Menya Hyottoko / 麺屋ひょっとこ - Yurakucho

Yuzu ramen at Menya Hyottoko in Ginza. Clear light chicken soup with hints of katsuoboshi. The lovely square chashu is topped with a zesty and citrusy Yuzu paste which completely transforms the bowl once mixed in. It basically takes over the bowl and turns it into a fragrant and refreshing soup. The chashu and egg are mildly flavored, well balanced against the soup. The noodles are thin and slurpy, fitting well to this kind of light soup. If this shop opened today, people would probably call it an Afuri clone, as it heavily reminds of the Afuri style yuzu bowls. Probably unavoidable due to the overpowering nature of yuzu. Considering the cool atmosphere of this 7 seat corner shop and the great toppings, Menya Hyottoko would win over Afuri for me any day. But I would have to be in a mood for a very light bowl, for sure.