The Tiny Ramen Counter Worth the Queue
Nine seats, one broth, a queue around the block — and a bowl that quietly ruined every other for me.
The shop has nine seats and no sign worth the name, and by half eleven the queue already bends around the corner.
You order from a vending machine by the door, hand the ticket over, and watch one man assemble bowls with the economy of someone who has done it ten thousand times.
Why the wait is the point
The broth is the kind of thing people write theses about — clean, deep, faintly sweet, gone far too soon.
A few things I learned, in no particular order:
- Go at an odd hour; 11am or 3pm beats the lunch crush.
- Have your machine order chosen before you reach the front.
- Eat fast. The counter is for eating, not lingering.
It cost less than a coffee back home and made every bowl since feel like a rough draft.
I joined the queue again the next day, which tells you everything you need to know.