Tokyo Archives - Pale Ale Travel

Sometimes You Just Have to Crush a Narita Airport Ramen

If you’re reading this, I’m already in the U.S., home for the holidays to see family, drive the icy backroads that saw me intrepidly eat Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches while on the way to Catholic school homeroom, and catch up with old friends.

All of this is great. However, there’s one glaring gastronomic problem in my small New England state – an egregious lack of authentic and quality Japanese cuisine.

So, on my route back from Hong Kong, stopping in Tokyo Japan at Narita International Airport for a 4-hour layover, you know I had to get one final Asian cuisine fix before touching down in the land of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chicken tenders, and lite beer.

And, with my stomach bloated and gurgling from the previous night’s undigested gyros, I knew I had to go with old faithful – ramen.

Sometimes, you just have to crush a Narita Airport ramen – especially when that ramen is by Ginza Kagari.

Ramen Taniseya: A Gargantuan Cauldron of Iekei Ramen in Shinbashi, Tokyo

September 24, 2023September 24, 2023Asia, Food, Japan BigBody Leave a Comment

There aren’t many ramen joints in Japan that made me feel as if I was a true Japanese salaryman 9-5’er more than Ramen Taniseya in Shinbashi, Tokyo. The biggest difference between me and them at the time was that I was dead sober while most patrons were 10 Chuhis/draft Suntory Premiums deep. It was also the first night I met an ex-partner of mine for what was meant to be 10 days of rekindling requited love.

Come to find out in less than 48 hours that the requited love we both hoped for was deeply offset by annoyance, resentment, and incompatibility to the nth degree (I’m still glad we gave it a go). We parted ways shortly after. However, I would not have consumed one of the best bowls of tonkotsu-based ramen (Iekei-style) during my self-imposed exile to Japan if it weren’t for taking the Friday morning Shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo to meet her.

Here’s why Ramen Taniseya’s gargantuan cauldron of Iekei ramen is a late-night ramen haunt that I will be sure to return to next time in Tokyo.