March 30, 2020

TOKYO: Ginza Kagari Honten 銀座篝本店

This is the first thing what my brother and I did when we reached Tokyo! We placed our luggage in the coin locker and headed straight to Ginza Kagari Honten for our first eat destination.

Ginza Kagari Honten 銀座篝本店

Hidden over here in one of the Ginza back alleys, about 3 to 5 minutes’ walk from Ginza Station; Ginza Kagari Honten is famous for its “tori paitan” 鶏白湯, a creamy broth that is made out of simmering the chicken bones and carcasses for long hours, appears in thick and whitish colour. This ramen house is also one that you have to queue for some time before you get to slurp them up. It was about 7pm when we arrived at this place. To my surprise, there were only about 8 of them before us on the queue. Feeling lucky as we only had to queue for less than 20minutes!

Ginza Kagari Honten offers Chicken White Broth Soba, Chicken White Broth Soy Sauce Soba, with truffle, tsukemen, chicken soba (which is made of only chicken and water), and Gohan (rice).You may find that the word “Soba” on the wall and menu, that’s because they use “chukka soba” which means Chinese noodles over here.

There is even a guide for you to enjoy the ramen. Try to enjoy the soup; then slurp up and taste the noodles. Then, feel free to add on the Japanese ginger, organic rice vinegar and black shichimi provided, a little by little into the broth and there will be a change of flavour.

You may also add in onion oil to change the flavour and aroma as you eat.

Special Chicken White Broth Soba (¥ 1400)
A bowl of piping hot ramen topped with chicken breast slices and colourful seasonal vegetables such as pumpkin, baby corn and tomato. This special order also came with another plate of vegetables and chicken breast at the side, and an ajitama (flavoured egg) too.

First sip on the broth, I was sold. It was seriously WOW! It was very thick and creamy, very delicious and flavourful, packed with umami-ness and left you a touch of gelatin layer on the lips, sticky sticky type. I love the broth very much, it was very comforting, punched with chicken essence, rich but not overpowering. Every strand of noodles just adsorbed the broth, so yum! And I am amazed with the chicken breast slices; they were really succulent and tender. Can’t believe I was eating chicken breast at all.

Chicken White Broth Soy Sauce Soba (¥ 1100)
Added with soy sauce, the chicken white broth became more complex, more umami-ness but at a very balance level in terms of taste and aroma.

If you asked me which I prefer, my pick goes to their original chicken white broth. Too delicious and comforting, especially during cool weather days. Also, every mouthful of the noodles and broth pairing with each seasonal vegetable also change its taste!