Visited at 2:00 p.m. on September 29, 2022. After working all day in Takashimadaira, Itabashi-ku, I finished at this odd time. Unable to take a lunch break at a restaurant, I searched for a place that was open all day. To my surprise, I found "Yoshikawa," a ramen shop selected as one of the top 100 ramen shops in Tokyo! Thank you! I drove there and parked in the lot behind Daiei. Luckily, parking was free with a purchase, so that was fortunate. Although the lunch rush was over, the restaurant was full with some people waiting outside, creating a fast-paced turnover without much waiting. I wondered how long the wait would be during peak hours. Throughout my stay, there were no empty seats, always full. It was incredibly popular. Since it was a ticket vending machine system, I couldn't take my time choosing the menu on my first visit, so I selected items recommended by the restaurant. Today, I chose the "Chilled Niboshi Soba ¥850" and the "Seafood Bowl of the Day (flounder, squid, salmon roe) ¥500" with a "Large Rice Portion ¥150" and also added the "Duck Liver and Egg ¥450." Once I purchased the tickets, a seat opened up, and I sat down. Why the seafood bowl? Why the duck liver? I soon found out. The owner loves fishing and has a particular passion for seafood. Reviews mentioned a strong focus on niboshi broth. After handing in my ticket, the three dishes were ready in less than 10 minutes. First, the "Chilled Niboshi Soba" had a stunning visual presentation. Beautiful. The clear soy sauce broth contained a concentrated umami flavor of niboshi that was delicious! The noodles were a special order of whole wheat homemade noodles, firm and chewy due to being served cold, enhancing the noodle's flavor. The chashu was made from low-temperature cooked pork and chicken. Simply delicious. Next, the "Seafood Bowl of the Day (flounder, squid, salmon roe)" looked better than at many sushi restaurants, using high-quality flounder. I love yellowtail (amberjack) and greater amberjack, so I could tell how good the ingredients were just by looking at them. Of course, once I tasted it, it was undeniably delicious. With such a focus on niboshi, it's clear that the owner knows his fish. Fantastic. As I finished the Chilled Niboshi Soba, the "Duck Liver and Egg" was served. Although it was a half portion of noodles, they were warm with a generous amount of duck liver. It couldn't be anything but delicious! The warm noodles lacked the firmness of the cold noodles and had a smooth texture despite being low in water content. I didn't expect such a difference in taste between warm and cold noodles, but both were delicious. Looking at the side menu with photos posted at my table, I noticed they had "Smelt Soba" and "Smelt Rice," showing the owner's dedication to niboshi. I really wanted to try these as well, but I'll save it for next time since they also have dinner service. I definitely want to revisit this delicious ramen and seafood. Thank you for the meal.

First visit to Shuseimen Yoshikawa Nishidai Ekimae store. It seems that this place has been selected as one of the top 100 restaurants on Tabelog. It was lucky that we were able to enter the store within a few minutes of arriving. We ordered the white shoyu dried sardine ramen and the seafood bowl. Both the dried sardine ramen and the seafood bowl were satisfying.

Located in Nishidai, Itabashi-ku, Kotobuki Seimen Yoshikawa (@kotobukiseimen) is a popular ramen shop in Takashimadaira that I visit once a week for work. This shop offers classic niboshi ramen as well as seasonal limited-time noodles, hiyashi chuka, and rice dishes. I arrived before 13:00 this day and was second in line. I entered the shop without much waiting. When I left, there was a line of about 10 people outside. This time, I tried the GOLD La La La Ramen, a collaboration with the rapper SHO, which I had seen on the shop's social media. The soup in this ramen, served in a golden bowl, contains Nagoya Cochin broth with seaweed salt, giving a strong chicken flavor. The noodles were different from the usual whole wheat noodles, being a silky type with a smooth texture. The low-temperature cooked chashu, fish paste resembling tai, ajitama, menma, plenty of white negi, and mitsuba were included. The taste was similar to the Nagoya Cochin-based ramen I had here before. The silky thin noodles matched perfectly with the soup. As a side, I tried the iwashi don, which had a soy-based sauce over fatty sardines. It was delicious, but I personally prefer the sardine hiyashi chuka. Overall, it was delicious once again. Next time, I want to try the limited-time hamachi soba that was not available this time.

Visited the restaurant on a Monday during a 3-day weekend in September around 2 pm. There were about 7 people waiting outside, but we were able to get in after about 20 minutes. There was a collaboration event with gold, and the rapper SHO was in front of the shop. There was a gold Benz parked outside, so it was quite eye-catching. It seemed like he was filming a video, dancing with a gold bowl (probably a collaboration item) in hand to entertain without causing inconvenience to passersby. Despite the flashy appearance, he seemed like a nice person. We ordered the special white soy sauce with simmered dried fish and squid mixed noodles. The white soy sauce was clear but had a strong flavor of dried fish. The noodles had a nice texture, maybe because they contained whole wheat, and had a satisfying chewiness. We hesitated to order the squid mixed noodles, but seeing is believing. I've never had this kind of dish before, but it was unique! It didn't have a fishy taste and the squid threads added a unique touch, making it a flavor that makes you forget you're eating ramen. It also paired well with the soup. I highly recommend trying the Nagoya Cochin next time!

I visited the Ramen Hyakumeiten restaurant in Nishidai. All the ramen shops in the Hyakumeiten list are delicious, so my expectations were high. I ordered the classic ramen and also the "something" with ankimo that I was curious about from the reviews. It was delicious!! I would love to visit again if I have the chance.

I visited the restaurant for dinner. It was almost full. The interior was clean, filled with the smell of dried small fish. I had tried the Nagoya Cochin ramen here before and it was deliciously light and tasty, so I decided to visit again. This time, I ordered the cold dried small fish soba (¥900). It arrived in less than 10 minutes. It looked beautiful. When I slurped the soup, the initial bitterness of the dried small fish came first, but it didn't linger and left a delicious broth flavor in the aftertaste. As I continued to drink, the bitterness became stronger, so when that happened, eating the toppings made their deliciousness stand out. Especially the bamboo shoots had a sweetness from the bamboo that was really tasty. The soup had some oil floating on top, so my lips became a bit shiny, but it didn't solidify into anything white. It's strange, I wonder what it is. Overall, it was a satisfying bowl. Thank you for the meal. I will come again.

I have tried many famous dried fish ramen places recently, but after trying the dried fish ramen here, I was finally satisfied. It was light yet had a strong dried fish flavor. I arrived around 11 am when they opened, so I could eat right away without waiting too long in line. The chashu was rare and very delicious, but be aware that it may not be suitable for those who dislike rare meat. I will definitely come back!

The counter has about 9 seats. Around 6 pm on Sunday, there were 3 customers already seated. Customers were coming in one after another. It seems easy for a woman to dine alone with the partitions. The noodles are like thick straight somen with a crunchy texture. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the noodles. However, the soup has a nice flavor of dried fish. The chashu, menma, seasoned egg, seaweed, and everything else has a lot of attention to detail and is delicious. They also have a soy sauce made with Nagoya Cochin chicken, so I will definitely go back to try it. Thank you for the meal.

I visited the restaurant around 12:00 on Sunday. I only waited for about 10 minutes before being seated. I tried the Nagoya Cochin Wonton Chuka Soba, and enjoyed the clear soup that had no artificial additives, allowing me to taste the natural flavors of the ingredients. The Ankimo Ajitama was excellent.

I tried the special white soy sauce dried noodle soup. The light soup had a rich flavor of dried fish and was delicious. The thin noodles matched well with the soup. Other customers were ordering additional seasoned egg, so that might be worth trying too. I only had a 10-minute lunch break today and was very hungry, so I got extra noodles instead of the seasoned egg. The chashu pork was just the right thickness and tasty. I finished it in no time! The presentation was also beautiful. All of this for just a little over 1000 yen, it was a great deal!

On Sunday evening, I lined up alone and had the special white soy sauce dried sardine ramen. The special version comes with a whole egg (usually it's half) and +3 extra slices of rare chashu. The appearance, soup, noodles, and seasoning are all fantastic. This is something that I think everyone would enjoy, it's so delicious! It's amazing that you can eat such delicious food for 1000 yen in Japan.

I have business to attend to at Nishidai, so I visit once or twice a month. I tried the oil soba for the first time. It has more volume than the usual ramen, and the cold noodles are perfect for hot days. However, what always bothers me is that when I visit in the quiet time after lunch, the radio is playing. The content is a bit obscene for women every time. It's just the nature of that program, but it's really awkward when I'm the only one there slurping my ramen. I wonder if there's a way to change that.

I visited in the evening. Got in smoothly, lucky. There are many types of ramen here. I chose the shoyu wok with wontons on the right and the ankimo seasoned egg. The noodles and soup are high quality and delicious. I've been to many famous ramen shops, so I can tell when it's good. The ankimo seasoned egg is really tasty. Thank you for the meal.

Nagoya Cochin's Chinese soba. Soy sauce, salt, soy sauce wonton for 900 yen, with wonton for 1250 yen. With dried fish broth shops popping up all over the place, this clear soup here has become my favorite. The staff mentioned, "Lately, dried fish is getting more expensive and the quality is declining." Their efforts to provide good quality dried fish were evident. Their recommended dried fish soba is already popular. About 1/3 of the customers were ordering the Chinese soba. The soup has a sweetness to it. The wonton has a strong ginger aroma, and the filling has a solid meaty texture. The wonton skin is quite voluminous, so it feels like a regular portion rather than a large one. Satisfaction level is high. The negi is a subtle kujo negi. Personally, I prefer it without the white part. The lemon vinegar on the table is for flavoring the dried fish broth, I suppose? The soy sauce is for rice dishes. I tried both salt and soy sauce. I personally find soy sauce more enjoyable throughout the meal. But the salt is also delicious. It's been a while since I've had ramen that blends white pepper without overpowering it. The soup doesn't lose to malfunctions. It's much tastier than a ramen shop famous for its salt ramen near the next station. The staff at the restaurant also left a good impression. A restaurant with pleasant customer service always makes the food taste even better. It seems that there are days when you have to wait in line and days when you don't. We visited near closing time and were able to get in right away. The visit date for soy sauce wonton is 2023/08/24.

Nagoya Cochin Shio Ramen. The fine noodles, similar to premium somen, have a nice firmness and are accompanied by a golden soup with the aroma of chicken oil, creating a deep richness from Nagoya Cochin and a super Japanese beauty. The char siu is seared, inviting a smile with its meaty texture. This chicken salt ramen is a top-notch masterpiece. Next is the white soy sauce dried fish ramen. The soup and dried fish umami are concentrated, meticulously removing any impurities, resulting in a wild depth not far off. However, it exudes an elegance like a silk dress worn by nobility, housing a brilliant, high-quality umami. The noodles kneaded with buckwheat flour intertwine the fragrance and texture perfectly, with the trefoil adding a playful homage. The rich pork char siu is pleasantly tender, filling the senses with the meat's juices. And finally, the ultimate dish, the super rich ankimo mixed with egg. This is the ultimate noodle dish that sits at the pinnacle of food. The incredibly rich ankimo paste, the crisp texture of raw onions, the refreshing feeling, the richness of the soft, thinly sliced pork char siu, and the umami of the meat. Everything maintains a perfect harmony. Among the many noodle dishes encountered in life, this mixed egg dish stands out as a truly overwhelming presence. I will visit this restaurant again and engrave in my heart the determination to seek out this mixed egg dish.

I had been wanting to visit Yoshikawa for a long time, and finally made a return visit. I ordered the special white soy sauce with the daily seafood bowl, and as always, it was delicious. Although they also had Nagoya Cochin ramen, I decided to go with the white soy sauce since that's what I was craving. I definitely want to try the Nagoya Cochin dish soon.

This restaurant is well-known and has been selected as one of the top 100 restaurants on Tabelog. I tried the cold anchovy ramen (900 yen) and the bonito tataki rice bowl (600 yen) this time. The cold anchovy ramen was incredibly delicious, probably the best I've ever had, and I highly recommend it. However, the bonito tataki rice bowl did not quite measure up in terms of taste and value for its price. It lacked the same level of attention to detail as the ramen. While offering a seafood bowl may increase the average customer spending, I didn't feel the same level of dedication put into it as with the ramen. Since the ramen here is outstanding, I think I'll stick to just ordering that from now on.

Ikebukuro Ward, Nishidai. How many years since the last visit to Jiro? At Jusomen Yoshikawa, Nishidai Ekimae branch. Following the main store in Kawagoe. Today I had the cold dried fish ramen. Limited edition noodles. 900 yen. It might be my first time having cold dried fish. The toppings are delicious as always. The noodles are firm and have a good chewiness. It was delicious. Unlike Fujieda, there is oil content. But it doesn't solidify white. Even though it's cold. I wonder what's in it. It was delicious.

I had some business to attend to at Nishidai Station, so I did some research and visited a ramen shop! I arrived around 11:15 on a Saturday. The first group of customers was still eating. There were two people waiting in the hot weather. The staff were checking the inside of the shop with a camera and then called out, "Next, please, for two people," over the microphone. I went inside and purchased my meal from the ticket machine, then waited inside the shop for a while. The shop isn't very spacious, so people sitting near those waiting may feel a bit crowded. The white soy sauce and dried fish ramen was 800 yen. I feel like ramen has gotten more expensive recently, but this shop is reasonably priced. It makes it easier to order side dishes. I debated between the seafood bowl and the seasoned egg, but since I had never tried the seasoned egg before, I decided to take on the challenge. First, the ramen. The clear broth with a strong dried fish flavor was delicious. The thin noodles were my favorite type. The dish also included two types of meat. The seasoned egg was brought out without me having to ask, at the right moment. I tried it as it was. Delicious! The slightly unique umami flavor of the seasoned egg was plentiful. The plate was deeper than expected, so there was quite a lot of food. When I added it to the ramen, it went really well with the dried fish broth and was also delicious. I'm glad I tried the seasoned egg! Both the service and the taste were very satisfying.

Located in Nishi-dai, Itabashi-ku, Kotobuki Seimen Yoshikawa (@kotobukiseimen) is a popular ramen shop in Takashimadaira, where the author visits once a week for work. This time, they arrived before 1:00 PM and were the 6th in line. After waiting for about 15 minutes, they entered the shop. They ordered the signature oil-soaked dried fish ramen, which can be served hot or cold. This time, they chose the cold option. The dish arrived with medium-thick noodles, oil-soaked dried fish sauce, rare chashu pork, onions, seaweed, bamboo shoots, and trefoil. The noodles were firm and chewy, different from regular ramen noodles, and went well with the strong umami of the dried fish sauce. The cold noodles provided a satisfying chewiness and texture. The complimentary soup served with the meal was also well-made. The author also tried the seafood bowl as a side dish, which featured yellowtail and tuna. Both the ramen and the seafood bowl were delicious. The author plans to go back to trying the basic menu items next time.

Since transitioning to continuous operation, I have found that I can easily enjoy this ultimate, tightly packed noodle dish any day except for weekends. Every time I take a bite of this amazing dish, I feel a sense of happiness. Today, I wasn't very hungry so I didn't get the seasoned egg topping, but I will definitely visit again.