Uncommon Ramen

In Japan, there is an endless possibility for noodles. They can be eaten at any temperature or texture, accompanied with varieties of meat or fish, seasoned with the strongest or weakest of taste, and featured thick or thin. Any way you like your noodles, there is probably a way to eat it.

Borrowed from Chinese cuisine, ramen is a bestseller in shops and stalls nation-wide. It has been adopted with a clean broth usually made from chicken or fish stock. The noodles themselves are the feature accompanied with a garnish of vegetable and meat, typically pork and green onions. Although the diversity of noodles spread across the board, ramen is traditionally this. However, in those places few and far between, ramen is revamped and made with an uncommon savor.

Keeping in line with Japanese culinary perfection, tomato ramen stands strongly at the top. It is relatively unknown since it diverts from that classical ramen taste; yet, what it stands for is innovation in a bowl of noodles completely overlooked.

Ichiryutei, a local ramen shop in Akashi, hosts tomato ramen among a row of other, now seemingly boring ramen choices. In its bold attempt to combine a tomato soup taste with cheese atop, it is reminiscent of a Campbell's soup, but better. Considering tomato-based broths are relatively uncommon, especially for noodles, only foreigners would understand the warm satisfaction in a good bowl of tomato soup. Especially on a rainy day.

Perhaps its a longing for a comfort food unfound in a strange, foreign land that prefers clear chicken broth for its ramen. Or it could be the Tabasco that is recommended for a little extra kick, or the continuous selection of Beatles music featured in the shop. In any case, tomato ramen is in a noodle class all itself and adds an extra category of an already extensive--yet possibly not innovative--noodle array. Itadakimasu!