Hiroshi knows the owner, which means we would get the special treatment...
...umibudo, or sea grapes, marinated in ponzu sauce. Sora no Iro is a ramen shop, but transforms itself into a sort of ramen izakaya at night, with seasonally prepared snacks and copious amounts of alcohol (available all year round).
There was also an umibudo ramen bowl, available only for the unbearable month of July. Tempted though I was by its green color and apparent coolness, I went with the chuka soba, which is always undergoing constant tweaks and adjustments since the chef is a homicidal perfectionist (and overall nice guy).
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| Chuka soba (700yen) |
Shoyu always looks the best in photographs. That deep brown color, translucent enough to see the ingredients therein. This bowl had new and improved noodles from Watanabe Seimen, supplier of Ippudo bowls around the world.
These noodles, and this entire bowl, is a big winner. One of the best chuka soba around.
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| Veggie soba zembu nose/everything (1000yen) |
Sora no Iro is also known for its veggie soba (don't worry, it's still ramen). The broth is made entirely of vegetab - just kidding! It's made mostly from meat juice, though lots of green and orange plants do make their way into bowl, and paprika makes its way into the flat noodles.
Topped with even more fresh veggies, it's a solid alternative and fresh concept, though the broth was a bit more watery than I would have liked.
This kind of experimentation is what Sora no Iro is known for (the name translates to "colors of the sky"). They have a limited-edition ramen every month, but their chuka soba is better than 99% of shoyu ramen shops out there. A great shop, capable of honoring tradition and innovation.
Tokyo, Chiyoda-ku, Hirakawacho 1-3-10, Blue Bldg Honkan 1B
Closest stn: Kojimachi
Open from 11am-4pm and 6pm-1015pm (dinner closed on weekends)
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