I spent the whole week busying myself making jams. The berry and stone fruits are ready in SoCal, so I haven’t got around to the Pad-Thai yet. Before we go full blown with the Pad-Thai, I’m going to wrap up my food adventure in Japan with the famous Japanese noodle, the ramen. I had ramen a few times in Japan and this is the only place that excited me. The restaurant is a chain called “Kohme Ramen” or “Kohmen”. I ate at two different locations in Tokyo, that’s how much I liked their ramen.

What’s so special about it, you might ask. I like the broth, especially the Kogashi Thantanmen, or “painful ramen of black sesame flavor” and Thantanmen, or “Szechuan Style Sesame”. Both ramens have thick broth with sesame paste that blended so well with the pork flavor broth. They also serve regular Shio ramen (salt ramen), Shoyu ramen (soy sauce ramen), Tsukemen (dip ramen) and a very interesting one—Honebuto ramen—which is ramen with fish in pig bone broth.

This is their website: www.kohmen.com

Fortunately there is an English version website: www.kohmen.com/en/

WHERE:

There are 9 locations and I only tried the first two below. This is the link to the listing of all locations: 

HARAJUKU (This is a convenience location just on a side street called “Onden Shopping St.” off from Omotesando Dori.)

6-2-8 Jingu Mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-5468-6344

SHINJUKU SOUTH GATE

3-32-2 1F, 2F Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-5919-1660

These are all the other locations:

IKEBUKURO

1-18-22 1F,2F South Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-3971-3008

IKEBUKURO WEST GATE

1-22-6 1F, 2F West Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-5911-7688

EBISU

1-9-5 1F, 2F Ebisu Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-5475-0185

UENO

4-8-8 1F, 2F Ueno, East Ueno-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-5807-4535

WHEN:

Each location has different a opening time. Most of them opened at 10:00 in the morning and stayed open all night, until 5:00am the next day! Check the opening time of each location on their website.

WHAT:

Recommended #1 Pig bone broth ramen with soy sauce.

Recommended #2 is the Honebuto ramen—which is ramen with fish in pig bone broth. (Picture above)

Recommended #3 is Tsukemen, dip ramen (no picture)

My own recommendation Kogashi Thantanmen, or “painful ramen of black sesame flavor” and Thantanmen, or “Szechuan Style Sesame”. My guess about the different between the two is probably Kogashi Thantanmen is useing black sesame and Thantanmen is using white sesame. I don’t have the picture of the Thantanmen but this is the picture of the Kogashi Thantanmen.

The Kogashi Thantanmen comes with marinade pork that also very delicious.

If you order the full options. It comes with this whole tray of yumminess.

Other than ramen of your choice, try the grilled pork on top of rice bowl for your side order. I know that sounded weird but it’s really good. The Japanese call it “Ramen-rice”, slurping the noodle in, sipping the soup and following with the rice…yummy! You will never know if you never try.

Don’t miss their dessert “miracle pudding” which is actually an almond milk jelly with sauce. Some people stand in line for a long time during rush lunch hour just for the dessert.

Here’s the menu (pdf)