So I'm back with another behind the counter and this time we are in a suit and I'm taking you to a special one.

This one is a local miso ramen shop that's run by a husband and wife.

I just love being able to show you these pockets of japanese life.

But before I take you inside, if you guys want to see what I'm doing on the daily check on my instagram account, if you guys wanna help with the channel, then definitely check out my Tokyo and Japan merch.

And if you have any questions about japan or your japan travels, check out my discord community that said we are a little bit early, Murata san should be coming shortly.

We just gotta wait.

So today I'm going behind the counter at Ramen ka Kitagawa, everybody.

Just a three minute walk from Tokyo's Jr Ebisu west exit and literally right in front of the Ebisu hippie a line subway exit for this hole in the wall through the corridor would never know it even existed.

Hidden.

Japanese ramen shop is exactly why I love doing these videos and there he is the owner of the shop.

He usually is the first one to arrive in the morning.

The shop was originally opened in Shizuoka and relocated to Ebisu at the start of 2021.

It had a fairly quiet start but quickly picked up a reputation and these days more often than not has a line out the door.

Oh he's preparing one of the several charts you used in the ramen.

This is the chicken breast tissue.

So is there anything special about the meat you use?

Okay, you've got my attention after slicing the meat, he goes over each slice and trims the edges to make it perfect.

What did you do before opening the shop restaurant?

Apparently he met his wife around this time but shall motivate him to pursue a more stable career path.

He started his ramen career at a miso ramen shop in Ginza called Dome is so after only studying for 10 months, he was able to get the owner's permission to start his own ramen shop using similar ingredients and techniques but of his own creation.

That's a lot of eggs.

They used about 80 to 100 eggs every day and he usually cooked it before the store gets busy.

A lot of things need to happen all at once in a short period of time.

So it's important to manage his time efficiently.

Was it tough to get permission to open your own shop?

So what happened?

Apparently he offered to work from early morning until late at night, even at a lesser wage compared to other staff to prove to the owner of his commitment to learning how to craft beautiful ramen with the goal to eventually get the owner's blessing to start his own shop.

Oh, that's the pork shoulder cashew.

Look at that deep coloring.

I could just eat that alone.

The shop uses pork back fat in their miso ramen, which adds to the already thick soup.

So he chooses to use a leaner pork shoulder to balance out the bowl.

Okay, now he's starting the soup prep although the delivery for the bone and meat ingredients haven't arrived yet.

Today he preps a soup as much as he can.

So it's ready for when the ingredients arrive.

Wow, that's a lot of say a buddha, also known as pork back fat.

This is used specifically for finishing off the ramen soup.

That's in the ramen.

No wonder why it tastes so good.

What's the difference in the pots?

What's in there?

I don't give a simple, it's good there.

What's your statement?

So the shop uses a soggy tashi method to prepare its soup, which means that it continually adds new crafted soup to the existing one.

Quite a common technique for many japanese ramen shops.

Oh, that's kombu kelp water which is using one of their popular menu items.

It's came in a dipping ramen.

In fact help is an integral part of japanese cuisine commonly used in home cooking as well as michelin restaurants.

What's the most popular ramen here?

So how did you decide on the menu?

Apparently in japan these days.

Miso ramen is not as popular as it once was, but rather japanese are trending towards more light, elegant and chic versions of ramen, which is why Murata san also created his own signature kelp water ramen which was naturally a hit by the way?

Are there any secrets that you can share about the ramen industry over?

Oh, it seems like the noodles have been delivered the shop.

He's the same dough miso noodles from kaikoura, a specialized Asakusa based noodle producer.

The noodles itself are made from a blend of two types of flour and tapioca to create its characteristic springy texture and sweetness, pairing perfectly with a sharp, strong and rich miso soup.

Nice.

The other chef and his four month pregnant wife have arrived.

How's the pregnancy going?

Murata son's wife takes care of their toddler in the morning then works at the shop to greet and serve customers while also doing other tasks like visiting the bank to get change.

Yeah.

Now that the other chef is here, Pattison steps out for a quick visit to the neighboring shrine since the shop is relatively new in the area, he prays here to the local god every day to receive its blessing.

So what did you do before this?

Thank you so much dot can you tell me a joke that was perfect.

Oh great timing.

The meat delivery is here.

The delivery consists of various meats using the soup such as game katsu, pork bones, chicken bones and pork feet.

All these ingredients are combined based on the shop's own ratio and slow cooked throughout the entire day to produce its own unique signature broth?

So what do you like about this job?

Did you ever think that you'd run a ramen shop when you were a kid before meeting her husband?

She worked as an aesthetician as well as helping with accounting for her uncle's company.

But after he decided to open up a ramen shop, she decided to work with him so that they could build a restaurant together.

Is there a specific type of ramen that you love?

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Mhm.

What flower is that?

He continues on with the topping prep such as eggs, meat etcetera and places each one in its designated spots.

So their bowls of ramen can quickly be made as each new customer arrives.

Are you married?

What do you guys do for fun at home?

Alright.

You show me your moves.

All right, my man got some moves.

What do you think?

Think?

Think What are you going to do now before opening they prepared the spices for about 20 bowls to minimize the customers.

Wait time.

Oh and that's her spice infused oil called Comey a Buddha which includes 12 different kinds of herbs like garlic and ginger.

Now the store is open for business.

Here comes the first customer.

Hi.

Mm hmm.

Oh and this video wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention their key ingredient miso.

They blend five kinds of raw miso without adding heat to preserve as much of its flavor as possible.

A distinct saltiness spread perfectly with the sweetness from the pork back fat, creating their signature bowl of ramen.

Let's go talk to the customers.

Hi, can I bother you.

Do you come here often?

Cool.

Why do you come here?

What do you like about it?

Well, how about that?

Damn.

Right after opening, it's already busy.

Oh Murata son's wife is helping out with the toppings now I guess they all know the system so well that they can fill in for each other when needed, truly a family run shop.

Whoa, This one looks good as well.

It's inhuman.

Hot noodles premixed and a thick sauce.

Mhm.

Excuse me, Can I ask you a few questions?

Why did you come here today?

So what do you like about the shop?

Which one?

How do you like it so much?

Thanks.

Oh, that's a scam in using kelp water.

It's served with cold noodles preferred by many japanese in the summer.

So, although the shop is tucked away from view from the main street, Murata san says that it's not as big of a deal compared to many years ago when shops relied heavily on foot traffic these days.

As long as the shop can create a high quality food.

Experience the internet and social media traffic will ultimately uncover even the most hidden spots.

There's the famous, so the shop doesn't close down between lunch and dinner, like many other japanese restaurants, but they make use of the slower time to catch up on dishes and cleaning.

A great example of a japanese family working hard to craft their beautiful ramen and that's another one in the books.

If you want to visit this shop and experience it yourself, I'll be sure to leave a link in the description.

So that's behind the counter at a local Japanese miso ramen shop.

If you guys like this video helped me out and hit that like button if you guys want to see more videos like this or anything related to japan, hit that subscribe button and the button and I'll catch you guys in the next one.