東京ラーメンストリート店 ソラノイロ Sora no iro Nippon

We're huge fans of Miyazaki-san's Sora no iro branches, including his original Sora no iro and his second shop, Salt and Mushroom. His beautiful third shop, Sora no iro Nippon, just debuted at the Tokyo Ramen Street, occupying the stall of the now relocated Shichisai (more to come on that!).

The inside is an eclectic blend of modern Japanese and traditional Okinawan style decor, with relaxing Okinawan music playing in the background. This is a signature of Miyazaki-san, who imparts all sorts of subtle nods to Okinawa in his various shops.

Sora no iro is famous for their vegetarian ramen, a bowl filled with vegetables and with a soup heavy on carrot puree. But unlike the original shop's Veggie Ramen, the veggie bowl here is vegan, with absolutely no meat used in the process of making the soup.

Veggie ramen (vegan style - 900yen)

This is the first vegan ramen we've ever had, and while we'll probably stick with the carnivore options, this bowl isn't lacking in substance considering it uses no pork or chicken bones for the dashi. The noodles, like the original, are infused with paprika for the orange color.

We actually prefer the shop's other signature, the fantastic chuka soba.

Edo-shiki chuka soba (800yen)

Described as Edo-shiki, evoking old Tokyo, this is a hearty shoyu with a strong smell of dried bonito and a dark, rich color. The original shop's chuka soba is mild and soft, and this one is a lot bolder; your mileage may vary depending on your preference, but both are excellent bowls.

After work, travel, or commute, the Ramen Street fulfills the body and mind. I was actually feeling pretty stressed from work, but Sora no iro's chuka soba blew my cares away. If Shichisai must go, I'm really glad it's replaced by a dedicated shop like Sora no iro.

Tokyo, Chiyoda-ku, Marunouchi 1-9-1
Closest stn: Tokyo

Open from 11am-11pm

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