中華そば 吾衛門 (Goemon in Hachioji)

中華そば 吾衛門

Ramen Riders!

Well, I didn't take any bike photos in front of the shop, but this was the first stop on a cross-country motorcycle ride with my friend Igor, who runs Karma Ramen in Vienna, Austria. We were headed west, and Hachioji seemed like a good lunch stop.

Goemon opened in Showa 34, aka 1959. It is labeled as a regular chukasoba, but ramen nerds will tell you that this is actually Hachioji-style.

What is Hachioji-style? It is simple.

Lot's of fresh minced onion as a topping. Other aspects include a deep pork-based soup and heavily seasoned chashu. Oh, and it should be super cheap. This bowl is 500 yen, less than $5.

This bowl is very good, and should be on any ramen nerd's list to check out. Hachioji isn't close to Tokyo, but it isn't too far. Make a day of it and go hiking at nearby Takao-san. Expect a line on any day.