Misokko Hook (味噌っ子ふっく): Next Great Miso Ramen in Tokyo?; Ogikubo, Tokyo

As a Tokyoite born and bred, I just never got in to Miso Ramen. It wasn’t all that common to find in Tokyo and unless you went to a Miso ramen specialty shop, it was always relegated to the bottom half of the menu as an after thought. Of course when I visited Hokkaido or even to the Ramen Museum in Shin Yokohama, I would grab a bowl or two, but I never really sought them out when I was younger. Nowadays, with my increased ramen eating, I’m inevitably gonna hit some occasional Miso shops, but even then, I find that they’re usually JunSumi Sapporo style that was brought over from the snow capital of Japan. Even Japanese people think of this Miso style as the most “authentic” so when I come across a popular shop that doesn’t originate from Sapporo, I’m immediately intrigued. Misokko Hook was one of those shops with the master getting the majority of his training from the popular Tokyo Miso ramen shop Hanamichi near Nogata station in Nakano. Using a richer, creamier Miso tare than it’s Sapporo counterpart, Misokko Hook is making a name for themselves as one of, if not the best Miso option in Tokyo.

Pretty simple menu here and you make your order at the ticket machine near the entrance before taking your seat. Starting at the very top is the regular Miso Ramen, followed by the Spicy Miso Ramen, Tantanmen, and the two buttons at the very right are for large (above) and extra large (bottom) noodle portions. Next row down is the above ramen varieties, but with an Ajitama egg with the button on the far right giving customers an extra egg on the side (or more for your bowl if that’s your jam). Next row is for extra pork chashu on each ramen variety with, again, a button on the very right for extra chashu on the side. Next row down, the green buttons are for gentei specialty items, followed by Menma, Negi, and Corn toppings. Below that is the Chashu over rice, plain rice, Asahi Super Dry, Highball, Lemon Highball, and appetizer for your alcoholic beverage. Final row at the very bottom is TKG or raw egg over rice, Mitsuwa Cider, Black Oolong Tea, and a button for a receipt. I ended up ordering the Spicy Miso Ramen with Ajitama Soft Boiled Egg and a side of Chashu over Rice.

Right off the bat, the colors in this bowl really drew me in. The creamy, rich brown glaze countering the fire red chili oil made for the perfect Ying & Yang color juxtaposition. In terms of flavor, soup was as amazing as it looked with the decadent, milky miso encapsulating each individual taste bud with every sip. No additional aroma oil is used, but I imagine they use a bit of lard to heat up the miso on the tare seasoning and that bit really ups the richness of the soup as a whole. Stock is a mixture of pork and chicken bones, so while it lacks the umami punch you might get if you added some dried fish, it more than makes up for it with the use of their elegant miso paste. The miso is sourced from Sendai and apparently the master went through a brutal tasting to choose the one perfect for his envisioned ramen. I was a bit scared I ruined the balance of this soup by ordering it spicy, but honestly it had a nice harmonious pairing, complimenting each other as it slowly mixed together throughout my meal. I actually really enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t mixed in from the start as it allowed me to enjoy the miso alone and separately with the spice for a variety of flavor profiles in one bowl. Chili oil wasn’t too spicy so even a novice could easily crush the bowl, but I was a bit disappointed I couldn’t just add more at the table since it was a bit tame for my liking.

Noodles are brought in from the famous Mikawaya Seimen, just like at the master’s training grounds in Hanamichi. I thought it was a similar recipe with a medium thick, chewy texture that pairs with the creamy soup perfectly. Any thicker and the noodles would overshadow the soup and anything thinner would have just drowned to the bottom. As for toppings, honestly everything was absolutely exquisite. From the blanched bean sprouts cooked to leave a bit of bite, to the melt in your mouth charred pork chashu, they all played a vital instrument in a fantastic flavor orchestra in my mouth. Crunchy menma bamboo shoots counteracted the chewy noodles and the bouncy Ajitama soft boiled egg revealed a golden orange yolk that was to die for. Creamy center melted in to the soup for an even more decadent, rich soup at the end for a welcomed flavor change. Smokiness of the chashu added some great aroma as well to an already captivating bowl of ramen.

Finished my meal off with a bowl of their Pork Chashu over Rice. Honestly, if I could, I would come here just to snack on these bowls once a week. The pork is the off, edge cuts of the chashu they use in the ramen and it is so incredibly flavorful and tender. Hands down, this is probably one of, if not the best pork chashu over rice bowl I have ever had so do yourself a massive favor by making sure to grab one when you visit.

Misokko Hook definitely lived up to the hype and I think I can confidently say this is the best Tokyo style Miso Ramen I’ve ever had. Don’t think I can say it’s the best I’ve ever had though, but definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in the area. Located in West Tokyo nearby to Kichijoji and the Ghibli Museum, I think it’s worth fitting in to a tourist’s schedule if you’re headed down here anyways. If you do, be sure to let me know in the comment section below or on my Instagram!