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You might think I can't help mentioning "Ramen".
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Ramen is very popular food in Japan and very reasonable so that nonnative love it.

But it might be very difficult for nonnative around shinjuku or shinookubo to enjoy it , I think.
Because ramen shop are many many around shinjuku than another city,
and I mean not all ramen shop are good and it is a little hard to order it.

below here, my personal opininon ...

★Ramen are categorized for many .

1 shouyu aji (soy-source taste)

1-1 only chicken soup stock
-this is very popular and ordinary ramen. so, most of all ordinary Chinese restaurant has this menu,
but very "normal" in Japan it calls " Futsuu".
(In this case "Futsuu" means that I don't have any opinion. )
So I cannot describe here my recommendation.
And ordinary Chinese restaurant get fewer nowadays.

1-2 mainly dried fish soup stock
-nowadays only dried fish soup stock ramen is few but very traditional in Japan.
my recommendation is "Nagi" at otakibashi-dori near by Okubo Sta.(not Shinookubo Sta.) or hanamichi @kabukichou.
kanji character is "凪". (But Nagi is little not traditional but good and a recommendation of timeout tokyo.)

1-3 mixed (pork , chicken and fish) soup stock
- nowadays mainstream of shouyu ramen is this type.
my recommen' are
- Kitakata ramen near by seibu-shinjuku Sta.
kanji and kana character is " 喜多方ラーメン"
- Musashi at otakibashi dori near by nishi-shinjuku Sta.
kanji character is " 武蔵"

2 miso aji (soybean paste taste)

2-1 originated in Sapporo (that means city north of Japan)
my recommen' is
- Raiden near by takadanobaba Sta.(next to shinookubo Sta.)
kanji character is " 羅偉伝"

2-2 not Sapporo type (different from 2-1)
my recommen' is
- Misoya hachiro shouten at otakibashi dori near by nishi-shinjuku Sta.
kanji character is " 味噌屋八郎商店"

3 Kyushu tonkotsu (pork soup stock originated in Kyushu (that means city south of Japan))
- nowadays my recomen' is not near here (around shinjuku).

4 ie-kei (pork soup stock originated in Yokohama (south of Tokyo))
- nowadays my recommen' is not near here (around shinjuku).

5 jiro-kei (pork soup stock and pork backfat and much veges)
- sorry I don't like jiro-kei and I advise you had not better choose "jiro-kei".
jiro-kei is very "eccentric" I think.

6 others
-many types...."Sio ahi" (salt taste), " Gekikara"(very hot),,,

★how to order
Most of all ramen shops order systems are meal ticket system, Japanese " Shokken", character is "食券".
It is not easy for beginners and nonnatives, so you have to say bravery when you put money in machine.
" Suimasen osusume wo kudasai, Oshite morae masuka".
translate directly,
suimasen is "excuse me (or us)"
osusume is " recommendation"
wo kudasai " please"
Oshite morae masuka " please push bottom "

you say so, clerk may come over and push bottom with appropriate.

Then clerk says to you sometime.
"okonomi wa arimasuka?" means what is your favorite or anything?
this means which's are your favorite that :
-noodle is hard or soft
-soup is salty or not
-oily or not.

When you might be a beginner you have to say " Futsuu de iidesu" .
(In this case "Futsuu" means , " I leave it to you". "iidesu" means please.)

To order is that's it.
and all you do is sit and wait and eat.

after you ate , sometime you have to bring your bowl to higher counter, it depends on shop.

I love Ramen , what can I do of you.
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