#fuunji

Freaking Fuunji.

Often listed as one of the best tsukemen aka dipping noodles bowls in Tokyo, I hadn't been there in years.

Usually you can count on a 45-minute wait to get in but this time we were in and out in less than 30 (thanks covid!)

Unlike most tsukemen, and ramen for that matter, Fuunji is bird-based, not mammal. How they get such a rich, frisky umami punch is beyond me.

I used to know the area well, having first visited when I myself was a visitor to Japan. So it was a surprise when I realized I wasn't quite sure where the shop was and the location's relation to the station (tee hee hee).

My Tokyo geographic knowledge since moving here is like a different brain layer altogether.

But after the countless ramen bowls I've had since moving here, I was still moved by Fuunji. It's just freaking awesome.

Deserves a spot on any Tokyo ramen shortlist.

Fuunji Tokyo: A life-changing bowl of tsukemen ramen in Shinjuku [REVIEW]

Fuunji Tokyo was said to serve up some of the best tsukemen in the city, and since I had never tried that type of ramen before (I know, I know) I was looking forward to trying it. The shop is a popular spot for both locals and tourists, so be sure to arrive early or go late, otherwise you should expect a queue (we went just after it opened and we still didn’t get a seat right away). There are…

Leaving Japan soon, time for my favorite tsukemen

Fuunji in Nishi Shinjuku

Got the giant portion and killed it

A newborn riding the wind above the clouds 風雲児

2015/05/09

Nearest 駅 Shinjuku 新宿

Today’s 日本語 Katsuobushi 鰹節 Dried bonito either in flakes for dashi or powder for tsukemen

Soup type: Tsukemen

Features: Katsuobushi powder, nori paper, egg, bamboo, green onions, and boiled pork chyaashuu

ランキン  8 out of 10 stars

The aroma of perfectly blended deep pork broth intermingled with dried katsuobushi is unmistakeable from the back of a one hour wait in line. This is classic tsukemen at its most primal. The extra katsuobushi powder on top of the soup, when mixed, will be the catalyst for sauce noodle glue. You pick up, you dunk, you slurp, and you notice a significant reduction in the level of your sauce. The sauce is delicious and definitly in my top five. The noodles as per my standard, are fresh, fat, chewy, and made of white flour. Lots of surface area for that glue we were talking about. 

For me the chyaashuu wasn’t as memorable as in other places so I marked down a star because of this. But that being said this place is popular and expect to wait.