Shinpuku Saikan is one of my favorite ramen restaurants. The jet-black ramen soup and jet-black fried rice are very delicious. I used to eat here often in Kyoto, where the main store is located. There are also stores in Tokyo and one in Akihabara. So, I would like to introduce Shinpuku Saikan in Akihabara.
Access from JR Akihabara Station
Exit the Showa-dori exit ticket gate and go straight. Showa Dori is located under the elevated Metropolitan Expressway. Cross Showa Street, turn left and go straight. When you see the large YKK building on your right, go straight ahead using it as a landmark and turn right at the second street. The landmark for turning right is a Japanese sweets shop called Chikuryuan Okano. After turning right, the store is on the corner of the second intersection. The red sign is the landmark.
order system
It's a chain store, so the turnover is fast, and I don't think there's that many lines of customers. If you wait in line, you may want to go to another restaurant nearby or come back later. To order, buy a ticket from the ticket vending machine at the entrance and hand it to the staff.
order pattern
We will be eating standard ramen and fried rice. There are individual menus and set menus. The set menu consists of different sizes of ramen and grilled rice. There is no Gyoza or Karaage set. I decide what to eat based on my mood at the time. When you want to eat a big bowl of rice, try the yakimeshi size and the small size ramen. If you want to eat a big bowl of ramen, try the Chinese soba size and the small yakimeshi size. If you don't have enough to eat, we also have a set of small ramen and small yakimeshi.
my own way of eating
First, let's start eating with ramen. Take a sip of the soup. Sprinkle with table seasoning pepper. Lift the noodles at the bottom of the bowl to the top, and place the chashu pork below the ramen noodles. Each time you slurp the noodles, you also drink a little bit of the soup. Next, eat grilled rice. Every time I eat 2-3 bites, I also drink a little bit of the soup. Repeat this and when you get bored, eat something like chashu or menma. Also, add the table seasoning chili pepper little by little to gradually make it spicier.
toppings and other menu items
The toppings are chashu pork, menma, raw egg, and green onions. All that's left is food and beer. The menu is very simple and I think it's easy to order.
When you order it for the first time, the soup is pitch black and feels very salty, but once you drink it, it's surprisingly light and you can drink it more and more. There seem to be stores outside of Akihabara and Kyoto, so if you find one, give it a try.
