Shoukiya: The new kid on the ramen block

Saginuma station in Kawasaki is one of the stops on the Tokyu Den-En-Toshi Line heading out of Shibuya toward Chuo-Rinkan. It’s a “bed town” station and most of the shops in the area cater to the legions of salarymen and women who want a slightly better quality of life, for the price, than Tokyo can give. Being one of the few express train stops means that there is a rather decent selection of food, including a few average ramen joints fairly near the station. A seasoned ramenist would do well to avoid them, however, and walk the five minutes into the residential areas on the south side of the station to grab a bowl of tonkotsu-shoyu (pork bone broth flavored with soy sauce) ramen at Shoukiya.

Just opened in December, Shoukiya is one of the newest shops in one of the most competitive culinary fields imaginable — its very location has seen two stores close down earlier in 2014. Suzuki-san, the ramen master, has spent time in various establishments in the city, learning the trade and honing his talent.

His soft spoken confidence and raw talent has produced a bowl that has shot into the top tier of my list of ramen greats. The signature broth is surprisingly light and subtle for a tonkotsu and the soy sauce adds more of a fragrance than actually imparting any strong flavors. Despite the subtlety, however, it doesn’t lack the creaminess or the well-rounded body that one would expect from a long-stewed tonkotsu broth. The result will appeal to fans of the genre and those who prefer lighter, clearer broths.

The menu is simple, with "aji tamago" (marinated, soft-boiled egg) ramen, cabbage ramen, "chashu" (pork) ramen and Shouki special ramen as well as some sides and refreshments. All the ramen options are based on the same broth, the only difference is the topping selection. Customers can specify the firmness of the noodles, the amount of oil they want in their soup and the strength of the flavor.

The noodles are of the thicker variety and freshly made (though I’m not sure if they’re made on the premises). They are excellent though and when done firmly, add a beautiful texture to each bite.

I recommend the Shouki special. It’s served Yokohama-style with a perfectly done aji tamago, two pieces of succulent chashu and six sheets of crisp nori (seaweed) in addition to the spring onion that comes with all the other bowls. The fact that the soup itself doesn’t overwhelm means all the other ingredients’ flavors contribute to the total taste of the bowl.

The chashu ramen is a great option to sate those carnivorous cravings. On its own, it’s not the most taste bud twisting chashu I’ve experienced, but it’s properly made and the flavor compliments the soup well. There is a selection of condiments to further customize your bowl — the minced garlic sets it off nicely (as it does in all tonkotsu soups) but surprisingly I found it didn’t really need it. The Shoukiya tokusei geki-kara chou miryou (super-hot lava paste) is supposed to be highly recommended for those who want to embrace their inner Smaug, but I have yet to man up to it.

The only real downside to Shoukiya — for most — would be its location. It’s 30 minutes from Shibuya. However, for any ramenist looking for a new take on the tonkotsu-shoyu experience, it’s well worth the trip.

Shoukiya

Open daily, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

1-1-6 Arima Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki

Web: https://www.facebook.com/shoukiya

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/CCdsy

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