RAMEN: Although ramen originated in China, the Japanese serve it in a hot broth and with ingredients that make it uniquely Japanese. There are tons of ramen restaurants all over Tokyo; however, Kyushu Jangara Ramen is one of the few that always has a line of people (despite their multiple locations throughout the city). The Harajuku location is tiny with just a single bar around the busy kitchen.
Kyushu Jangara specializes in Hakata style ramen – really thin noodles in a pork broth. I ordered the miso kyushu ramen with shoyu-boiled egg, stewed pork, chasu pork, and spicy cod roe. The miso-pork broth was rich and fatty without feeling overly greasy, and the spicy kick of the cod roe cut right through the thick broth. The slow-cooked stewed pork had a bold savory taste with a hint of sweetness. I thought the noodles themselves were just ok – they were so thin that they were overshadowed by the other components…the traditional size ramen noodles would have held up better. Overall I had better ramen before, but Kyushu Jangara still served up a hearty, comforting bowl that hit the spot. 
SOBA: Walking into a random soba restaurant on Kamachi Street in Kamakura, I stumbled up the absolute BEST tempura soba I’ve ever had! My mouth still waters when I think about it. Regrettably, I did not get the name of the restaurant – mea culpa! (Hopefully, the uniform on these ladies will provide a clue for anyone who wants to find it.) The tempura is made from scratch as soon as the order is placed, so it comes out super hot and crispy. The ingredients were so fresh that all their flavors really stood out; and although they were fried, the tempura was surprisingly not oily at all. I repeat, fried but not oily at all.
Soba is a long, slender buckwheat noodle. Depending on the time of year, it can be served in a warm broth or cold with a dipping sauce. Since it was summer, I had the chilled soba with tsuyu sauce…and yes, slurping the noodles from the sauce does enhance the taste of the noodles! I’m not sure if was because slurping allowed more air to mix with the sauce in my mouth or it made me appreciate the long noodles in smaller portions, but it did taste a lot better than just sticking a bunch of noodles in my mouth and chomping on them. These chilled noodles were fresh and springy – a perfect combination with their incredibly light, crispy tempura. 
UDON: Probably one of the thickest Japanese noodles, udon is almost always served in a warm broth. Since I still had not found an udon restaurant that I was crazy about, I decided to go to try one more place for my last meal before heading to the airport -- Udon Kurosawa. A cold front had just come into Tokyo, so it was the perfect morning to head to Roppongi for a hot bowl of noodle soup. I couldn’t decide between two of the menu items, so B and I ordered them both to share.
Shrimp Curry Udon – Deliciously flavorful and spicy. It’s a heavy, sticks-to-your-bones soup, but without being overwhelming – would be perfect for winter. Japanese curry can sometimes be too sweet or cloying, but this curry broth was savory and smooth. The shrimp was good, but I don’t think they really added anything to the dish…perhaps if they had been sweeter. But most importantly, the noodles were thick and plump with just the right amount of chewiness. 
Wild Duck & Green Onion Udon – I liked this bowl a little more than the shrimp curry udon. The flavors were really clean, yet had a lot of depth. The wild duck was nicely cooked and provided a meaty contrast. And as with the other bowl, the udon noodles had the perfect texture and consistency. [Note: my best udon noodle experience is still at Omae XEX] 
BITE METER:
Kyushu Jangara Ramen – 3.5 bites (out of 5.0)
“Unknown” Kamakura Soba Restaurant – 4.5 bites (out of 5.0)
Udon Kurosawa – 4.0 bites (out of 5.0)
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It looks really delicous Ramen. Very good!
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