Prawn Ramen @ Kiwamiya, Ueno, Taito, Tokyo

 

I didn't expect myself to find another seafood-based ramen joint so soon, but here we are! And once again, this was found in the bustling streets of Ueno. This part of Tokyo is starting to grow on me a lot. So far, most of my food endeavors in this place have been great. I have been keeping myself full a couple of times here already, and yet someone will come by and recommend me a gem. Got to thank my former classmate Risa for this. You madam, are a legend. 

The ticketing machine at the yonder.

As I have made several mentions about Ueno in the past, I will just go right into the action.  "Ore no Sosaku Ramen Kyokuya" (俺の創作らぁめん 極や) or rather Kiwamiya in short, is a novelty ramen shop that sells various types of noodles in more unique ways than most. I think the name of the shop says it all as "kiwami" which directly translates to "extreme" or "mega" in Japanese. As such, the noodles are much more unusual, in a good way. From chicken and fish tsukemen to szechuan-inspired noodles, the one I need to look for was the prawn noodles. So this is where the seafood comes in. Like most ramen shops, there is a ticket machine at the front. And as the special prawn bowl is on the top left, it was just an easy choice. For the initiated, the top left is usually the best seller. That stood for a hefty 930 yen. 

Golden beauty

And boy it was hefty as the bowl that came literally was made out of stone! It was akin to a pestle and mortar, just without the pestle. And inside this large vessel was my meal, a golden and crimson concoction of happy things. They are really keeping things to the extreme here, no doubt about it. Lucky for me, the looks are not this bowl's only redeeming quality. 

Witness the richness!

The broth was an intense liquid of seafood goodness. There was so much seafood flavor in this bowl, that you may even find a random bit of prawn shell in the soup. But rather than being put off, they were boiled so far down, that they become something like a chunky crouton or crispy bits in a fancy soup. It gave a special texture to it. This was compounded with a generally velvety smooth backdrop of the overall soup which was sweet and savoury at the same time. This was absolutely amazing. You can feel the ocean moving between your teeth. I kid you not. 

Its falling apart!

The toppings were pretty good too. I have to give a special mention to the charshu though. The slab of braised pork was tender, sweet, and slightly salty. It had a deep soy sauce flavour which might sound very strong. Marinated bamboo shoots were also added, which were also pretty sweet yet quite savoury. However, the soup was pretty intense already. As such, this slab of meat and the shoots seems to complement it rather than clash in terms of flavour. The egg is pretty good too, but it became a minor player. Then again with soup like this, its no surprise. On top of that, there is also more flavour with additional prawn paste on top. Someone here really likes their seafood. 

Springy

The noodles did the job and did the job well. It was rough and springy, compared to smooth and silky cuts you may get like in most places. This is actually a good thing. it gave more surface area for the soup to stick on and worked more like a vessel to transport more soup while not exactly using your spoon. The flavour of the noodles was pretty good too, which reminds me of a sweet bun you get from a fancy French place to eat with your soup. Ok, I think I might be able to figure out the mad science in this as the noodles complement the soup. 

The best endorsement

It has been a while since a good bowl has sparked my imagination in this fashion. Long story short, you better get here if you are a true fan of ramen. There are a few outlets in Tokyo (one in Jinbocho and another in Kojimachi) and in general, they all have the same menu. If you would like to try the one in Ueno however, then the address is as follows:

〒110-0005 Tokyo, 台東区Ueno, 4 Chome−4−3 ハトヤビル1号館1F

 

Front of the house.