After getting off at JR Akabane Station and finishing my errands in the morning, it's time for lunch! Today's lunch spot is the well-known homemade noodle shop Ito in Akabane! Actually, about 5 years ago when I first started using Tabelog, I vividly recalled the memory of walking 15 minutes from Oji-Kamiya Station, searching around without any signs, and finally finding my way to the Oji-Kamiya shop! The sign at the shop back then said, "No need for char siu in ramen," reminding me of their straightforward approach of focusing on the noodles and soup. Today's Akabane shop is about a minute's walk from the station. It seems like the Oji-Kamiya shop was run by the father, and now the son has expanded the business. They have opened several branches since then - Oji-Kamiya with a rating of 3.81, Akabane with 3.76, Asakusa with 3.59, Ginza with 3.73, and Kanda with 3.63. Originally starting from Kakunodate, Akita in 1988. Some of their shops have even made it to the Michelin Bib Gourmand list in the top 5000 - quite impressive! Today, the Akabane shop opens at 11:00, but I arrived around 12:50, and luckily there was no line, maybe due to the timing. The location is great, just a minute from the station, but if you don't know, you might easily miss the shop! You enter through a narrow alleyway between retro residential buildings, giving off a post-war vibe. The only modern touch is the vending machine. According to Tabelog, there are only 8 counter seats, but due to COVID-19, there were only 6 seats available with partitions. The interior is also retro, except for the counter. I ordered the Chuka soba and Tori soba from the vending machine, priced at 800 yen for regular, 900 yen for medium, and 1000 yen for large, plus an additional 200 yen for extra noodles and 150 yen for extra soup, totaling 1350 yen. The place was managed by a young person, and my order arrived in just 5-6 minutes! The portion of noodles and rice was not as large as I expected. First, I tasted the signature dried fish soup - indeed, it was delicious! Next, the noodles - slightly firm and flavorful, just right for me. Perhaps they use less water when making the wheat noodles. The soup was not too salty, and the rice complemented it well. The sliced char siu was small but tasty. I finished everything, including the soup and rice! Honestly, my impression is that the shop run by the father in Oji-Kamiya that I visited 5 years ago tasted better - even though the ratings were close at 3.81 and 3.76 on Tabelog. Maybe the difference in points is accurate! As the number of branches increases... I dare say (their ramen lacks a bit of soul), just kidding! The recipe may be the same, but the way they prepare the noodles and soup could be the difference. I remember seeing someone delivering soup to the shop before I entered. Expectations were high, but making ramen is quite challenging, isn't it? It's a pass, but ramen is a tough dish to perfect! After I finished, more and more people started lining up. Thank you for the meal.

The name of the restaurant is Jikasei Men, and I think the subtly flavored niboshi-based soup is delicious. I visited around 2 p.m. just as they finished preparing their Chuka Soba, so I ordered the large serving of Chuka Soba with extra green onions. The noodles are default firm, but they paired well with the soup and were very tasty.

Visited the restaurant around 9 p.m. on Saturday. Thought it was closed for a moment, but entered through a side alley. Purchased a meal ticket for "Niku Soba (4 slices of pork) 900 yen" in advance. There were 5 people waiting in the fully packed restaurant. Quickly seated in about 5 minutes. Received the meal in about 3 minutes after handing in the ticket. Very fast, like fast food! Understandable, as the toppings are only green onions and chashu, very simple. The noodles are boiled for about 30 seconds. Clearly less soup than regular ramen, those wanting more need to purchase additional soup. The creator of this restaurant must be well-versed in cost and operational efficiency. Eating the noodles reminded me of something. I've had this texture in Ginza before, with very thin and firm noodles. The soup is quite strong, with a slightly high saltiness from the dried fish. To achieve this strength with a clear broth, a considerable amount of dried fish must have been used. Recently, the price of dried fish has more than doubled, so a price increase is inevitable. The chashu is on the fatty side, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. In conclusion, I've eaten at the Ginza main branch, but I won't be visiting for a third time. This ramen may be divisive in terms of personal taste, but perhaps my body has gotten used to needing umami, as it felt lacking without it.

Hinai chicken soba for 900 yen. Arrived before 3 pm on Saturday with no line. Served in about 5 minutes. The soup has a good balance of chicken and dried fish flavors, with no bitterness or sharpness from the dried fish. The richness of the dried fish and chicken flavors is excellent. The noodles are thin and straight with a smooth and chewy texture. They have a good bite and are enjoyable to eat. The chashu is either shoulder loin or belly. It had a lot of fat and was not the best cut. Good value for the price, but the chashu was disappointing. Would be willing to pay a bit more for extra soup.

50th visit in 2023. Visited at 4:24 PM. Entered smoothly. Ordered Hinai chicken soba (small - 900 yen). Served at 4:28 PM. Light soup. The chicken is tender, juicy, and delicious. The firm and thin noodles have a good texture. A smooth and enjoyable bowl. Thank you for the meal.

I had the Niku Soba (medium) with Ajitama (flavored egg). While eating, I remembered visiting the Ginza branch before. The regular menu is small, so I added 100 yen to make it medium, but it turned out to be a large serving and I regretted it. Besides the meat, there were almost no toppings (just a little green onion), so the satisfaction level was low. The soup was elegant and seafood-based, and the thin noodles had a good texture and were tasty. However, the impression of being unsatisfied due to the above two points outweighed the positives.

On Saturday, September 16, 2023, at 7:58 PM, I visited Ito, a homemade noodle shop in Akabane. It seems to be the son's shop of a Chinese soba shop called Ito in Oji Kamiya, which is currently in the top 5000 on Tabelog with a rating of 3.76. The owner greeted me, saying, "Thank you for coming all the way out here to the countryside." My previous comment from April 18, 2023, was quite lacking... well, not much has changed. I had trouble finding the entrance at first, it looked like the shop might be closed. I entered through a back-alley-like entrance and bought a ticket for a small meat soba (with 4 slices of char siu) for 900 yen from the ticket machine. I sat at the 8-seat counter. There were 3 other customers inside. This place was selected as one of the best ramen shops on Tabelog in 2014. The owner, who was running the place alone, brought out my order at 8:03 PM. Pretty fast, considering it was just one person working. The soup had a slightly strong dried fish flavor, which I don't mind. It didn't have the typical smell, bitterness, or off-putting taste of dried fish. Although the animal ingredients were not prominent, they still supported the umami well. The noodles were firm homemade straight noodles with a tight texture typical of dried fish-based noodles. They were quite short, almost like they had a core in the center, similar to the "barikata" style in Nagahama ramen. The first bite went beyond firmness, with a strong chewiness that almost felt like accidentally putting a rubber band in my mouth. The char siu was tender and flavorful, soaked with rich umami. It was fluffy. Inside the shop, there were a mother and daughter, and another woman. I was the only man. It's not a common sight in a ramen shop. In terms of Power Pro status, it might be a matter of preference: Meat C, Power D, Running B. Since it's located near a drinking district, it seems like it could attract a lot of customers. Shoulder Power C. They might not pay too much attention, but even with just one person working, the service was fast, and there didn't seem to be any complaints. Defense B. With just one person working, the consistency of the taste is likely high. Special Ability: Weak against left-handed pitchers. If you don't like dried fish, you might not enjoy it, but I thought it was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

On a weekday afternoon around 2 p.m., I visited the restaurant. I was relieved to see no line at this time. However, the entrance was narrow, which made me a bit anxious at first glance. Inside, there were only three customers, creating a nice balance of being moderately crowded and moderately empty. I decided on a simple ramen for 750 yen, but couldn't resist adding extra green onions, bringing the total to 900 yen. The cashier, who seemed a bit intimidating, took my order at the counter. The ramen arrived in just 2 minutes, impressively quick service! The soup seemed a bit scarce at first, but I felt guilty about leaving any or not finishing it due to environmental and health reasons. It was quite innovative and left a good impression. I usually drink up the soup completely to the point of wanting a refill, but I definitely won't peel off here. The soup had a subtle bonito aroma and was flavorful without being overpowering. The noodles were firm and had a good bite to them - straight Chinese noodles that were delicious. With plenty of green onions as requested, I enjoyed mixing them in until the very end. The green onions were not finely chopped as in some delicate ramen shops I prefer, but this place had a simple and unpretentious vibe, so having a generous amount of toppings worked well. I finished every last bit of noodles with the bitterness of the green onions, using GABAN to change the flavor as I ate. I left the restaurant in 15 minutes. Thank you for the meal!

Late-night guilty pleasure. The ramen as the finale. I went to this place near the station. Ordered the chuka soba and a small rice. Just the green onions and soup, it reminded me of my life ramen in Mizuhodo. The soup has a subtle dried fish taste. Maybe because I usually eat strong dried fish-based ramen. The noodles are thin and springy, my favorite type. Even though it's a small portion, there's quite a lot of noodles. I'm very full. Thank you for the meal.

At the end of the drinks, we were asked if we wanted ramen or udon as a closing dish. Since udon was a bit far, we decided on Ito-san instead of Natsumi-san. When we headed towards Ito-san, there were about 9 people lined up at Natsumi-san, so we changed direction to Ito-san. It was around 19:20, and there were 4 customers already seated with available seats. We purchased a small portion of meat soba at the ticket machine in the back, took our water, and sat at the empty seats. We handed our food ticket to the counter and waited. The staff started preparing the orders starting from the ramen customers, and we were served in about 6 minutes. The meat soba had a wonderful bonito aroma that whetted our appetites, even though we had been drinking and eating. The soup was slightly mellow today, with a mild bonito flavor spreading nicely. As for the noodles, they seemed a bit different this time. I remember them being the firm type, but this time they were a bit more coarse. They were quite challenging to pick up with chopsticks, making it difficult to take a good photo. The noodles had a strong, angular texture, which wasn't bad, but personally, I preferred the previous version. The chashu today seemed exceptionally well-made. It was plump, soft, and didn't have any unpleasant fatty bits. It was thick, and you could taste the flavor with every bite. The green onions were slightly wilted, and the crunchiness was a bit diminished. I've visited this place several times in the past, and actually just recently, but they had run out of chashu then, so I could only have the chashu-less ramen, which didn't look good in photos. So, I'm glad I could have a redemption this time. Overall, this time felt a bit irregular, so I think I'll have to see its true worth next time. Nevertheless, I managed to finish everything with a smile.

I dropped by alone after drinking around 10 p.m. It's usually crowded, but it was empty probably because it was late at night. The chashu was tender and the noodles were smooth. The refreshing yet deep seafood broth goes well with it. It's a renowned restaurant that you never get tired of and feel like visiting occasionally. Thank you for the meal!

After finishing work in the morning on a weekday, I visited a restaurant in Akabane for lunch at 11:00, maybe I was the first customer? I ordered a small portion of meat soba with 4 slices of roasted pork, extra noodles, and a seasoned egg. The soup had a strong bonito flavor and the noodles were perfectly cooked. I absolutely love these noodles and the chashu pork had a perfect balance of fat, melting in my mouth. Every time I come to Akabane, I can't help but order this dish again. The service was fast, which made me very happy.

Just a minute walk from Akabane Station East Exit! I finally went there! Ramen Ito was located in a narrow alley that made me wonder, "Is it really here?!" Arrived at 12:30 pm for lunch, and there were 2 people ahead of me in line. I peeked inside and saw a vending machine selling meal tickets with a lot of character! A salaryman who was already in line kindly informed me that you need to buy a meal ticket first before queuing up! When a seat became available, the staff didn't call us, so we took the water from the entrance ourselves and went to the vacant seats, handing over the meal ticket! It was quite a unique system! I ordered the Chuka Soba (small) with only green onions! The noodles were thin with a good firmness, and the soup was light but incredibly delicious! Not too rich, just how I like it! Next time, I think I'll try the Niku Soba!

I visited "Jikaseimen Ito," which is ranked in the top 5000 on Tabelog. The nearest station is Akabane. They are open continuously from Sunday to Friday, except for Saturdays, making it a convenient spot when in need. I arrived at the restaurant at 4:08 pm on a weekday, and there were no other customers. From the perspective of the owner in Akabane, "Jikaseimen Ito @ Kakunodate" is like an uncle, "Chukasoba Ito @ Oji-Kamiya" is like a father, and "Men-dokoro Asobi Warabi-ten @ Nishikawaguchi" is like a brother. The soup of the meat soba (900 yen) has a punch that is irresistible to those who love dried bonito, with the umami flavor standing out and the fishy and bitter tastes eliminated. If you don't add extra meat, the dish consists only of noodles and soup, making it a rare place that captivates diners to this extent. Shonan Ramen Food Diary / Jikaseimen Ito.

I planned to go to an udon restaurant, but it was closed for the Obon holiday, so I came here around 12 o'clock. There is a ramen restaurant in Ginza as well, near the station, but the entrance is a bit hidden, so it may be somewhat hard to find. The building is quite old and run-down, with only a counter seat. The air conditioning is on, but since the door is left open, it's not very cool inside. I ordered the ticket for Niku Soba with extra noodles and green onions. The noodles are default firm, and the bowl arrived in about 5 minutes after ordering. On the table, there are pepper and shichimi for toppings, and the only toppings on the bowl are green onions and chashu. The chashu is included because I ordered Niku Soba. The noodles are firm and have a good texture. The soup has a light flavor of dried bonito, and it's a clear and refreshing style. They also have dipping noodles. The noodles are delicious, but considering the limited toppings, it's a bit pricey. If you prefer a stronger dried bonito flavor, I recommend the one I had earlier today, which was more satisfying. It's recommended for those who like a light dried bonito flavor.

After researching Akabane Ramen, I visited the restaurant as it was the top search result and caught my interest. The establishment quietly nestled in a very obscure alley exuded the scent of a hidden gem. I purchased Chuka Soba (with only green onions) for 750 yen and Chashu Don for 450 yen using meal tickets. The interior of the restaurant was cramped, but it wasn't uncomfortably small for a casual ramen shop. The ramen had thin straight noodles that paired exquisitely with the dried fish soup, making it delicious. The Chashu Don had a unique flavor with shaved bonito sprinkled on top. They also had Hichinoko Chicken Ramen and Meat Soba on the menu, so I would like to try those next time. Thank you for the meal.

I checked the reviews and visited this restaurant! It's located near the station and has a nostalgic atmosphere with an old-fashioned building. You buy a meal ticket and then go outside once before being seated. The soup with dried fish is delicious and light, and the thin straight noodles are firm and tasty!

Visited on July 29, 2023 (Saturday) at 1:17 PM. Out of the 6 seats inside the restaurant, about 2 were empty, so I was able to get in right away. I purchased a ticket for the Niku Soba (900 yen). It's rare nowadays to find a place where you can eat ramen for under 1,000 yen, excluding chain restaurants, so I appreciate that. The simple soup with just the right amount of dried fish, paired with the bouncy noodles, gave off a classic dried fish ramen vibe. The Niku Soba had about 4 thick slices of meat on top, which provided enough substance to the dish.

This is a ramen shop where you can fully experience the depths of Akabane. I can't believe there's a place like this here. Quietly tucked away in a side street next to the izakaya I occasionally visit! I never noticed it before! I wonder if the light soup is intentionally kept minimal to highlight the noodles? The chashu was also tender and delicious. Thank you for the meal!

When I was in Tokyo, I used to go to this place whenever I felt like having niboshi (dried sardine) ramen. I stopped by this restaurant because I wanted to have their ramen privately. This shop has a unique feature in their noodles, the firmness is just right for my taste. The chashu (roast pork) also goes well with the noodles.