Aoshima Syokudo Akihabara — Restaurant in Tokyo

Had a 10 hour our layover in Tokyo, decided to go to Akihabara for the day, and this was my early lunch stop! It was SO worth it!

This place opens at 11am and I decided to walk by here earlier after just wondering around for a bit and saw there was already around 10 people in mine at 10:15am! So I decided to stand in line. It was a smart play, since by the time they started letting people in, the line was already 60+ people deep! The shop is used to the lines here, and would bring out cones to handle the disciplined crowd of people patiently waiting to have a bowl of ramen.

I was able to enter in the second wave of people. When you get to the kiosk, you order what you want from the menu and pay (CASH ONLY!) and get a ticket. There is not an English menu so I ensured ahead of time on what I wanted. I opted for the base bowl, which is a Ginger Shoyu-based ramen, without an extra toppings since I knew I was going to eat again just a few hours later. Once you get a ticket, the people in the kitchen call out and ask to see your ticket, so they know what bowls they have to prepare for... now that's efficiency!

I sat on the bench inside for a few minutes and then was able to sit! Upon sitting, my bowl was right in front of me and boy, it was so good. After coming from a few hours flight from southeast Asia, this bowl hit the spot. The broth had so much flavor, the pork was solid, and I was thus able to ate everything and slurp all the broth!

I see why so many people wait here, this is a very good bowl! I will say if you come with a group, be prepared to take any available 1-seater spot. They are all about the quick turnaround here with the line of people, so essentially you are here for eating that bowl of ramen for 10 to 15 minutes and then be on your way. No frills, but all the taste!

Definitely would...

Could be the best ramen I've ever had, bar none. I'm not even a super fan of shoyu ramen, but this trumps even my favourite tonkotsu or miso ramen. The soup is light, a little but too salty for me, but the depth of flavour and blend of pork stock, soya sauce and a hint of garlic is just to die for. Unlike most shops, the soup is not topped with a thick layer of oil, so it's not heavy on the stomach. The noodles look like typical (wavy) shina soba, but the texture is silkier and has more bite than others. The cha shu / roast pork is sliced thinly, reminiscent of a Sunday roast, and you are rewarded with a blend of lean, decadently fatty and smokey charred slices. The spinach was outstanding: so fresh it's bright green and sweet. I just wish I upsized it and understand why so many customers pay the extra 50 yen for more. The shop itself is unremarkable, kind of drab and lit with plain white fluorescent tubes, so don't expect to sit around soaking up the atmosphere. But with a such a fantastic bowl of ramen, ambiance can take a back seat. The 25-min queue today on a thurs at 12:15pm was well worth it and I'll be...

A nondescript ramen shop in the middle of deserted alleyways on Sunday. Found the place by chance as we were exploring Akihabara area after purchasing some electronics stuff at Yodobashi-Akiba mall. Saw the crowd and wondered what the fuss was about. We ended up waiting in line for approx. 1.5 hours.

We were the only foreigners, and nobody in the shop spoke English, so it was all down to hand-signs. It’s individual dining and you take any vacated seat (only 9 in total) at the counter when your turn comes. You sit down, get served your order, eat and then leave to vacate your seat for the next person waiting in line. We ended up sitting 5 places away from each other 😁

The texture of the ramen is springy and chewy, just the way I like it. Ordered their special, with a generous portion of chashu. The soup is clear and flavourful, of the soy-based kind. Very delicious 😋. Worth the wait, in my...