The little elusive shop at the bottom of the hill. When we
first started coming up to Mt. Myoko it was necessary to explore all the
possible routes to make the ascent. 五十家 (House fifty) sits at the bottom
of the mountain, just off the highway on one of these roads. I noticed it and
made a mental note to try it someday. That day took longer than would have been
expected. But, since it is located on one of the lesser traveled routes up the side
of the mountain, the restaurant was quickly pushed out of my mind.
When it came time to pick a place for dinner, this poor
little shop was constantly overlooked. On the rare chance we went past it we
had either just eaten or it was closed. After talking to our local friends it was
learned that the place is actually pretty popular. Apparently, the chef had
once tried to stop serving ramen to focus on other dishes but it only took a
few weeks of customers coming in and asking where the ramen had gone for him to
change his mind and bring it back to the menu. Determined to see what I had
been missing, a point was made to have dinner there on a night they were sure to
be open.
Luckily, we pulled up to find that it was indeed open for
business. The inside of the restaurant is small and intimate; offering counter
seats, tables and traditional low Japanese-style tables. We opted for a small
table near the front of the restaurant and began looking over the menu. Even
though the ramen is in high demand, the chef still offers many other dishes
such a stir fry, karaage (fried chicken) and even pizza. Since I am forever on
a ramen quest, and it had such a good reputation, there was no question what my
meal would be.
A bowl of chashu-men arrived at the table on a little tray;
steaming and smelling amazing. The first thing that caught the eye was the
perfectly overlapping ring of tender chashu pork slices. The soup was a light,
clear brown with a wonderful layer of fat glistening on the surface. Simmered to
perfection, the flavor of pork was rich but light, and not overbearing. After diving
into the soup and breaching the barrier of pork slices, I found wonderfully
chewy, curly yellow noodles. Noodles are so important to a great bowl of ramen,
and五十家offers a variety with great texture and just the right
thickness. A small pile of seaweed and a handful of sliced green onion sat on
top and tied the whole bowl together. We left feeling satisfied, knowing it
would not be too long before we returned for another round.
 |
| Look at that glistening broth! |
 |
| Excellent noodles. |
No comments:
Post a Comment