For Ginza tsukemen (dipping ramen), it doesn’t get fancier than Ginza Hakuei (銀座 魄瑛 本店). Wagyu beef, mousse, truffles – their tsukemen screams luxury!
Ginza Tsukemen – a VIP Experience
This luxurious approach is understandable. They’re simply matching the glitzy surroundings of where they are – Ginza. Ginza is one of Tokyo’s most upscale districts. As such, they decided to create a VIP ramen experience.
This starts as soon as you’re seated. You’re served a special bottle of water and dashi (soup stock). You’ll feel like royalty even at the end of the meal. The elevator that whisks you back to the surface has a sense of exclusivity.
Now let’s get to the actual food! While priced slightly higher than average, everything is still a steal. Ginza Hakuei has both ramen and tsukemen (dipping ramen) on their menu. But their tsukemen is the crème de la crème.
Clam Mousse? Truffles?
In their tsukemen, the golden colored soup (left) is whole chickens from Aomori and Edomae shijimi clams. These two chief ingredients agreeably form a full-bodied, delicious soup.
The thick and fragrant dipping noodles (right) are made from Shinshu (Nagano region) wheat. They’re topped with a bit of truffles. But that’s not all – there’s a generous dollop of milky white clam mousse.
This mousse enriches and thickens the brightly flavored soup. For toppings, they make sure to maintain the grandeur. There are three types of meat – wagyu beef, duck, and chicken. They’re all prepared a little differently too.
Summary
All in all, this is as luxurious as ramen (tsukemen) can get. For Ginza tsukemen, Hakuei should be at the top of your list!
I have yet to try the (non dipping) ramen. But I’m sure it’s equally awesome.