Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan｜藍華

Hachioji ramen? Had char siew men with extra egg and negi. Light but hearty shoyu. Noodles have some give and have a distinctive flour taste. Egg is flavourful, yolk is perfectly liquid. Meat is lean and slightly tough but flavourful. Seaweed acceptable. Goes well with the soup.

It's a fairly well-known restaurant in the ramen area of ​​Hachioji. I was tired from work and didn't feel like making anything, so I stopped by for the first time in a while. Apparently it's famous for its tsukemen, but I like the Hachioji ramen here, so today I topped my ramen with an ajitama. It's still delicious. A punchy yet light soup and thin noodles? Medium thin noodles? I like it. This shop has ties to Kyoka, which used to be located near Kyorin University in Tobuki, so when you slurp your ramen at Aika, you will be reminded of your student days.

The tsukemen here is addictive. The soup is thick and viscous, but because of its high viscosity, the soup clings to the noodles well, making it delicious. Also, just because it's mushy doesn't mean it's thick or mushy; it's a delicious soup with a mysterious taste. To finish off the meal, we added some ``tsukemen soup'' in a pot prepared on the counter to the remaining soup. I ordered ``Negi Charshu Tsukemen'' and it was so delicious that I finished it all in no time. (The "negi" is an onion, not a long onion, but it goes well with the soup.) Considering my age, I've been avoiding eating all the food lately, but this soup was so delicious that I couldn't leave it behind. (bitter smile) The restaurant only has 8 counter seats and 1 table for 4 people, so I think it's good etiquette to leave the restaurant as soon as you finish eating. In order to avoid inconveniencing the restaurant, eating on your smartphone while eating is a bad idea. It was a wonderful shop that I would definitely like to visit again.