Iekei ramen is a local favorite of mine, a style that I grew up eating both in Japan & in the States. Sugitaya is a child chain of stores from the OG Iekei, Yoshimuraya. Cupmen based on a real bowl of ramen at a famous shop is always a tricky proposal; What makes a real bowl yummy might not be able to be replicated well in freeze dried form. Let’s see how Sugitaya’s version stacks up!
Noodles are really thick! Bouncy & full bodied, with a good amount of chew.
Soup is very flavorful, slight tang of shoyu with the deep richness of tonkotsu, all mixed up in the Iekei style
Toppings are pretty sparse, with bits of green onion & spinach, & the generic meat disk. The nori is a good touch though, & gives some nice contrast with the rich broth.
Overall, I really enjoyed this bowl. Thick noodles are always a plus for me, but it was the broth that really brought it home, no pun intended.
★★★★¼
