,
I have never been to the shop itself but I have tried similar ramen, Aburasoba. That is very interesting ramen. Basically I love very simple ramen but I want to eat such a dish about once per year. Eating it is like a game for me.
Anyway, you are a true ramen lover 😄
JAPAN LOCAL GUIDES
Haha, it sounds fun! @iyudhi
We are able to support you to meet interesting or oddly local ramens. For instance, there is Kimchi and Natto Ramen that is popular in my region. (Yanagiya) You may dislike Natto, I guess you can eat this because the flavor of Natto is not strong.
There are a lot of engaging ramens all round Japan, by all means, enjoy them someday.
