Omori’s Hot-Topic Ramen Shop, “Muginae”!

“Muginae” is around 7 minutes on foot from both the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line’s Omori Station and the Keikyu Main Line’s Omorikaigan Station. The restaurant is emblazoned with its logo, a combination of the character for “wheat” (“mugi,” “麦”) and a bowl of ramen, that also features the restaurant’s name.
I visited at around 14:00 on a Saturday, and when I arrived there was already a line of around 15 people waiting their turn outside.

After waiting about 30 minutes, I got in! You buy meal tickets from the ticket vending machine located just inside the entrance.
The menu is made up of shoyu ramen made with chicken stock, and “niboraa” made with niboshi (sardine) stock.
Since this was my first visit to Muginae, I went with the standard shoyu ramen.

The interior for customers consists of 9 seats at the counter. While it is a bit cramped, the space is neat and clean, with a welcoming atmosphere. The clientele was varied when I went, with young and old guests, men and women, all enjoying their meals.

Shortly after I took my seat, my shoyu ramen arrived!

The noodles, char siu, green onion, menma, and nori were all carefully arranged in the clear brown broth. The toppings are all standard fare, but I could feel a sense of elegant beauty to it as well.

It was also served in a bowl that further accentuates that elegance.
The restaurant’s owner special-ordered these bowls, which were made specifically for this ramen shop, from a workshop called “Shikikado.” How lovely! This is just one more way that the owner’s passion is transmitted through the restaurant’s ramen.

A stock made with the carcass and bones of Yamagata chickens is further developed into Muginae’s clear shoyu soup base with the addition of ingredients like high-quality katsuobushi, niboshi, and Japanese kelp. The owner sticks to his motto of “carefully made soup you can eat without worrying about artificial ingredients.” The resulting broth has a deep but mild flavor that seems to gently spread throughout your body.

Muginae’s noodles are house-made medium-fine noodles, made using wheat from Hokkaido.
You can really taste the quality of the ingredients used in these noodles, and everything from their chewy texture to the way they slide down your throat is exceptional! They truly possess a captivating level of deliciousness.

The char siu is made with pork shoulder roast. It is cooked to a perfect rare using sous-vide, a recent trend in cooking.
The sous-vide sealed in the flavor and moisture of the pork, giving it an amazing mouthfeel. This char siu truly brings out the best of its ingredients.

You’d certainly be mistaken if you thought the toppings here were just used as a garnish.
Each topping is fastidiously selected and prepared, from “white beauty” green onions sourced from Nasu (winner of the Japan Agricultural Award) to carefully chosen nori from Aichi Prefecture to menma seasoned after three days of dry aging.