Shamo soba｜Men-son RAGE

Located in Nishiogikubo, Suginami-ku, Tokyo, the ramen restaurant “Men-son RAGE” is so popular that it was selected as a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide As of August 2024, it is only open during the daytime from 12:00 to 15:00, but it is well worth a visit. This time, I went to try the restaurant’s specialty, “Shamo soba”（Chicken bones soy sauce ramen）.

Stylish garage house-like store.

Mentson RAGE is located a short walk from Nishiogikubo Station. It is marked by a pop sign that does not look like a ramen shop. Since we visited in the late afternoon, we were able to enter the restaurant relatively smoothly, but the tsukemen were already sold out. The interior of the restaurant has a stylish and unique atmosphere like a garage house, with hip-hop music playing and graffiti art and figurines on display. Ordering is not done through a ticket machine, but rather by ordering from the staff and paying later.

Excellent “Shamo soba”（Chicken bones soy sauce ramen）

I was shown to our seats, and in about five minutes the “Shamo soba” was served. In the bowl, the clear soy sauce-based soup and straight, thin noodles are beautifully arranged, with two slices of char siu pork in the center, a block of bamboo shoots, and mitsuba leaves adding a touch of color. A sip of the soup reveals a rich yet crisp flavor of chicken and soy sauce. The chicken broth is made from fighting gamecock, which makes the chicken broth more refreshing than that of ordinary jidori chicken.

The noodles are straight and thin, with a firm texture that slides down the throat and matches perfectly with the soup. The char siu pork is tender Japanese pork loin with a hint of octagonal flavor, and is superb. The orange yolk of the ajitama is also surprisingly delicious and complements the flavor of the soup.

【 UMAMECCA Editor’s voice 】

“Shamo soba”（Chicken bones soy sauce ramen） at “Men-son RAGE” has a rich yet easy-to-drink broth that allows you to finish the soup to the last drop. The use of rare gamecock chicken broth allows you to enjoy a unique chicken flavor that cannot be found in other restaurants. The chewiness of the medium-thin straight noodles and the texture of the fatty char siu pork make for a well-balanced bowl as a whole.
“Men-son RAGE” is a must-visit ramen restaurant in Nishiogikubo. The unique atmosphere and the “Shamo soba”（Chicken bones soy sauce ramen） will surely satisfy ramen lovers.