No Fish, No Life: Kaikaya By the Sea in Shibuya

There can’t be life without ramen, but sometimes you need other things too. And in Japan, the land of sushi, one of those things is seafood.

Recently, I celebrated a friend’s birthday at a cool, quirky restaurant called Kaikaya By the Sea (開花屋) in Shibuya. Located about a 10-15 minute walk from Shibuya Crossing, Kaikaya has an eclectic menu of seafood dishes inspired by cuisine from around the world. You’ll see a lot of the places that likely inspired owner-chef Teruyuki Tange in the travel photos posted in the restroom and other parts of the restaurant.

Italian Ramen?

In my last post, I talked about the world of Japanese pasta and how Japan has reimagined one of the pillars of Italian cuisine. It got me thinking: what would the Italian take on ramen look like? Or rather, what would be the Japanese take on an Italian interpretation of ramen? I found one answer at a place called Nagi Butao (凪 豚王), located not too far from Shibuya station.

Beyond Top Ramen: Yuzu Ramen at Afuri

Yuzu ramen (at Afuri)

Soft boiled egg, mizuna, bamboo shoots and nori in the yuzu ramen (Afuri)

Pork in the yuzu ramen

I’ll cut to the chase: the yuzu ramen at Afuri (阿夫利) is simply an excellent bowl of noodles, among the best you will find in Tokyo.  The shio (salt) and shoyu (soy sauce) versions of the yuzu-flavored broth are light and refreshing, with a nice citrus taste.