Kashou(華塩): Next Great Oyster Ramen; Chitose Karasuyama, Tokyo

Seems like a new ramen shop is opening in Chitose Karasuyama every week, but this might be the most hyped of the bunch. Kashou is a Seijo Seika sister restaurant and got quite the buzz on social media leading to ridiculous lines. To start, Chitose Karasuyama is located on the Keio line and takes about 15 minutes on the express from Shinjuku station. Shop is located on the north side of the tracks and is about a 5 minute walk. I made my visit during the first week it was open, arriving thirty minutes before opening and was 20th in line. The queue grew to around 50 by the time they opened for business, but from what I’ve heard from fellow ramen heads, the line has shrunk significantly since then. Anyways, finally sat around 11:45 and ordered the Kaki (oyster) Soba Kama-meshi Set with the Tokusei topping.

As you can see, no English on the ticket machine so I’ll do a brief rundown here. Top row are the oyster ramen options ranging from Nami (normal), Chu (medium), and Dai (large) with the Nami (regular size) & Kama Meshi rice set all the way at the very end. Second row is the same as the first, but for the Niboshi ramen. Third row is the Zenmori toppings which come with the plate seen below. Button next to that is the Kama Meshi if you wanted to order that with say the medium or large portion sizes on the ramen. Row below are individual toppings of chashu, egg, menma, and oysters. Last row is beer, whiskey highball, and a button to receive a receipt.

Ten minutes after sitting and my bowl was ready. Took a bit of time only because I sat alongside four guests so the master was making them all at the same time. Kamameshi arrived first and my ramen came soon after. I appreciated being right in front of the kitchen so I could see everything first hand.

So the broth is produced using oysters and the raota (ramen otaku) sitting next to me asked for more details, but the master was pretty hesitant to disclose any other information. This broth is then combined with a Shio tare which was pretty low profile and reserved, allowing that clean oyster flavor carry the bulk of the impact. Topping the regular bowl is the chashu, menma, brandy soaked lemon, oyster puree, and a bit of tea powder. Soup itself was airy and very light, but I love how layered the bowl itself was and the way the soup changes as the oyster puree and powdered tea work it's way in to the mix. The lemon slice was also a nice touch with some added acidity, but can't say I noticed the brandy much. Overall it's probably the lightest, most tame version of oyster soup I've had so far, but has enough going on that you're not missing that heavier flavor anyway.

Noodles are served thin and snappy which makes sense given this airy broth. Pairing here was really well thought out and a thicker noodle that usually come with an oyster ramen might have overpowered the delicate soup flavors. Normal bowl comes with what you see in the ramen and the oyster puree was definitely the highlight. It is more a puree than a reduction and it's just the perfect oyster boost. Tea powder was interesting, I guess it's a way to mimic sansho without making it too peppery. They also have it provided in a shaker at the table and I was definitely adding more along the way. The slight bitterness of it was really addicting and I just enjoyed how unique of a concept it was.

Tokusei toppings come on the separate plate and I was really just after the oysters. I now see that they had oysters as is, but I guess the cost performance was a bit better getting this plate. Loved the glaze that was on the oysters and was the perfect addition to add a bit more protein to the meal. I quite enjoyed the Aojiso as well, it surprisingly paired really well with the glazed oysters. Wasn’t a huge fan of the chashu to be honest, the portion was perfect as is in the bowl, but I did appreciate the extra serving of menma for the spectacular crunch. Kama meshi was ok, felt a bit gimmicky, but not bad for the price. Having this may have played a role in thinking I was getting way too many chashu with this meal. I feel like there was so much more interesting things they could have down with the Kama Meshi, but I guess it was fine given its price point.

Overall fantastic shop and I can see this becoming a pretty popular spot. It’s not quite in a central part of Tokyo, so it might not draw a lot of tourists to their doors, but any hardcore ramen heads should keep this on their radar. I feel the potential to be a neighborhood staple like the sister store Seijo Seika and looking forward to whats to come for them.