Japan 2012 - Ramen at Kyushu Jangara in Harajuku

The Harajuku - Omotesando area is one of the most interesting places to explore in Tokyo. At Harajuku you get to experience the chaotic, edgy and sometimes strange youth culture of Japan, and at Omotesando you get to experience one of the premier shopping streets in Tokyo. For the architecture lover, Omotesando Avenue is also full of iconic architectural pieces by architects such as Herzog & De Meuron, Toyo Ito, Kengo Kuma, MVRDV, SANAA, etc. You will really need one or two days to fully explore the area. As I only had half a day, I was really rushed for time. But one still has to eat, and for speed and convenience you can't beat a ramen shop. Good thing there is a good one in Harajuku - Kyushu Jangara.

This ramen chain which hails from Kyushu has received many great reviews from bloggers. It is also gaijin friendly, with an English menu, and the staff are very amiable. Their style of ramen is the popular Tonkotsu style - with the soup stock made from boiling pork bones for long hours until all the goodness including the bone marrows blend into the soup, making it slightly milky in colour, creamy and delicious.

I ordered their special ramen with all toppings. It cost 1,000 yen and comes with chasu, stewed pork, tamago, mentaiko, bamboo shoots and wood ear fungus. It is not a very big bowl compared to other ramen shops, but it was easily one of the best I've had in Japan. The stewed pork was melt in your mouth and to-die-for !