Fifty years after it closed its doors, Japan¡¯s first ramen shop and the birthplace of shoyu ramen has reopened.
Asakusa Rairaiken, a short walk from the Tsukuba Express line¡¯s Asakusa Station, held its first lunch service on July 2 since closing in 1976. Its 15 seats were almost completely filled as diners slurped their ramen at a narrow three-seat counter in front of the kitchen and at small wooden tables with red stools. Old photos of the original Rairaiken shop and its founder, Kanichi Ozaki, hung alongside the menus on the walls, hinting at the shop¡¯s long history.
My bowl of ajitama (soft-boiled egg marinated in shoyu and mirin) ramen (?1,030) is filled with a delectable aroma of chicken and layered with umami accents. The ³¦³ó¨¡²õ³ó¨± (pork belly) is wobbly and tender and soaks up the golden-brown broth, which is a little oily but never overpowering.
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