Teuchi Oyadori Chukasoba Ayagawa / 手打親鶏中華そば綾川 - Ebisu

Teuchi Oyadori Chukasoba Ayagawa, or just Ayagawa, is a new specialty ramen shop very close to Ebisu station.

Ayagawa specializes in usage of so called “oyadori” which literally translates into something like “parent bird”. In a more meaningful sense, this means old chicken which are at the end of their egg laying days. Normally these hens aren't used for much more than making soup, for which they are excellent. Ayagawa definitely is proof for that. The soup has a very deep and powerful chicken taste, probably also due to the at least 40 to 50 ml of oyadori chiyu (chicken oil) that is added to every bowl. A fragrant soy sauce builds on top of the soup foundation, without distracting too much, the chicken is the star here.

Beyond soup, oyadori rarely see usage due to their famously tough and chewy meat. However at Ayagawa, every part of the oyadori chicken is used and served. From the obvious usage in the soup, it is also used for the aromatic chicken oil and the meat toppings. Every bowl of ramen at Ayagawa comes with slices of oyadori chicken chashu, which are maybe not as tender compared to some sous vide chicken chashu, but all the more flavorful. Additonally you will find some oyadori chicken skin swimming in the soup, which is quite a bit chewy, but satisfyingly juicy with every bite.

Another highlight are the hand massaged noodles, which can be ordered in medium thickness or very thick. Standard is medium thickness which can be changed by asking for “koku futo men” when handing in the ticket.

This bowl has instantly catapulted itself into my heart and probably into my top 10 in Tokyo. Hours later, I can still feel some of the chiyu aroma lingering in my mouth. The noodles fit perfectly to the powerfully aromatic soup and deliver a very satisfying slurping experience overall.