Remember when I mentioned that the eel at Hashimoto was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten? Well, I’ve got another dish to add to that list.
Tokyo is a magical place.
I love ramen, but apparently the ramen back home is garbage, because the bowl I had at Hayashi in the Shibuya district of Toyko was life-changing. It’s almost implausible how good it was. Like, did that really happen? Did I dream it?
No, I have photos. It happened.
It’s a tiny little restaurant, and like most ramen joints in Tokyo, you order from a machine by the door and then hand your ticket to the person behind the counter.
A lot of ramen places will have condiments on the counter; not here. You don’t need them.
The stock is a combination of pork and seafood — I haven’t had anything quite like it back home. It’s magical. There’s a very distinct seafoody (but definitely not fishy) flavour, which is complemented perfectly by the rich pork base. Also, this was so subtle it might have been my imagination, but there was a hint of smokiness there.
It was kind of insane how flavourful and complex it was; it felt like I was discovering something new with every mouthful.
The noodles were perfect — they had the perfect springy, chewy texture, and just the right amount of thickness.
And I mean, look at that egg. The yolk was set, but just barely, with a delightfully creamy texture. So damn good.
The slice of pork was the bowl’s only weak point. It was fine, but it was a bit dry, and nothing particularly special. But the rest of the bowl was so insanely good that it really didn’t matter.