A note on the words: Sumire is a famous Sapporo miso ramen shop where this shop’s owner trained for 13 years; here, the regular miso is balanced and gently sweet, while the special “20 Koi” bowl dials up the roasted miso, salt, and lard. Chashu is sliced braised pork (chashu-men is a bowl topped with extra slices), menma is seasoned bamboo shoots, and naruto is a slice of cured fish cake. Shime is the closing dish of a meal, and shime gohan here is a bowl of rice with butter, cheese, and black pepper to finish with.
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Asahi Chonai Kai on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Miso ramen fans, thank you for waiting! It is time for Hangover Meshi (meshi = meal)!
Here I am back at Asahi Chonai Kai, a miso ramen shop I absolutely love. It is a little hard to get to from my usual stomping grounds, so since I had something to take care of out this way, there was no way I was going to pass it up! Aiming right for the 11:00 opening — go, go!
Asahi Chonai Kai sits on the ground floor of a tower condominium, about a three-minute walk from Itabashi-kuyakushomae Station. The owner trained for 13 years at Sumire, the famous Sapporo miso ramen shop, before opening this place in 2020. The shop name is apparently the name of the neighborhood association (chonaikai) in the owner’s hometown of Ishikari in Hokkaido, ha.
Last time I had the miso chashu-men (miso ramen topped with sliced braised pork). This time I am going for the “20-nen mae koishita miso ramen” (“the miso ramen I fell in love with 20 years ago”), which caught my eye on the ticket machine last time before I passed on it!
Now then, just what kind of bowl is this miso ramen from a love 20 years ago!?
That looks so good!
According to the shop’s note, this bowl is “richer, saltier, and oilier” than their regular miso ramen. Apparently it recreates a flavor the owner fell in love with when young. Just looking at it, you can tell right away there is plenty of oil! The miso ramen I had last time had a gentle sweetness behind the toasty aroma of stir-fried miso, a gentler style that never felt heavy. “20 Koi” (as they nickname this bowl) feels like turning every dial on that all the way to the right, ha.
First sip — HOT! ha.
And then a deep aroma of roasted miso rises up, followed right away by a punch of salt. Rather than wrapping things in sweetness, it pulls everything tight and sharp. Garlic and ginger come through clearly too. A film of lard acts as a lid over the top, keeping it piping hot to the very end — even more so than last time! It does not cool down at all, ha. Watch out or you will burn your mouth! The flavor is quite rich and strong on the salt, but that saltiness gets addictive. In concept, it feels close to the “135” bowl at Tenho, another ramen shop that also goes heavy on richness and salt!
The noodles are medium-thick and curly. They have a chewy bounce and carry the rich soup right along with them, making every mouthful deeply satisfying. Dissolving the grated ginger sitting on top of the chashu (braised pork) halfway through adds a fresh lift to the saltiness and gives it a slightly different feel.
Then comes the second half. That is where the side dish of chopped scallions (180 yen) I ordered comes into play. Since the bowl was billed as extra rich and extra oily, I figured I should order it just in case! The crisp crunch and sharp bite of the raw scallions cut clean through the heaviness of the lard. Rich soup, scallions, rich soup — that back-and-forth is just right. With last time’s gentler miso I might not have needed them, but for 20 Koi, scallions are its partner.
With a broth this rich, rice would surely taste great with it. On the ticket machine there is a “20 Koi shime gohan” (a finishing rice dish, with butter, cheese, and coarse black pepper) — the shop knows what it is doing, ha. I wanted to try it, but I was not sure I could finish it all, so I passed this time. Maybe I will give it a try when I feel I have the room for it.
The love of 20 years ago was rich and salty! Still, that richness seems like it could become a habit. Last time’s regular miso ramen is for normal days when you want a delicious bowl of miso ramen. 20 Koi, with its punch of salt and oil, seems like it would work wonders when you want to bring your stomach back to life on a hangover, ha. Having the scallions on the side was a good call on my part, if I do say so myself! I recommend adding them!
Standout miso ramen in Itabashi — do try the regular miso and 20 Koi side by side!
Here is hoping I run into more good food today!
Asahi Chonai Kai Menu
Ramen
Includes a half portion of extra noodles. Per the shop’s note: richer, saltier, and oilier than the regular miso ramen
Large portion: 1,450 yen
Large portion: 1,450 yen
Large portion: 1,450 yen
Large portion: 1,900 yen
Light soy sauce flavor
Limited B (1,350 yen) and Limited C (1,450 yen) are also available. Details change daily; please check at the shop
Toppings
Extra ginger is limited to once per person. Children’s naruto (fish cake) is available for each child
Rice & side dishes
Butter, cheese, and coarse black pepper
Egg, menma (seasoned bamboo shoots), and 2 slices of chashu
Drinks
Takeout
Noodles are provided raw, to be boiled at home
*From the ticket machine display at the time of our September 2026 visit (amount paid at the machine). Prices and items may change; please check at the shop for the latest details.
Asahi Chonai Kai (Ramen / Itabashi-kuyakushomae Station, Shimo-itabashi Station, Shin-itabashi Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★★☆ 4.2
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
