The future of iekei ramen can be found behind a blue door a five-minute walk from Higashi-Koenji metro station. The classy Tonkotsu Aoto is the brainchild of a chef who did time at Tachikawa iekei institution Tsubasaya and is now leveraging his mastery of the style to create a lighter, gentler, more refined version of the beloved Yokohama-born dish.
Aoto’s standard ramen (from ¥980) features a gently savoury but still power-packed take on the familiar pork-bone broth, paired here with a lighter soy sauce tare than you’d usually find in iekei. The result is a moreish soup that leaves an indelible impression while bringing out the best in the springy, texture-heavy straight noodles, made entirely with domestic wheat.
In another departure from iekei orthodoxy, Aoto’s Tokusei Ramen (¥1,520) – the regular bowl plus the shop’s full line of toppings – comes with wonton, a plump and juicy bundle of joy that incorporates ground pork, ginger and black pepper. Other toppings include three types of painstakingly prepared char siu – thigh, belly and chuck loin – a soft-boiled egg and mustard greens.