Kitakata Rāmen Ban’nai Kobōshi Shiodome Shitisentā

On your mark. Get set. Go!
Huge bowl of ramen from full to empty in five minutes or less. Up for the challenge? This is ramen in Tokyo’s business district. The cultural experience alone is worthy but add a simple bowl of piping hot pork broth, and machine made noodles that easily blows away the quality of the best ramen joints in the States and you have a five star experience.
Note: This rating would not apply if ranking Kitakata against other ramen eateries in Japan, it is meant as a comparison of Japan’s ramen versus that found in the States.
Located within the Shiodome City Center and part of the workforce eateries, this is not a stand up and eat joint (there are tables and counter seats). It is however FAST. Walk in with a briefcase, grab a seat back. Before you have a chance to sit, a server is placing a basket on the floor for your belongings. Five second glance at the menu as the server stands by. Order in. A minute later, bowl of ramen appears. Slurp, suck, slurp, tilt the bowl for the last spoonful of broth. Walk to the register and out the door. Literally five minutes. It is a sight to behold.
The ramen itself, while very simple in flavor, as a cohesive dish, is amazingly good. Kitakata ramen only. Thick, flat, perfectly cooked, glutinous noodles with the right salinity that retain their texture. The light pork and niboshi (dried sardine) broth has a hint of natural sweetness and oceanic brine. The layer of extremely tender, very well braised, juicy pork tenderloin chashiu has a pronounced pork flavor to its core with the right sweetness and salinity.
Very good gyoza. Light, almost airy filling with a properly crisped, chewy skin. Equal proportion of filling to skin. Perfect.
Combo meals with gyoza or a rice dish offered. VERY reasonable prices. Average JPY 700. Nothing above JPY 1,000 (aprox $ 6.00 — $ 8.50).
End note: my friend and I failed miserably, taking a whopping 30 minutes to finish. In our defense, we did have a glass of beer.