Ramen Miuraya in Kanamachi — Ie-Kei Worth the Trek to Katsushika

Kanamachi isn't the kind of station you end up at by accident. It's deep in Katsushika-ku, east Tokyo, the sort of neighborhood where locals eat and tourists don't venture.

Which makes it all the more telling that Ramen Miuraya (ラーメン三浦家) has been pulling serious queues since the day it opened.

Out in Katsushika

The owner, Keita Miura, spent years climbing the ranks at Musashiya, eventually running the ramen chain's operations as its top man. He eventually went independent and opened in his home neighborhood.

Musashiya sits in an interesting corner of the ie-kei style ramen world: it's known for a softer, cleaner expression of the style compared to direct Yoshimuraya lineage shops, which tend to be saltier and more aggressive with the shoyu. So when the bowl turned out to have a slightly wild, punchy edge that doesn't quite fit the Musashiya mold, that got people talking.

The Bowl at Ramen Miuraya in Kanamachi

The 上ラーメン (jou ramen) is classic ie-kei in structure. Think a thick tonkotsu-shoyu broth with a standard pour of chiyu (chicken oil), flat Sakai Seimen made noodles, chashu pork, spinach, and nori (seaweed) But it leans salty, more so than the Musashiya lineage would suggest. The pork bone base has an untamed quality to it, and the shoyu seasoning doesn't hold back.

There's plenty of meat across the toppings, and the house-made chili soy condiment on the side is worth using. The Ariake nori is a nice touch — Ariake Bay is one of Japan's most prized seaweed sources, and it shows.

Good ie-kei. Solid, satisfying, with more intensity than you might expect given the background. Ramen Miuraya in Kanamachi is worth the trek — just budget for a wait.

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