Ginza Oborodzuki (銀座朧月); Ginza's Finest Tsukemen, Ginza, Tokyo

I just recently posted an English translation of the Top 100 Ramen Restaurants according to Tabelog and realized I was missing way too many reviews for my liking. What made it so disappointing was the fact that I'd been to all but 5 of them…I've just been lazy to write them up. Honestly this was eye opening and I'm gonna try my best to write a review for the rest of the list by the end of January. Starting off in the Ginza category is Oborodzuki right in between Shinbashi and Ginza stations. Ginza and Shinbashi is actually home to a ton of top ramen shops due to the location in a high end area of Tokyo so I was surprised I wasn’t missing a bunch more. Anyways, Oborodzuki has been around for a while now, first opening their doors in October, 2010. It's been a staple shop in Tokyo and serves up some solid Noukou Tonkotsu Gyokai dipping soups. The area is a hub for both tourists and business men and women so prepare for queues if you visit. Lines tend to die down close to closing for lunch, but don't cut it too close in case they run out of soup.

Oborodzuki has a multitude of offerings, but the most recommended item is definitely their Tsukemen. Starting from the top left, the options are regular ramen, Noukou or thickTsukemen, Kara or spicy Tsukemen, and the Tokusei Tsukemen which comes with extra toppings. The Tsukemen options on the first row allows you to choose regular noodle portion size or Oomori, large portion size for the same price. The second row corresponds to the options right above, but in an Oomori large portion for the ramen and Tokumori or extra large noodle portions for the Tsukemen. The third row, starting with the left is extra pork Chashu with your ramen, a Noukou thick Niboshi Tsukemen, a Gyokai seafood Tsukemen, and finally extra six slices of pork Chashu on the side. Fourth row is extra pork Chashu with Oomori noodle portion ramen, Tokumori extra large noodle portion for the Noukou Niboshi Tsukemen, Tokumori for the Gyokai seafood Tsukemen, and three slices of pork chashu on the side. Fifth row is a Gentei special Tsukemen (if available that day), Tokusei toppings on the side, Ajitama soft boiled egg, and Menma bamboo shoots. The final row is a Negi green onions/Tamanegi regular onions button (choose when you hand your ticket over), choice of Mentaiko fish egg over rice or Chashu mayo rice bowl (choose when you hand your ticket), and finally beer.

My order for the day was the Tokusei Tsukemen. Visually, for the noodles, it kind of reminded me of Rokurinsha, while the soup, it was more the dirty thick paste akin to Noroshi in Saitama. Noodles had that clean, yellowish white, slippery sheen on them as opposed to the more recent shops which uses a brown hue resulting from different flour blends. Toppings were places carefully over the noodles here which included my Ajitama soft boiled egg, a torch seared pork chashu, kaiware Japanese sprouts and a slice of naruto fishcake. Dipping soup was thick, viscous, and had that aroma that you get only from long continuous tonkotsu boil and loads of dried fish dumped in. A dark shoyu tare, some menma bamboo shoots, thinly sliced Japanese negi, and square cut pork chashu went in before ultimately the soup drowned everything underneath. Bit of a viscous, gyofun incorporated sauce was poured over the end giving it some extra salinity and umami notes to round out the dipping soup bowl.

Starting with the noodles, I have to say, it wasn’t anything impressive, but rather a solid, perfectly paired component of the overall dish. Would I have preferred a bit more variety and different flavor notes? Absolutely. Did it need it? No, not necessarily, but I honestly thought a bit more variety, given its location in Ginza could have been a nice touch to elevate it just a tad more. Cooked and then shocked before serving, it follows the normal trajectory of the Tsukemen. Texture was firm, but springy and did an ok job of clinging to the soup as you can see from the photos below.

Soup was really the best feature of the dish with so many different complex ingredients and flavor levels unearthing with each bite. Starting off with the sauce bit up top, it really rounds out the soup and gives it the initial umami burst before digging in to whatbhides below the surface. Soup is tonkotsu base with a velvety, smooth feel on the lips followed by an intense savoriness that follows on your tongue. Dried fish components are spot on adding bitterness when needed, but acting more as the flavor enhancer of the soup in general. The combination of these components in the soup is a sight for sore eyes with so many mediocre Tsukemen shops operating in Tokyo.

Loved the chashu topping as well which had the extra touch of the gas torch providing both an enchanting aroma and addicting taste. Menma bamboo shoots were solid, but nothing to write home about and the negi gave it a refreshing crunch between bites. Ajitama soft boiled egg was a tad rubbery and could have used a bit less cooking time, but overall I thought it was a solid dish. Oh, and be sure to get the Katsuo dashi soup wari at the end to polish off your dipping soup before saying your goodbyes. Chef puts a bit of Japanese herbs and Yuzu peel for a refreshing end of meal palette cleanser that you don't want to miss.

If I were to speak objectively I would say Oborodzuki is a solid shop that holds it’s own in the competitive ramen market of Ginza. However, speaking subjectively, I wouldn’t necessarily say the shop was my favorite. In terms of Noukou Tonkotsu Gyokai style tsukemen, I would probably put Oborodzuki in Tier B, in the same realm as shops like Fuunji, Rokurinsha, and Menya Musashi. Tier B are solid shops for the area, but unless I was specifically in that area of Tokyo, I probably wouldn’t be headed there. However, if you are staying in the Ginza area, or if you work nearby, I definitely recommend a visit as it is, without a doubt, the best shop for this style of Tsukemen in the area. The Tokusei is the option to get and honestly choose the Oomori option for extra noodles for the best bang for your buck in the pricy district of Ginza. If you do end up going there, be sure to let me know on my instagram or facebook! Thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed this article, please consider supporting me on Patreon, or purchasing one of my eBooks. Thanks!