Ramen Maikagura (らーめんMAIKAGURA); New King of Paitan?, Chitose Funabashi, Tokyo

So the Odakyu train line runs through Shinjuku out towards Machida, but it's honestly a line that I rarely catch. I don't live anywhere near an Odakyu line station and since most of the stations are in residential areas of Tokyo, I rarely have a reason to go… of course unless ramen is involved. There are actually a handful of shops on the Tabelog top 100 Hyakumeiten list that I wanted to cross off on the Odakyu line so I decided to get out of my train comfort zone and make my way to Chitose Funabashi. About a ten minute walk from the station is a shop that's been making a name for themselves as one of the elite Tori Paitan, thick and creamy chicken soup ramen, shops in all of Japan. Ramen Maikagura opened in 2018 and the master has quite the pedigree as he trained at the famous Nakamuraya in Ebina, Kanagawa before branching out on his own. The shop is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:30-15:00 for lunch and 18:00-20:00 for dinner (subject to change post-pandemic), and is a must visit shop for any Paitan lovers. However, be careful and plan accordingly as the shop draws huge lines daily. Be prepared to wait at least an hour to try their mind-blowing bowl.

Unfortunately, the area isn't a big touristy area and they don't get a ton of foreigners in the area so the machine is all Japanese. I'll go ahead and translate the ticket machine here. Starting at the top is their Shoyu Ramen in various topping options starting with Ajitama on the far left, Tokusei with extra topping to the right, regular bowl with no extras, and then finally a special duck shoyu ramen. The second row features their Shio Ramen on the far left, a Yuzu Shio Ramen next to it, a Yuzu Spicy Ramen, and finally a Shio Tsukemen. The third row features their newest ramen line starting with a Tori Paitan (creamy, chicken ramen), a Tori Paitan Crema with a cream mousse, White Truffle Oil Tori Paitan, and at the very end is a seasonal gentei specialty menu. The first row of small buttons on the bottom are the rice bowl options starting with a Negi and Egg over rice, a Roast Pork over rice, daily special chashu over rice, and a regular bowl of plain rice. On the far right of this row is a kids’s ramen and option for extra noodles. Last row is primarily toppings, starting with extra roast pork chashu, a chicken chashu, ajitama soft boiled egg, a poached egg, menma bamboo shoots, and dries seaweed. The button on the far right is for a bottle of Ebisu beer. When Maikagura first opened, their specialty and most popular menu item was the Shoyu Ramen. Since then, they’ve produced a Tori Paitan bowl that has Ramen enthusiasts lining up daily. My order for the day was the White Truffle Tori Paitan and a side of daily special chashu over rice, but you can’t go wrong with a bowl of their Shoyu ramen either.

Pictured is the White Truffle Tori Paitan. I didn’t opt to order any extra toppings so the bowl you see here is how the dish is served. If you came with an appetite, I would suggest ordering one of the rice bowl options. I honestly don’t think any of the extra toppings would pair with this already balanced bowl of ramen so your best bet is the side of chashu over rice. In terms of toppings, the bowl is the perfect example of simple is best, featuring just a couple thin slices of pork chashu, a few cuts of green onions, a poached egg, and a couple cracks of fresh black pepper. A healthy portion of noodles sit beneath the Tori Paitan soup which is encapsulated in the Chiyu chicken aroma oil infused with White Truffle. First sip of the soup and you’ll immediately get the hit of white truffle which is borderline offensive and incredibly overpowering. The aroma is so distinct that I could smell it two seats away, from a customer who had ordered the same dish just ten minutes earlier. However, as you let the soup settle in and each component starts meshing together, the bowl becomes quite balanced and harmonious, striking just the right chord with every bite and getting better as the meal progresses. The white truffle chiyu aroma oil is aggressive as is, attacking your taste buds as soon as it hits them which is why it needs a thorough mixing with the creamy Tori Paitan, and it gradually dissipates in to the soup, becoming more of an accent than the main attraction.

The base stock is more silky than creamy and is delicious as is. Broth is made through the use of a pressure cooker and is prepared daily. I could also taste hints of vegetables for sweetness and it has a potage vibe in terms of texture. As for viscosity, it does look quite thick, but in comparison to popular shops like Kagari, I would argue that Maikagura is a bit thinner. No doubt about it being a Paitan though as it carries a deep, thick, chicken enriched flavor as base. The broth soothes your soul as it travels down your throat and the white truffle comes in like background music, setting the tone for the meal ahead.

Noodles are what struck me the most as it is uncharacteristically low with the amount of kansui used and they reminded me more of somen than ramen. The texture is a little off putting as well since the strands clump together and becomes a bit sticky as the paitan clings on to it. Then you peel off a few strands and take a slurp, only to find this gooey texture works… it works perfectly as it provides a fragrant flour aroma while cushioning the heavy paitan flavor and overpowering truffle notes. The noodles makes everything way more palatable and the slurps are much more satisfying as the soup holds on for dear life and all of it makes its way to your mouth rather than your shirt or face. Noodle texture is out of this world and much like it cushions the heavy flavors of the soup, it also is soft like a cushion, having some resistance for a chewy finish. Each strand soaks up the soup remarkably well and ensure that each bite is as flavorful as the last.

Midway through your bowl, the chef advises you crack open the onsen tamago, or the Japanese version of a poached egg (sort of). The raw egg yolk hidden inside the softly cooked whites oozes out in to the soup and makes the already creamy soup even creamier. The decadence in the combination of egg yolk and thick chicken soup is worth every penny of this bowl as it makes a ramen experience you don’t typically get with any style outside this one. One complain was the lack of green onions as this over zealous, impactful soup did need a bit more of it to help cut through the fattiness and give my palette a break in between bites. Fresh cracked black pepper was a nice accent though as the spicy pepperiness did help with the overall flavors of the soup. If you need a bit of an extra kick, the shop provides some shichimi at the table which you can sprinkle directly in to your soup.

As I mentioned earlier, I did opt to get a side of the daily special Chashu over rice. I had waited well over an hour to sit so I was quite peckish by the time I ordered, but I definitely did not regret making this purchase. A generous scoop of plump, white rice gives rest to a good portion of charbroiled pork chashu topped with a couple cracks of black pepper and springs of green onions. The smoky aroma of the chashu is hypnotizing and the shoyu marinade meshes well with the black pepper making it hard to stop eating the white rice below it. Save a bit of the soup to go along with your rice bowl…I thoroughly enjoyed my make shift porridge at the end I made from spooning a bit of my leftover soup in to my rice bowl.

My visit to Maikagura was long overdue for a number of factors. Location for one was a huge thorn in my foot, but also the dish itself isn’t particularly my favorite. Tori Paitan is usually a bit boring for me and the higher tier shops tend to over indulge guests with luxurious accents to distract from the rather monotone soup. Upon reading descriptions of this bowl online, Maikagura seemed like another offender of the Paitan trap. However, I just had to try it for myself and I am glad I did. While it hasn’t converted me in to a Paitan lover, I can say this is definitely in my top 3 Paitan bowls I’ve ever had and if you’re a Paitan lover yourself and you haven’t made it to this shop, I wholeheartedly recommend making the trip.