The quest for the ultimate ramen

If you love Japanese food, ramen  must have landed on your list of flavorful dishes. There are maybe hundreds (very uncertain) of variations of the way this food is cooked and ingredients used, which by the way greatly depends on your location in Japan, but two things are common to all of them: pork stock and noodles.
However just like any other food, after eating for a number of times, ramen's taste can become somewhat too familiar. Then you begin to search for something different, out of the ordinary and yet still delicious.
So are you in for the hunt?

Maybe you haven't heard about this but there was a little craze in Tokyo area when the UK's The Guardian in 2009 listed a type of ramen  called Jiro in its "50 best things to eat in the world". Also CNNGo's correspondent described it as "something you can never eat outside of Tokyo" (I really must have to disagree with this as you'll see later). So what is it all about this ramen Jiro that makes people divided in terms of faith: those who believe in Jiro as a holy food (RAMEN!) and those who regard it as food for the pigs (豚の餌)?

Jiro  to a certain extent, is not ramen. I'm not even surprised when some people refrain from calling it ramen and instead plainly Jiro. It's soup is basically tonkotsu broth and shoyu with  suspended pork fat called abura. It's noodle is chewy and almost the same size as odon and sometimes  a little bit salty in some shops. It is served with chopped pork and moyashi (bean sprouts) and/or cabbage with some additions like garlic (ninniku)  and in some stores, eggs. The first Jiro originated in a small restaurant in Tokyo near Keio University.  It became very popular that now there are chains of restaurants called ramen Jiro scattered all over the Kanto area.

But what if you're living in Kansai region? Well, don't lose hope! It turns out there are quite a number of stores serving Jiro  "inspired" ramen in Kansai. I have personally visited 5 shops in Osaka and 1 in Hyogo prefecture for a number of times. I must confess that at this point, I am already a true-blue Jiro  addict. At first, it was tough because of its intimidating size and different taste from the usual ramen.  But after overcoming the barrier, there's something about it that made me a devotee. However, Jiro  certainly is not for everyone, especially those who are counting calories. In a way it is an acquired taste and for many, it may not be pleasant at first try. I will understand if some people might stop reading at this point as it may not be of interest for them.

Oh so since that you have continued reading on, I assume you are interested to join the cult (lol) or perhaps maybe just want to try Jiro. So here are some simple tips for you:

1. First locate the nearest Jiro  inspired restaurant near your area. In my case, the one in Kandaimae  is the closest to my university (Handai).

Jiro inspired ramen shop near Kandaimae station (Hankyu)

2. Next when you're there, and depending on the number of people, you might have to probably wait for a while until you get seated. But before that, there is (in almost all stores) a vending machine wherein you choose your type of ramen (choices are but not limited to salt-based, curry, soy sauce, etc.).  The regular size is about 200 grams (noodles) and you have the option to add more and add extra pork or egg toppings for additional charge.Once you put in money and chosen your ramen, the machine will dispense a ticket (in plastic plates or papers) printed with Japanese characters which for sure is saying something about your order (see figure below). By the way, you have to be careful with your choice as some tickets might say "noodle and soup served separately". For me it's a little hassle (mendouksai) to eat ramen this way, so if I were you, go with at least one Japanese friend to help you sort this thing out. In case you go alone, just hope for the best that you pressed the right button. :)

Sample food ticket. Regular sized ramen in a store in Nishinomiya

3. Ok let's say you are inside and comfortably seated already. Again depending on the store, get a glass of water and a white towel typically located in one corner (some don't have white towels and may substitute tissue papers for these) and in some occasions you might find chopsticks and spoon in there too (although most stores have chopsticks on the counter where you will eat). Bring these to your place and put your ticket on the upper counter (there are two counter levels). The attendant will ask you some few questions and you have to pay attention to what you should say. First, he/she will ask you what you want for your toppings (on top of the default pork cuts and veggies). Sometimes they will ask if you want ninniku (garlic) or more veggies. In case you love garlic, you can respond by saying ninniku  mashi (regular amount) or ninniku mashi mashi  (for more!!). But if you don't want to scare vampires away or you  have somewhere to go after eating, perhaps you might opt to ditch the garlic and say "ninniku nashi" to tell them not to put it in your ramen. In the case of veggies, you say "yasai mashi"  for regular amount of veggies, "yasai mashi mashi" for more, or "choi yasai" if you want just a little.

4. After all these obligatory exchanges of words, your Jiro will be served (at least around 5-10 mins. waiting time) from the upper counter. Hold the bowl carefully while putting it down as it is very hot and a little heavy. Try not to get intimidated with the size and think that you are prepared for it (you might want to skip breakfast and lunch beforehand). According to my fellow Jirorians, this is not eating, this is a fight, and no matter what, you should win! To eat it, I normally eat the noodle first then the veggies and reserve the pork cuts for last bites. This is because the noodle can get soggy and heavy when soaked for a long time and can make it more difficult to finish the dish. It is an unwritten rule that you have to finish your Jiro as it may be an insult to the people who prepared the food. It may or may not be true, but based from experience, all customers who come to visit are prepared and finish the food.

5. After eating, put your bowl, glass, chopsticks, towel/tissue and spoon on the upper counter. Look for the colored wet towel and wipe your spot with it. On the average, it takes only around 15-20 mins to eat the whole serving. Take your things and say "gochiso samadeshita"  to express your satisfaction with the food and saying thank you to the staff who prepared it. Don't stay too long inside the store as there maybe still some customers lining outside. If you are with your friends and you finish ahead, just do the leaving procedures and stay outside (or inside if there are waiting benches) to wait for them.

Depending on the situation, if you eat really fast, you can get your tongue burned. If this happens to you, go to the nearest convenient store (kombini) and eat ice cream or something cold to soothe it. Ice cream can also mend your tongue issues brought by too salty ramen noodle. 

Jiro  ramen is served in the following places (I have visited):

1. Umeda 

2. Minami-Morimachi

3. Nipponbashi

4. Shimoshinjo (you can see a long line of costumers from Hankyu train)

See map below

View Larger Map

5. Kandaimae

See map below

View Larger Map

6. Nishinomiya

This list is growing so if you live far away from these places, ask Google where the nearest store to you is.

So there you go! I think I have captured the essential things that you should know about Jiro . Just remember to be brave and come prepared for battle and if you succeed, you have all the right in the world to say that you have done (eaten) something extraordinary.　頑張ってください！  Till next time, cheers! :)