A note on the words: miso ramen is ramen seasoned with fermented soybean paste; the Sapporo style stir-fries the miso and vegetables in a wok first and finishes the bowl with a lid of lard, which keeps it scalding. Chashu is the braised pork that tops the bowl, and chashu men is the version piled with extra of it. Tsukemen is ramen served with the broth on the side for dipping. Many small shops take payment from a ticket machine by the door before you sit down. Prices are as of this writing (August 2026).
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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.
I want to eat something good today too. This is Hangover Meshi. A miso ramen shop I have had my eye on for ages. Last time I went it was regrettably closed, and I went to a different tsukemen shop instead. That was good in its own right, so it was a happy meeting. This time I went back for another attempt. I arrived in front of the shop ten minutes before opening. Two people were already in the queue. A queue is reassuring — it means it is almost certainly not a closing day.
Well then: Asahi Chonai Kai at last, and I am very much looking forward to it.
Miso ramen, 950 yen
Miso chashu men, 1,350 yen
Spicy miso ramen, 1,000 yen
The miso ramen I fell in love with twenty years ago, 980 yen
This one, the miso ramen I fell in love with twenty years ago, is apparently a very rich bowl that goes perfectly with rice.
I was extremely curious, but first the plain miso ramen — no, the miso chashu men. Start here.
So, buy a ticket from the machine and take a seat. A short wait, and the ramen arrives.
The moment it is served you are captured by the smell. A lovely smell. The fragrance that only stir-fried miso gives, and the sweet scent of the lard covering the surface, rise up together. That layer of fat on the surface really does say Sapporo miso ramen.
One sip of the broth and the heat of it reaches your tongue first, and after that the deep richness of the miso and the soft sweetness of the stir-fried vegetables spread out slowly. Dissolve a little of the ginger in and its coolness goes with it superbly. Rich, and yet the salt has no hard corners, with a faint sweetness left in the finish. It is remarkable that it does not feel heavy.
The noodles are medium-thick and crinkled, with real spring when you lift them. They are chewy and elastic, carry the savor of the broth well, and come apart nicely in the mouth. They have enough presence not to lose to a miso broth, and the more you eat the more the scent of the wheat rises. Fine noodles. I do think miso ramen cannot be balanced unless the noodles themselves are properly good — and Asahi Chonai Kai delivers.
The chashu is thick and yet tender, with a texture that falls apart. There is a light sear on the surface, and the moment you bite, the savor of the meat and the sweetness of the fat flood out. As you eat, the part sitting in the broth has its fat melt away and adds further depth to the flavor. I am very glad I went for the chashu version.
Yes, this is good.
The bean sprouts, onion and minced meat have all been given a proper stir-fried fragrance and play an important part in layering savor through the whole broth. As you eat, the flavors of the miso and the vegetables mix gently, and it stays interesting right to the end. Very good indeed.
Even knowing perfectly well that I would be thirsty afterwards, I could not stop drinking the miso broth. And then when you pour cold water down at the end, the water somehow tastes sweet. It has been a long time since I felt that. Extremely good. To think there was ramen this good in Itabashi. I am glad I came. A very complete bowl, in which the strength you want from miso ramen and an elegant flavor that speaks of careful preparation live side by side. Recommended.
Asahi Chonai Kai (Ramen / Itabashi-kuyakushomae Station, Shimo-Itabashi Station, Shin-Itabashi Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★★☆ 4.0
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
