Friday, July 11, 2014

牛骨らぁ麺マタドール Matador: THE beef bowl

I got food poisoning and hadn't eaten for a week. But even when I have food poisoning, my appetite for ramen remains. In fact, I was craving ramen so much that it just built up inside my like a nuclear bomb ready to EXPLODE.

Hearts and I had both heard great things about Matador, way out in Kitasenju. I had seen shots of its beautiful beef chashu while browsing through ramen magazines, and even though I wasn't fully recovered, I decided this would be the next shop.


Indeed, the apperance is beautiful. Instead of pork bones for the broth, Matador uses primarily beef and a lot of vegetables. The shoyu soup is clear, but packs a beefy aroma. Instead of chashu, the standard bowl comes with bits of beef fat and gristle scattered floating on top.

Shoyu ramen (800yen)

These noodles are as smooth as silk...


...but the star is the deluxe bowl's roast beef chashu. "Zeitaku" means decadent, and this bowl has everything but a dainty hat and expensive gown. In lieu of pork chashu, Matador supplies its customers not one, but two thick slices of perfectly cured roast beef.

Zeitaku yakigyu ramen (1050yen)

I've never eaten ramen like this before, but I felt a perfect synergy between Japanese and western flavors, with the sweetness of the beef and vegetables matching the deep saltiness of the shoyu soup and chewy noodles.

Matador is definitely a must-visit shop, even if it's a little bit of a trip from central Tokyo (it's still considered Tokyo). Clean ramen and clean shop, with a friendly owner who answered our annoying ramen-geek questions. I hope more people can experience this complex bowl.


Tokyo, Adachi-ku, Senjuasahi-cho 43-13
Closest stn: Kita-senju

Open from 1130am-230pm and 6-9pm (1130am-4pm on Sundays, closed Mondays

Lum

No comments:

Post a Comment