東京アブラーメン Tokyo Aburamen: clean oil, high performance [CLOSED]

The ramen scene in Shimokitazawa is definitely picking up. And that's a good thing, as Shimo is definitely one of the best places in all of Tokyo to be.

Tokyo Aburamen comes from the Yaro Ramen guys, creators of a Jiro-kei ramen that is loaded with even more toppings and disgusting animal drippings (one day we'll review a Jiro-kei shop, but we must mentally and physically prepare for that day).

Aburamen is an abura soba shop (for instructions on how to eat abura soba, see here). Soupless noodles mixed with oils and meats or veggies. One might expect a massive, bean-sprout laden abura soba dripping with oil coming from the likes of Yaro. However, Aburamen is clean in every angle, from the sharp woods of the counters to the colorful appearance of the bowl itself.

The torishio aburamen is the standard bowl.

Torishio aburamen (750yen)

Laden with high quality oil derived from the cartilage of domestic chickens, this shop is aiming to be a gourmet rival to (or ripoff of?) GACHI. Mix the fat from the bottom of the bowl until the noodles are covered in fat and oil. Eat about one-third and mix in some of green and white onions, as well as spicy tenkasu fried bits. Add some sweet vinegar for the final third for a very fresh finish.

The karamiso tantaamen provides more of a kick.

Karamiso tantaamen (880yen)

Mix in the fat, oil, and spicy pork for a much richer experience. This bowl was a little greasier, but neither were as bad as something at Jiro, Yaro, or any of the other smashmouth bowls.

The shop's clean appearance and colors belie what is inside the bowls themselves - fresh ingredients prepared with some good attention to detail. All bowls are accompanied by a bowl of clean chicken broth to cleanse the palate, as if the oil-bomb you just consumed never happened.

Tokyo, Setagaya-ku, Kitazawa 2-14-3
Closest stn: Shimokitazawa

Open from 11am-11pm

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