★★ 風来居 (Fuuraikyo) - Tokyo

Fuuraikyo was started by a ramen chef who spent many years training at the big ramen chain store Santouka. Fuuraikyo does have a lot in common with Santouka, an Asahikawa style ramen where the soup is a blend of tonkotsu and seafood stock. On my first visit to Fuuraikyo I tried their みそらーめん (miso ramen).

The Soup - is a blend of tonkotsu, chicken and seafood stock. The tonkotsu flavor seems a little lighter than Santouka's, probably a result of the stronger presence of the chicken stock. The soup is topped off with a layer of flavored oil that seals in the heat of the soup, be careful not to burn your self when eating this ramen.

The Noodles - are medium thin curly noodles that are delivered by air from Hokkaido every day. I noticed that ramen were still in their individual plastic packs before being cooked, but I didn't notice any drop in the flavor or freshness of the noodles. The texture of the noodles were on the firmer side.

The Toppings - are slices of roasted pork , some menma bamboo, and large pieces of kikurage mushrooms (the dark purple-ish things in the ramen). The roast pork could be a little more tender, but the flavor was okay. I do wish that they sliced the kikurage mushrooms since as is the texture doesn't match well with the ramen.

Overall - I recommend you try the しょうゆらーめん (shoyu ramen, soy sauce flavored). The soup is already a complex mix of flavors, the miso is one too many. Try the shoyu (soy sauce) ramen or shio (salt) ramen instead. While this place is delicious in its own right, I feel that Asahikawa style ramen doesn't pack as much punch as Kyushu style ramen which is made of the same soup base. But that is my personal bias, please try and judge for yourself. Fuuraikyo has stores in Shinuku, Shibuya and Omiya.

http://www.fuuraikyo.com/Shop.html