青島食堂 Aoshima Shokudo: akihabara's neighborhood ramen

Akihabara. Known for its "B-kyu," junk-food spots, there are unsurprisingly a few notable ramen joints. Most casual visitors tend to eat at the well-known tonkotsu spot Kyushu Jangara. It's a solid, if overly oily, tonkotsu place.

But the love in Akihabara really goes to Aoshima. Long lunch waits on all days. Mostly male, though not what you would assume to be the otaku crowd. Then again, Akihabara hasn't been the hub for that demographic for a while now.

Shokudo in Japanese means "cafeteria." In Japanese, this means stools, fluorescent lights, and a casual, diner-like vibe.

Ticket options are huge. You can get half-orders of any topping.

Aoshima's go-to-bowl is their shoyu ramen. It's also their only bowl. A lot of confidence in a traditional chuka-soba exuding old-school nostalgia, but Aoshima has more refinement than your average local mom-and-pop ramen shop. The soup is infused with heavy amounts of ginger for a beautiful fragrance and taste.

Shoyu ramen with chashu (750yen)

The ginger makes for some deep shoyu flavor. Look at that soup. And the noodles have some great spring.

The best bowl in Akihabara?

Probably, though this is a great classic shoyu that would be deserving in any ramen mecca.

Tokyo, Chiyoda-ku, Kanda Sakumagahashi 3-20-1

Closest stn: Akihabara (7 min walk)

Open from 1130am-7pm (closed on Tuesdays)

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