Abura Soba’ Rises as a Savior Amid Soaring Ramen Prices

Ramen “1,000-yen barrier” crumbles: ……

For a long time, the ramen industry has been known by the phrase “1,000-yen barrier. It is a common belief in the industry that if the price of a bowl of ramen exceeds 1,000 yen, the number of customers will drop off. In recent years, however, the number of ramen stores with prices that exceed this “barrier” has been increasing due to the rising costs of raw materials and labor, and it is not unusual to find ramen priced at ¥1,000 or more. Some restaurants are even offering premium ramen for several thousand yen.

Against this backdrop, “aburosoba,” which offers good cost-performance and typicity, as well as the pleasure of customization, is gaining popularity, especially among young people and students.

Reasons for the Rapid Increase in Central Tokyo

The history of aburasoba dates back to the 1950s. As a “soupless ramen” that originated in the Tama and Musashino areas of Tokyo, it has played an important role in ramen culture. Instead of soup, the noodles are tossed in a soy sauce-based sauce and seasonings such as vinegar and raayu (Chinese chili oil) are used to change the flavor.

This customizability has gained support, and its popularity has now spread nationwide. Each restaurant offers different variations of toppings and tare, and there is no end to the number of repeat customers because they never get tired of it. Many restaurants offer both regular and large portions at the same price, and the generous portions are one of the reasons why many fans in the student and downtown areas love this dish.

The hot areas for aburasoba are Shibuya, Ikebukuro, and the Takadanobaba-Waseda line in central Tokyo.

These are terminal stations served by several private railways, and there are also many universities, vocational schools, and high schools. These are areas where inexpensive, hearty meals out are in demand, especially among students.

A list of aburasoba restaurants in these areas on the ramen information website “Ramen Database” shows that within 500m of the station there are 7 restaurants in Shibuya, 6 in Ikebukuro, and 5 in Takadanobaba that offer “aburasoba” as the mainstay of their menus.

Takadanobaba, in particular, had 10 stores if the Waseda area was included, and there were a large variety of specialty stores. These areas are truly some of the most “oil-field” or “oil-soba hot-spring battlegrounds” in Tokyo.

Why “Aburasoba” is the savior of young people

Let us take a look at the strong points of aburasoba.

◇1. Enjoyment and freedom of customization

The appeal of aburasoba comes from the freedom to change the flavor to your liking by using basic seasonings such as vinegar and raayu (Chinese chili oil). Depending on one’s appetite and mood, toppings such as chashu pork and half-boiled egg can be added, while garlic sauce and mayonnaise, which are unique to each restaurant, can be used to change the flavor. This wide range of customization is the reason why customers never get tired of coming back again and again.

◇2_Good cost performance

The fact that even a regular portion of noodles weighs about 200 grams and that many restaurants charge the same price for both a regular and a large portion is a big attraction, and since it costs less than 1,000 yen, it is a strong ally for young people even in these days of rising prices.

◇3_Good value for money

Since aburasoba has no soup and does not require a long boiling time like tsukemen, it is served quickly and can be eaten quickly. With an increasing number of universities adopting a 100-minute class schedule and a trend toward shorter lunch breaks, abura-soba, which allows students to eat well in a short period of time, meets the needs of today’s university students.

Shibuya: The best place to “refuel” in Shibuya!　Standard authentic oil noodle / Tokyo Abu Gumi Sohonten Shibuya Gumi

Let’s start with Shibuya. Tokyo Yugumi Sohonten Shibuya-gumi” is a part of the “Tokyo Yugumi Sohonten” chain, which has successfully expanded its chain in the central Tokyo area.

The restaurant is conveniently located just a 3-minute walk from Shibuya Station, and offers two types of soba noodles: “Aburasoba” and “Spicy Miso Aburasoba. The prices are the same for both the regular portion (160g) and the double portion (320g), making it popular with both those who want a quick bite and those who want to eat with gusto. The appeal of this dish is that you can “refuel” (eat oil soba at Abu Gumi) with the amount of oil soba you prefer, depending on your mood and conditions of the day.

Tokyo Aburigumi Sohonten” is based on a long-established noodle factory and boasts noodles with a rich wheat flavor and chewy texture. The noodles are topped with raayu (Chinese chili oil) and vinegar to taste, and the onion toppings add a different texture to the dish, giving it a simple yet profound flavor.

Other specialty restaurants in the Shibuya area include “Aburasoba Kasuga Tei Shibuya Branch,” with its irresistible flavor of simple soy sauce sauce, “Mazesoba Nanami,” with its creamy egg sauce, and “Spicy Miso Aburasoba Oni ni Kinbo Shibuya Branch,” with its spicy miso flavor.

In addition to the standard aburasoba, the “Japan Oil Party Shibuya General Headquarters,” which opened in Center Gai in 2010, offers unique dishes such as “Black Junk Aburasoba,” “Kama-tama Aburasoba,” and “Tarako Butter Kama-tama Aburasoba.

Ikebukuro] A new type of oil soba with soup added, complete with rice to follow! Yusoba Suzunoki

The next area of interest is Ikebukuro. Ikebukuro is a popular area for aburasoba, especially among students and young people, and is lined with several famous restaurants.

Among them, the up-and-coming “Aburasoba Suzunoki,” which opened in 2010, is attracting particular attention. In addition to the mainstay “spicy mazesoba” (900 yen) and “shoyu” (800 yen), the unique “TAM <egg tart noodle>” (800 yen) and other reasonably priced dishes are popular among high school and college students.

The owner and president Ryu, who is often buzzed about on SNS, says, “Rent is expensive in Ikebukuro, but we were able to achieve a reasonable price by cutting down on the chashu. We have gained support for our free approach in keeping with the times,” he says.

The oil soba at Suzu no Ki is characterized by its “soup oil soba” style, in which chicken and pork broth is hidden under the noodles, and the chewy texture of the medium-thick noodles is perfectly intertwined with the broth. The chewy texture of the medium-thick noodle and the broth are perfect. To taste the bowl as a whole, stir the soup with chopsticks before eating. Please stir the bowl with chopsticks before eating. (President Ryu).

In addition to raayu and vinegar, you can enjoy changing the flavor with a variety of toppings such as garlic and mayonnaise, and finish off the meal with “omibi” (rice topping) (150 yen) to satisfy your appetite.

In Ikebukuro, there are also two branches of “Tokyo Aburagumi So-honten” (introduced in the Shibuya area) on the east and west sides, and “Aburasoba Kasuga Tei Ikebukuro” has its Ikebukuro head office and Higashi-Ikebukuro branch as well. Aburasoba Specialty Shop Aburakudo offers a normal aburasoba for only 650 yen, which includes rice and soup, making it a very cost-effective option. In a highly competitive area, the individuality of each restaurant shines through.

Waseda] This is Wase-meshi!　Tokyo Menchin-tei Honpo, the Original Restaurant Specializing in Aburi-Soba

Founded in 1997 in Tsurumaki-cho, Waseda, “Tokyo Menchin-tei Honpo” is known as Japan’s first restaurant specializing in abura-soba, and has long been loved by students as “Waseda-meshi” (meals around Waseda University). Currently, the restaurant has three branches in the Waseda-Takadanobaba area, including the Tsurumaki-cho main branch, the Nishiwaseda branch, and the Takadanobaba branch (science and engineering canvassing branch).

The restaurant’s motto is to “pay serious attention to the sauce and noodles,” which are the heart of its aburasoba. The noodles are made in-house and blended with a base of Hokkaido wheat flour, which gives them a “plump and chewy” texture after boiling. The thick sauce is intertwined with the noodles, creating a simple yet powerful bowl of noodles that is appealing.

The restaurant emphasizes the step of “pouring” the vinegar and raayu over the bowl and then “stirring” it. Stirring first lowers the temperature in the bowl and makes it difficult for the vinegar to mix with the room-temperature raayu. Enjoy the exquisite marriage of noodles, sauce, vinegar and raayu while still hot.

On the Takadanobaba-Waseda line, “Musashino Abura Gakkai Waseda So-honten,” which students call “Gakkai,” draws a long line for its punch with thick sauce, and “Kirinji,” which originated in Osaka, also has a strong presence. Also worth checking out are “Katsu-no-Hana” with its hearty “Katsu-no-Katsu-no-Soba” and “Menya” with its multiple branches of yakisoba, a specialty of yakisoba.

Today, the popularity of aburasoba is not limited to areas such as Shibuya, Ikebukuro, and Waseda, but continues to spread throughout Japan. Aburasoba has a healthy advantage over ramen noodles, with about two-thirds the calories and half the salt content of ramen.

In the future, more health-conscious businesses and menus will be introduced, which may attract not only male students but also female customers. The hot battle in the “hot battle zone of aburusoba” will continue to heat up in the future, as restaurants compete with each other in terms of cost performance, typicity, and unique menu items.