At Menpeki Kunen in the Iogi district of Tokyo, chef Ishioka Fumishita specializes in two distinct styles of Japanese ramen: an “Iriko Soba” prepared with a soup made from traditional dried fish, and a “Shoyu Ramen” that uses premium, Japanese-raised chickens. The Iriko Soba employs seven different types of niboshi sourced from traditional purveyors around Japan, with aji (horse mackerel) used as the base. The deep amber shoyu blends beautifully with the crisp niboshi flavor punch, with additional balance provided by a decadent layer of chicken oil. On top: Thick-cut menma bamboo shoots, a seasoned ajitama soft-boiled egg with a beaming orange yolk, and a generous fan of pork chashu so tender you barely need to bite.
Among the strongest of Tokyo’s rookie class of ramen shops to debut in 2020, Menpeki has been steadily on the rise, attracting notice from the Tokyo ramen mags and consistently drawing a line during lunch hours. The Ramen Beast team paid a visit to Ishioka-san to learn about his ramen story and ambitions in the kitchen.
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Video shot & edited by Victor Queiroz