Jiro Ramen (Kameido) | ラーメン二郎亀戸店
Kameido, Tokyo, Japan
〒136-0071 Tokyo-to, Koto-ku, Kameido 4-35-17
〒136-0071 東京都江東区亀戸４丁目３５−１７
twitter: https://twitter.com/jiro_kame
Jiro Ramen is the shop that started me on my ramen journey. My friend from Keio University introduced me to the noodles and after that I never looked at a bowl of ramen the same way. Rediscovering Jiro ramen was one reason that I ended up staying an extra year in Japan at my old job, since it was only ten minutes away from the shop.
Some people may dislike the ramen for being too large and heavy. After eating Jiro, you’ll definitely feel a food coma. In fact, some people suggest eating only a pear the day you eat Jiro, since you’ll most likely be consuming enough calories for the day with their bowls. If it’s your first time, don’t even try to get the large-size bowl. A large-size or oomori (大盛り）size at a normal ramen shop is the same as a small bowl at Jiro.
If you have a really small appetite it might even be best to get half noodles at Jiro.
I’ve eaten a lot of bowl at Jiro ramen and I think that this is one lesser-known ramen that you definitely don’t want to miss out on. Even though they’re a franchise each shop does things a little differently. I’ll make a full guide one of these days, but until then I want to showcase my recommendation for your first Jiro experience.
The reason I picked the Kameido location is not only because they have the sickest logo out of all the Jiro restaurants I’ve seen, but because their broth is actually fairly light. Compared to the other shops I’ve tried the broth doesn’t feel as heavy as the other Jiro locations. Also, it’s in a fairly residential area so it doesn’t look like the lines are too bad at this shop. I went on a normal weekday around lunchtime and I was able to sit right away, which is rare for a Jiro shop. If you come during peak lunch hours you can usually expect to wait at least thirty minutes and the first location by Keio University is said to have the longest lines.
At Kameido, this isn’t a problem though. You can get your bowl quick and easy. One good thing about this location is that you can order a side of kimchi. You can order it as a topping and they’ll put it on your bowl or you can ask for another serving plate and they’ll give it to you on the side.
If you’ve never been to Jiro before one thing you might want to be aware of is that there’s a little bit of a special ordering system. After you sit down and once they’re about to serve you the ramen, the staff will ask you how you want your ramen. There are three main ingredients they’re asking about. If you want yasai (vegetables), abura (pork fat), ninniku (garlic), and last karame (extra house soy sauce). If you want all of those you just say the word, then onegaishimasu and you’re set. If you don’t want any of those in your ramen just tell the chef what you don’t want and add nashi (e.g. ninniku nashi onegaishimasu), which is just I don’t want any garlic. If you want extra of something just add mashi to your order and if you want a lot say mashi mashi .
Jiro at Kameido is almost like a religious experience for some, but if you follow our tips, you’ll be slurping down your noodles like a pro in no-time.