Michelin-recommended too！ A Ginza ramen shop specializing in chicken and clams

Text and photos byGirl at a 45-degree angle from the upper right

Ramen is probably one of the must-try foods for many people traveling to Japan, but after a few trips you’ll realize there are just too many ramen shops in Japan—it’s hard to decide where to go first. So people usually refer to Japanese food apps, follow “foodie” tips from Taiwanese bloggers, or go with recommendations from friends or family who have been before. The shop I’m introducing this time is a bit different—it’s one of the 22 Tokyo ramen shops recommended by Michelin in their 2015 guide, announced at the end of 2014.

TABELOG rating: 3.67 (anything over 3.5 is considered high)

To be honest, someone like me who doesn’t like to do research before going out would never have known about this. But luckily, my good friend “Natto” led the way so I could try this rather special ramen shop. It’s located about a 5 to 10-minute walk from Ginza Station, with the fairly noticeable “Daito Ginza Building” nearby. Mugiochori 0? is right next to it.

By the way, there’s a ramen shop to the left of the Daito Ginza Building that has a long queue—maybe I’ll try lining up there next time too; it seems like a famous spot.

Back to this ramen shop that doesn’t really look like a ramen shop—it’s small, with a hint of European style, giving off a warm and cute vibe.

On the door, there are Michelin recommendation flyers and some shop info, but the signage isn’t very prominent—you’d probably just walk past it if you weren’t looking for it.

I took a look at the price list outside and realized this is a ramen shop that specializes in “chicken” and “clams.” The prices aren’t as expensive as I imagined, though maybe that’s because of the Michelin halo effect.

Walking into the shop, the first impression is the warm smiles of the staff—something you don’t often see in typical Japanese ramen shops. There aren’t many seats; the long L-shaped wooden table can probably seat around twelve people.

At the back of the shop is what feels like a Western-style open kitchen concept. Compared to typical Japanese ramen shops, you can see the kitchen much more clearly. If possible, I’d suggest sitting inside—at the very least, it’s less boring while waiting for your noodles :)

Here’s something to note: although all 22 ramen shops are Michelin-recommended, none of them actually have Michelin “stars” (though they do have recommended scores and rankings). For example, this shop opened in 2014 and in the same year was ranked 19th in the “Gravy ramen” category.

Like many Japanese ramen shops, you buy a “ticket” first. As I was buying it, I couldn’t help but wonder—why is this ticket machine so popular in Japan but rarely used in Taiwan? It’s not particularly difficult to implement, and it could also save on labor costs. Is it just consumer habit?

Aside from the most crucial elements of Japanese ramen—the broth, noodles, and chashu (pork belly)—the egg used is also an important factor. Over the years, I’ve found that not only in Japan but even in Taiwan, there’s increasing emphasis on the quality of eggs. With a good egg, even simple dishes like rice, soy sauce, and egg become incredibly delicious. More importantly, it’s about eating something healthy and worry-free.

After checking out the wall menu, I looked down at the table—and just like in many ramen shops, there were options for “vinegar” and “soy sauce,” but this shop also had cheese powder and a rather unique bottle of “chicken oil.”

This chicken oil was incredibly fragrant, reminding me of Taiwanese chicken oil rice, which reminded me of my favorite shop—【Daqiaotou Station】A-Mei’s Old-School Unbeatable Chicken Oil Rice.

The other side of the menu shows how to eat tsukemen (dipping ramen) and dry ramen. Yes, you read that right—this shop not only serves regular soup ramen but also offers trendy tsukemen, and even the rare “dry ramen.”

Let’s take a look at the tsukemen ordered by my friend. If I remember correctly, this tsukemen was 980 yen. The sauce was slightly thick, adjusted with soy sauce and chicken oil, with plenty of onions and green onions. The dipping sauce mainly featured “clams” and two types of chicken, along with lemon (which is somewhat rare), some colorful vegetables, and (peanut powder?).

Unfortunately, since we were seated a bit far away and the walking space inside the shop was tight, we didn’t get the chance to try the tsukemen. But I did notice that the noodles were different for all three types of ramen.

The soy sauce-based “clam and chicken” ramen—I think it was also 980 yen, but either way, it was around the 1000-yen mark, give or take XD.

When you take the first sip of the broth, you’re unexpectedly hit first by the fragrance of chicken oil, then the salty aroma of soy sauce gradually unfolds after mixing, and what lingers in your mouth in the end is actually the sweetness of the chicken oil. The saltiness is lighter than I expected, and drinking it along with the generous amount of green onions makes it even more delicious. It’s the kind of broth I could finish entirely.

Compared to the medium-thick tsukemen, the soup ramen uses my favorite thin straight noodles. They may not have a lot of chew, but they carry a charming aroma and aftertaste reminiscent of egg noodles, pairing wonderfully with the chicken oil-infused broth—delicious. By the way, the “clams” were also very fresh and tasty.

This dry ramen—if I remember correctly, was 1180 yen, and it was the first time I’d tried “dry ramen” in Japan. It was topped with two (each about two large slices) different types and colors of chicken.

The larger, redder slice on the right tasted more like normal chashu—mostly lean meat, tender and not dry, with a sweetness that was simpler and cleaner compared to pork, refreshing and crisp. The smaller, whiter slice on the left surprisingly tasted like “boiled chicken,” with a texture more like chicken breast but without being dry—in fact, it was very soft and tender with a slightly moist feel. Compared to pork or beef, it’s definitely lighter and less heavy, probably more suitable for women.

When I mixed the noodles and sauce together, I noticed the color was darker than I expected (an egg added a silky texture), but it actually tasted of the sweet umami of soy sauce, with moderate—not overpowering—saltiness, plus a hint of lingering chicken oil aroma. It was really delicious. The noodles were also thicker and more chewy than the tsukemen ones, making the whole experience slurpably satisfying and tasty. It’s the one I recommend the most out of the three, winning points for being unique, rare, and probably closer to Taiwanese tastes.

At this point, the friendly staff suggested I add a bit of the seasonings on the table to the ramen, according to my personal taste—especially the chicken oil and the cheese powder.

This somewhat Japan-Western-Chinese fusion way of eating was tempting. The messily mixed seasonings gave this bowl of dry ramen a completely different flavor and life—adding richer layers, a more mouth-coating taste, and overall more deliciousness. I liked it even more, especially the slight tang reminiscent of Taiwanese vinegar noodles and the semi-melted, semi-sticky cheese powder on the surface and tongue—it was really playful and fun. Highly recommended, and there’s also Taiwanese-favorite cilantro.

PS: But the flavor of the cilantro here is a bit different from that in Taiwan—it’s not as strong or pungent. For those who love cilantro, it might feel a little underwhelming, haha XD.

When we went out, we happened to see the “noodles” being delivered. Maybe they were made by this noodle shop?

More information on the addresses and brief introductions of 21 other shops:
1: Aoba: 5-58-1 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo – Double soup base of pork bone, meat stock, and seafood 2: Ishin: 3-4-1 Kamiohsaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo – 1F, Sanrion Building. Opened in 2013, alumni of ZUND-BAR. Features soy sauce / miso / boiled dried fish
3: Ito: 1-2-4 Akabane, Kita-ku, Tokyo – Chicken (Hinai) flavor
4: Ito – 6-12-2 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo – B1, Tokyo Ginza Building. Opened in 2014, chicken (Hinai) flavor
5: Kinjiro – 1-2-7 Kotakecho, Nerima-ku, Tokyo. 2014. Ranked 11th in the tsukemen category
6: Kohbi – 1-53-7 Higashi-Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo – MK House 1F. No chemical seasonings, chicken (meat stock) flavor 7: Gottsu – 1-29-16 Nerima, Nerima-ku, Tokyo. Opened in 2013. Alumni of “Wataru Nabe” in Takadanobaba
8: Shinagawa – 4-19-14 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo. Opened in 2013. Second brand of BASSO Drillman
9: Soranoiro – 1-3-10 Hirakawacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Opened in 2011. Alumni of Ichifuku and Go-Mei. 10: Tagano – 2-15-10 Nakazuno, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo. 2014. Ranked 26th overall, 9th in soy sauce category
11: Tsuta – 1-14-1 Otsuka, Toshima-ku, Tokyo. Opened in 2012. Ranked 16th overall, 23rd in ramen category, 11th in soy sauce category, 26th in miso category in 2014
12: Toyoken – 1-1-3 Higashi-Nippori, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo. Opened in 2013. Aizu region flavors. Ranked 21st in soy sauce category in 2014
13: Due Italian – 4-5-11 Kudan-Minami, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Double soup base of meat stock and seafood. Tomato-based cold Italian pasta
14: Bigiya – 2-4-9 Takanawa, Meguro-ku, Tokyo. Soy sauce flavor
15: BuraBura – 5-52-5 Higashi-Nippori, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo. Ranked 21st in white soup category in 2014
16: BunBun Brau Café – 3-12-3 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo – 2F, JOBX Building. Opened in 2014. Soy sauce / miso flavors
17: Fuguyasan (now renamed Kin no Fuguyasan) – 2-47-12 Hatakeyama, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. Triple soup base of meat, seafood, and clams. Famous for pork bone and seafood ramen. Ranked 5th in overall ramen, 10th in ramen category, 2nd in soy sauce category, 2nd in miso category in 2014
18: Mitou – 1-14-1 Midorigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo. Opened in 2014. Double soup base of meat and boiled dried fish. Also offers miso flavor
19: Mugitoori – 6-12-12 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo – 1F, Ginza Stella Building. Opened in 2014. Ranked 19th in soy sauce category in 2014
20: Edoya – 6-30-6 Minamikoiwa, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo. Double soup base of meat and seafood 21: Rizumi – 1-1-1 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo – 2F, Tokyo Dome Hotel. Soy sauce flavor
22: Yamaguchi – 11-13, 2-chome, Nishisaiwai, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo – 1F, Yamato Building. Opened in 2013. Won the 2013 TRY Ramen Newcomer Award, ranked high in various TRY Ramen categories. Ranked 15th in soy sauce category in 2014

Mugitoori (Mugitoolibu)
Address: 1F, Ginza Stella Building, 6-12-12 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3571-2723
Business hours: 11:30–22:00, holidays: 11:30–21:00
Website:http://tabelog.com/tw/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13164932/

Japanese food travel diary from a girl’s 45-degree angle
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