Suzuran serves one of the smoothest bowls of niboshi ramen in Shinjuku and in Tokyo. They’re from the same group behind Shinjuku’s top ranked ramen shop Hayashida.
Suzuran - Silky Niboshi Ramen in Shinjuku
Niboshi (dried fish) often carries a bitterness. But this isn’t the case at Suzuran (煮干中華そば鈴蘭). Their niboshi chukasoba (ramen) is as smooth as a gently running river.
Their niboshi is sourced from around the country and based on the best available at the time. Besides niboshi, the broth includes fish extract, genkotsu, chicken bones, and momiji. Douple Soup here!
Get all toppings. The soft sous-vide chashu pork will make you rejoice and it peppery seasoning joyfully contributes to the broth.
A Ramen Sidekick
They also serve a charcoal-grilled horse mackerel (Aji) ramen. The soy sauce seasoned broth is light and smoky, with the horse mackerel (fish) flavor actually quite soft and subdued.
But horse mackerel bits are friendly reminders of the main ingredient. Unlike the spring onions in the niboshi ramen, raw red onions are used to break up the broth here.
This one comes with thin noodles. This is a solid ramen sidekick. But my heart lies with Suzuran’s niboshi ramen.
When to Go
Suzuran can get busy during lunch. While they’re on the quieter side of Shinjuku, there’s still the salaryman crowd that fill ups the restaurant.
That said, a late lunch should guarantee a shorter wait (they’re open throughout the day).
To conclude, Suzuran does a mean bowl of niboshi ramen in Shinjuku. Furthermore, it’s a great initiation to niboshi ramen if you haven’t had it before. Smooth sailing at Suzuran!