Perfect for any hot summer, grab a bowl of cold noodles at Ramen Hiro in Akihabara. They serve a Hiroshima ramen (tsukemen) in a cool, spicy broth.
Hiroshima Ramen (Tsukemen)
Hiroshima has their own homegrown ramen (tonkotsu shoyu) and Ramen Hiro serves it. But Ramen Hiro also serves Hiroshima-style tsukemen.
What makes Hiroshima tsukemen unique is its cold, sweet and spicy broth.
Hiroshima Tsukemen, All toppings: ¥1,080 (¥860 without toppings)
To prepare this broth, Ramen Hiro soaks niboshi (dried sardines) in a sweet soy sauce and stores this for 2 days in a fridge. After this, they combine ichimi togarashi (Japanese red pepper flakes), their homemade raiyu (chili oil), and little bits of crunchy ikaten (squid tempura). Viola!
When you order, choose futsu (regular) or omori portions for the egg noodles. With futsu, you still get a lot.
Incredible Chashu Pork
Cabbage is a topping unique to Hiroshima tsukemen.
But the hero at Ramen Hiro is the chashu pork. It’s like a crispy bacon, slightly singed and with a wonderful smoky flavor. You get 8 slices if you order all the toppings!
The inside of the shop is like a shrine to Hiroshima. It’s decked in red colors, a strong reminder of the local baseball team, the Hiroshima Carp.
Go to Ramen Hiro early – they run out of soup on popular days.
