Refreshing Kansai-style Ramen Gem – Can You Taste Familiar Taiwanese Flavors Here?

Text & Photos /Happy Yun

If it weren’t for a newly made Japanese friend’s recommendation, I probably wouldn’t have come to this "Kamzu" ramen shop in Shibuya. During my trip through Chiba and Tokyo, a Japanese colleague of a friend I met in Tokyo happened to be working on a "ramen special feature," introducing delicious Tokyo ramen to overseas travelers. He said he was totally sick of eating ramen—but I still asked him to recommend a good ramen shop?? He thought for a long time and then recommended this "どうとんぼり神座 n谷店". The next day, on a chilly evening, I took the subway from Asakusa to Shibuya. Aside from visiting Hachiko, I was also on a mission to find this delicious ramen. Following Google Maps, I arrived at the entrance of a shop. The stylish and slightly trendy storefront didn’t really look like a "ramen shop" at all!!

After hesitating for a moment, I noticed the ticket machine and posters by the entrance. Hahaha, so this... really is a ramen shop!! After selecting my ramen and inserting cash, a small slip with my order popped out. After getting my change, I headed toward the automatic doors as instructed, and they opened.

The open kitchen and interior decor inside, along with the staff uniforms, gave me an instant feeling of being in a Western-style restaurant or teppanyaki place, hahaha... This ramen shop is really too... amazing!! After being shown to my seat by the staff, they brought me a glass of water and took the small slip from the machine.

While sipping my water, I waited for the ramen to arrive. As I waited, I observed the noodle chefs—it felt quite interesting. They were dressed in Western-style chef uniforms, yet cooking traditional Japanese ramen. The mix of styles was really too... intriguing.

Looking around at the other diners eating ramen, it wasn’t entirely a young crowd, either. Gradually, some older patrons showed up too, though I didn’t see anyone speaking languages other than Japanese while I was there.

Glancing at the condiment bottles on the table, one contained a special spicy leek sauce, along with minced garlic and chili paste. At that moment, I also used my phone to check the reviews of this shop—hahaha, how funny, I was only looking them up just before eating.

It turned out that this shop is also one of the well-known ramen spots in Kansai, even referred to by some as the "No.1 in Kansai." There aren’t many branches in the Kanto region, which allows people in the east to enjoy authentic Kansai-flavored ramen~ Hahaha... So I had never noticed it when I was in Kansai before~

And why had my Japanese friend specifically recommended I come here for ramen? So many questions popped into my mind—all waiting to be answered once the ramen arrived. Some even mentioned that you need to eat Kamzu’s ramen three times to truly appreciate its depth of flavor. That... sounds a bit mystical, really hard to understand!!

Before long, a chef in a white uniform brought over a bowl of ramen. After briefly explaining the condiments and opening the chopstick holder, he said something akin to “please enjoy your meal” in Japanese.

At first glance, this bowl of ramen seemed somewhat familiar. It... looked like home-style noodles, and the bowl’s pattern felt very Chinese~ I took a sip of the broth—this... the soup and cabbage really gave off that home-cooked (when we eat noodles at home) vibe!! Taking a bite of the noodles, for me, they were on the softer side, and I immediately felt this would probably suit Taiwanese tastes.

The broth wasn’t overly greasy, and the sweetness of the Chinese cabbage paired with the not-too-hard noodles, plus the thick-yet-not-too-thick char siu, and that unassuming whole onsen egg........

Adding the spicy leek and minced garlic introduced additional flavors, but it still retained a strong sense of familiarity. I was puzzled—was this the ramen that my new Japanese friend recommended after finishing his ramen special feature?? Could it be that they enjoy Taiwanese or Chinese flavors??

Endless questions floated through my mind, hahaha.... I’ll be seeing him again in a few days, and I plan to ask him for more details. As a single bowl of ramen goes, paired with such a clean and refreshing environment, it was comfortable to eat, with a delicious yet not overly rich broth. It might be a bit different from the typical image of Japanese ramen, but it’s still a uniquely flavored bowl worth trying. Japanese ramen is probably like Taiwan’s braised pork rice—each place and each shop has its own distinct taste. Every trip makes me crave a steaming hot bowl of ramen to get that true feeling of being in Japan.

Sometimes, ramen is so distinctive it leaves a deep impression, surpassing the question of whether it's just “tasty” or not. Other times, you hear people say you’ll regret it if you don’t try a certain shop’s ramen... Every flavor and every shop has its own fans. I think when it comes to food, there are no absolutes. Next time I’m in Tokyo, in Shibuya; if I can’t decide what to eat, Kamzu Ramen might be a great option to try. Maybe I’ll have to eat it two more times to truly understand the addictive appeal of having it three times!!

どうとんぼり神座 n谷店
Website:http://www.kamukura.co.jp/
Address: 29-4 Udagawacho, Nerima-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-6415-3790
Business Hours: 9:00～next day 8:00, Fri/Sat/Sun/Holidays until 4:00 AM