Pulling noodles out of chashu at Kitaotsuka

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1. [Kitaotsuka Ramen (北大塚ラーメン)](https://youtu.be/HMOM7ioORY8) is a ramen shop near Otsuka station, famous for some of the best and most tender chashu in and around Tokyo. The ramen shop is run by a very endearing elderly Mongolian couple, who have a very much “no frills” approach to ramen. If you are searching for the best chashu in Tokyo, then Kitaotsuka Ramen has to be on your ramen hunting list.

   What you really come here for though is the chashu. Although there are also regular ramen on the menu with only a few pieces of chashu as a topping, almost every customer goes for the chashumen. The chashumen come with so much chashu that the meat completely covers your ramen bowl. The chashu is thinly sliced super tender pork belly, which basically falls apart if you try to pick it up. The pork belly itself is basically 50% fat and 50% meat, so definitely on the heavy side of things.

   My personal recommendation is to go for the 150 grams of noodles chashumen, get some white rice and some extra negi to cut through the richness. After you are done with the noodles, you dump the rice into the leftover soup. At least that’s what I will order the next time I go to Kitaotsuka, which will not be too far in the future.

   If you would like to see more of and learn more about this ramen shop and this bowl of ramen, check out this short video: https://youtu.be/HMOM7ioORY8