Kaotan Ramen

2-34-39 Minami Aoyama
Tel: 3475-6337
Nogizaka Station, exit for Aoyama Cemetery

Hours 12 noon-4:30am Closed Sundays

Kaotan Ramen is a tiny shack in the middle of an intersection in Aoyama. It has long low benches and table at which all diners sit communally.

Slide the doors open and head in for a late night feed on some great noodles in a broth that is widely agreed as the best soy sauce based broth in Tokyo. The name says so, but the food shouts it.

Order a standard bowl of ramen and add a few dashes of pepper and maybe a slight drop of vinegar and away you go. Be sure to have a side order of “gyoza” (a.k.a. pot stickers) and maybe a plate of cartilage to chew on (I am serious, this stuff is great).

I like a bowl of noodles and plate of Gyoza after a long night of beer accompanied socializing with colleagues. When in Tokyo next time ask your host to take you to Kaotan and you will get first a surprised look at knowing of it, and then a very happy grin at being able to enjoy a late night noodle knosh.




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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mjm:
..and maybe a plate of cartilage to chew on (I am serious, this stuff is great).</font>

What animal's cartilage?

Does one swallow the cartilage or just chew then spit out?

Willie,

It is chicken cartilage. You get it in a somewhat pickled format and it is a chewy appetizer of sorts. Chew and eventually swallow the bite size pieces. Whatever they do to it makes it easy to get it to a stage where you would feel comfortable swallowing it. More of an accomompanying dish really when you have a bowl of ramen, but it is a great stand alone with a few beers too. Not nearly as acquired a taste as the concept might sound, although I have had a fairly equal split of reactions from my friends both local and visitors. It is a fairly common Izakaya (Japanese bar and restaurant combination) thing.

Mike

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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mjm:
Not nearly as acquired a taste as the concept might sound...</font>

I could imagine not, as not much cartilage goes to waste w/BBQ (rib tips) I eat http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/smile.gif