One cold day in January.
I left work a little earlier than usual and walked to Sangubashi Bridge as dusk drew near. In my mind, I pictured a warm restaurant with white steam rising from the kitchen. As soon as I sat down at the table, I decided what to order: "Gyoza, beer, and ramen."
The shop I was heading for was the third on the left after I left the ticket gates at Sannomiyabashi Station on the Odakyu Line. Look for the red sign that marks the restaurant, "Shoryu."
After lunch service, the restaurant will temporarily shut down and reopen at 5pm.
I really like Shoryu's ramen. Maybe it's because Shoryu's ramen tastes similar to the ramen I ate at the ramen shops when I was a child. When I eat it, old memories suddenly come back to me. I remember when the saran wrap on the bowl of ramen I got delivered was held down with a rubber band, and it was a pain to remove it, and the first time I finished a bowl of ramen by myself (I was 10 years old, but I felt a little grown up). Decades have passed since then, and now I'm a respectable adult who can finish off a bowl of ramen in no time. And it comes with gyoza and beer.
From the outside, it looks like a normal local ramen shop. I heard it was founded in 1980, which means it's been here for 37 years. The Sangubashi area has a reputation for having many neat and tidy cafes, but Shoryu has been here for a long time and attracts a wide range of customers, from neighborhood grandpas to businessmen on their way home from work. Many customers, like me, come alone and just grab a quick bite to eat.
I was attracted by the recommended menu sign in front of the store, which said "Japanese-style dashi finish Sangubashi salt ramen," so I decided to go in alone. Since then, I've only ordered salt ramen.
Entering through the automatic doors, there are counter seats and the kitchen to the left, and four-seater tables to the right and in the back. Handwritten menus and posters of beer companies are plastered on the walls, creating the image that most people have of a "local ramen shop." The ambience is perfectly suited to the phrase "gyoza, beer, and ramen." What's more, it's Friday night now. My mood is lightening as I finish work and head home.
The interior of the restaurant is typical of a ramen shop. I'm curious about the "yaki ramen" in the upper right. I'll try it next time I come.
I immediately ordered gyoza, beer, fried rice and salt ramen. While waiting for the gyoza, the lightly pickled daikon radish served as an appetizer went well with the beer. This lightly pickled daikon radish was delicious!
The gyoza arrived soon after hearing the sound of the gyoza being cooked in the kitchen. The skin was firm and the filling had quite a bit of garlic. I took a bite of half of it → beer → lightly pickled vegetables → gyoza → beer... and the same loop. This combination is the best after all.
Large homemade gyoza dumplings with chewy skin and plenty of garlic.
While I was chuckling to myself, my salt ramen and half a plate of fried rice were brought to me. Another good thing about this restaurant is that the food comes out without making you wait too long.
The bowl is filled with only the essentials: nori seaweed, bamboo shoots, char siu pork, naruto fish, and spring onions. The single piece of naruto fish sitting on top makes it seem like this is authentic ramen. The clear soup is sprinkled with plenty of black pepper. The noodles are thick and curly. The chewy and smooth homemade noodles stay chewy until you finish eating.
The fried rice, on the other hand, was just as you would expect, and tasted just like it! It was unmistakably "fried rice from a ramen shop." The soup was light, so both the gyoza and the fried rice went down easily.
A table filled with the best combinations. What more could you want?
The other day I ordered shoyu ramen for the first time for lunch, and it was just as delicious as the shio ramen.
Thinking about it, I had been looking for "old-fashioned ramen with naruto on top" and had been walking around Yoyogi Station until I finally found Shoryu. There are many ramen shops, both old and new, in Yoyogi, but it seems that there are not many ramen shops like this one. (If you know of any, please let me know.)
As you go down the slope towards Sannomiyabashi Station, you will see a rising dragon on your left.
I looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was 7 o'clock. The restaurant was bustling with dads returning home from work. My stomach and mood were both full, so I decided it was time to head home.
Chinese Cuisine Shoryu
4-6-4 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3370-4889
Opening hours:
Weekdays 11:30-13:45 / 17:00-22:00 Last order Saturday 11:30-13:45
Closed on Sundays and holidays
FURIHATA Yukari