Ryuji Drags SUSURU Around Toritsu-Daigaku: A Five-Stop Crawl from Soba-Shop Ramen to Butcher-Shop Roast Pork

The rule for this episode was to stick to "places SUSURU has never been." According to Ryuji, the previous episodes had been left to the staff, but this time he did the location scouting himself for the first time, visiting every shop and making all the selections on his own. A Chinese restaurant was among the candidates, but it was dropped from the list because SUSURU had already been there. What follows traces, in order, how SUSURU ate and how Ryuji interpreted five places: ramen at a soba shop, French charcuterie, baked sweets, fried food at a butcher, and a ramen bar serving ingredients from Aomori.

The first stop is the long-established soba restaurant Daikiku. SUSURU reacts with "Isn't it ramen?", but the plastic food samples out front show a lineup like a neighborhood Chinese diner, ramen included. What caught Ryuji's attention was that even the ramen noodles are made in-house. It's a family-oriented place with tatami seating, but it has snacks to go with drinks and you can drink from midday. Ryuji says places where you can drink in this kind of atmosphere are surprisingly rare.

They started with a toast of soba shochu highballs. Ryuji points out you can get one for 600 yen. As a snack, the shop served nukazuke pickles cured on the premises. Ryuji said fewer and fewer places serve their own homemade nukazuke, and SUSURU said he sensed the character of an old-established shop in how, despite such a large menu, they don't cut corners on the details. The grilled duck is sprinkled with shichimi, as befits a soba shop. According to Ryuji, duck seared on all sides tends to turn tough, but this shop's was tender.

The ramen has little fat, with hardly any lard floating on top. Ryuji guessed the chashu was from around the shoulder. SUSURU said that, from its appearance, it reminded him of Chiba's Takeoka style. As for the soup, SUSURU said he'd expected bonito and niboshi to come forward since it was a soba shop, but it was actually "super porky," an animal-based broth. He described the noodles as having "a springy bite that comes before the firmness," and also rated the chashu highly. The two agreed that this is a type of ramen you can't really find in Tokyo. Ryuji confessed that he gets a little nervous himself when he has SUSURU eat ramen.

They also ordered the chilled dish. It's a miso-flavored hiyashi chuka made with the same noodles as the ramen, chilled and topped with ham, and SUSURU said he had never had miso-flavored hiyashi chuka. Ryuji thinks the noodles are still good cold thanks to the springy texture on the surface. The two also agreed it's a dish you would almost never see at a dedicated ramen shop.

Speaking as a cooking researcher, Ryuji speculated as follows: The reason it's tasty even without fat floating on top is probably that it's seasoned with tare rather than oil. Perhaps they use the liquid the chashu was simmered in as the tare and thin it with a simply made stock, a method close to the Takeoka style. When they later spoke with the owner, they learned the shop was founded in 1945 (Showa 20). The ramen noodles are made in-house rather than bought from a noodle maker, and the chashu is simmered in nothing but soy sauce, with that simmering liquid used as the base. Ryuji laughed, "Everything SUSURU said was right," and SUSURU recalled that once he ate the chashu, it was clear the kaeshi flavor formed the base.

The second stop is one of Ryuji's regular haunts, a place he says he'd "almost rather not name." According to the video description, it is La Cochonnaille. He says he goes there in his private time too. The story was told that the shop had said it would be fine to decline the filming, but because Ryuji asked so earnestly, permission was specially granted.

As Ryuji explains it, this is a shop of the kind called "charcuterie" in France, serving elaborately prepared deli foods. The owner spent many years doing this work in France and brought the local style over as is. Food-loving acquaintances Ryuji has brought there apparently said it was "better than in France." Ryuji explains the reason as Japanese ingredients being cooked with authentic French technique. Being a deli, it sells by the gram. Ryuji repeatedly asked viewers to get takeout if they can't get in, since the shop can't keep up if it gets too crowded.

The first thing served was smoked salmon. Ryuji calls it "the best in Japan." Each slice is large and eaten by cutting it with a knife. Ryuji found it a rare sight to see SUSURU, who normally uses a renge spoon and chopsticks, wielding a knife. Wrapping the salmon around a fine, sieved purée, SUSURU was surprised that it had none of the peculiar taste or fishy smell typical of salmon. Of a celery side dish served as a palate cleanser, Ryuji guessed the mayonnaise was probably made in-house too. When he mentioned that mayonnaise originated in France, SUSURU shot back, "Isn't it Kewpie?", prompting Ryuji to tease him as "useless at everything except ramen."

Next came pâté de campagne, made of meat with liver and other ingredients mixed in; Ryuji says it was sold out the last time he came, so he couldn't have it. Of a dish made with duck and pork, Ryuji said the umami was probably enhanced by aging the meat. The smoked sausage came with whole-grain mustard, and its cross-section was almost entirely meat. Ryuji remarked, "Japanese sausages are good too, but this is what a sausage is really supposed to be," and SUSURU pointed to the density of the meat and paired it with red wine. The blood sausage gave an impression close to salami, with sweetness and a spiced quality, plus the texture of pork fat. Ryuji said he loves eating it with bread, and even called it one of the things he'd want to eat right before he dies.

A quiche-style dish and a fluffy item containing salmon were also served. Of the final item, SUSURU struggled for words, saying that although the salmon flavor was definitely there it was airy, and since it was a taste he had never had before, "honestly it's a bit hard" to describe. Ryuji was amused, saying "SUSURU's stumped." According to the owner, prep proceeds by making more of whatever has sold out. At the end, the shop also said that while they may have to turn people away often if it gets crowded, they are grateful for visitors.

With the drinks flowing, Ryuji decided to take a breather with something sweet. SUSURU said he loves sweets and that eating them might actually get him more fired up. They stopped at a baked-goods shop lined with madeleines and financiers, its interior filled with the scent of butter.

Eating a Paris-Brest, SUSURU was visibly delighted, saying he loves fresh cream. Ryuji quipped, "You're more excited than you are about ramen." SUSURU noted the crisp, crunchy texture of the pastry and the brightness of the flavor. They also ate a choux pastry with jam inside, and there was an item with an elderflower flavor. Ryuji let slip that this shop hadn't been on his radar, while praising its careful workmanship. The cookies were dense, and both described the excellence of the dough as "a craftsman's work." The pâtissier said he believes cakes taste better when a bit of acidity or aroma is layered over the sweetness.

The fourth stop is Tochigiya, a place Ryuji had been curious about for a while. It's a neighborhood fried-food shop that appears to be takeout only, and it's also a butcher. Out front sits homemade roast pork labeled "Great for ramen, hiyashi chuka, and more." Looking at the ground meat, Ryuji noted that it had almost no fat and was ground in the shop. According to the proprietress, she was born in Tochigi, and the shop has been around for about 90 years.

The signature potato fry is not stick-shaped french fries. As the proprietress explains, cooked potato is coated in panko and fried. The two rated it good with either sauce or salt. Ryuji was impressed at how much tastier potatoes become just by battering and frying them. Of the fillet cutlet, SUSURU said it's "basically tonkatsu" and that he'd want to eat it with rice. Hearing that the frying oil is lard, Ryuji said it's a flavor you could never achieve at home.

They sampled the roast pork at Ryuji's request, as he wanted "to study it." Ryuji judged the cut to be loin. SUSURU pointed out how rich the tare was and said it's a cut you'd almost never see at a ramen shop. Ryuji said the meat quality was good, as you'd expect of "butcher-shop chashu," and added that it would be great in fried rice. They also stressed that they were specially allowed to eat at the storefront for this episode, and that normally it's takeout.

The finale is Ramen Sakaba Parade, "the long-awaited ramen shop" for SUSURU. The name, written 晴江戸, is read "Parade." Ryuji introduced the salt niboshi ramen as extremely good. As soon as they arrived, SUSURU acted as if his work were done, prompting Ryuji to retort, "Please don't."

The menu includes beef bara-yaki and Dake Kimi. As SUSURU, who is from Aomori, explained, Dake Kimi is a corn that everyone in Aomori drives up into the mountains to buy, and anyone from Aomori knows it. He said he could tell by the smell the moment it was brought over, and spoke of feeling nostalgic. Ryuji was surprised by its sweetness, and SUSURU said he wanted some on hand. Other items included sake, an apple sour, and a fry topped generously with tartar sauce over homemade sauerkraut. Ryuji praised how it was cooked. He also added that the soup sometimes runs out, so it's best to come early.

Over drinks, they also caught up on each other's lives. SUSURU denied claims online that he "earned hundreds of millions" or "earned 1.6 billion yen from the Nagoya festival alone." He said the 1.6 billion yen figure refers to economic impact, including spending by people who rode the shinkansen or stayed in hotels for the festival, but only that number was clipped out and treated as if all of it went into his pocket. He said that was part of why he started his own shop. SUSURU is 33, turning 34 this year, and has two children.

Asked whether he wants to get married, Ryuji answered, "Nah." The reason he gave was the effect on his work. Ryuji believes that if, after getting married, a photo came out of him walking drunk with a woman, food companies targeting families would cut their contracts immediately. SUSURU said there's an appeal in Ryuji being on his own. Ryuji speaks in absolutes without hedging, but when you have a family or members you work with, you inevitably end up hedging how you talk, SUSURU said. Ryuji responded, "I assume I'll die tomorrow," and said he tells his team members that he might get caught in an online backlash tomorrow and lose his work.

The first ramen out was the shrimp shoyu. SUSURU noted the great aroma and said the seafood came through strongly. He then guessed that it might include yakiboshi, which is commonly used in Aomori, and that shrimp was also a possibility. As he kept eating, he said he sensed animal-based elements such as chicken as well. Slurping the noodles brings the aroma of shrimp, and the soy sauce comes through firmly. Ryuji called it a ramen that goes well with drinks and said it was good enough to finish completely.

The other bowl was ramen topped with onion, shio kombu, and green onion, served with an "oil ball." SUSURU said ramen with shio kombu is unusual, and that he'd never seen an oil ball before. Melting it and mixing it in adds a toasty aroma, and he remarked that it "turns it into a very modern ramen." The conclusion was that it's better with it added, since it makes the flavor more distinct.

According to the owner, he himself is from Toritsu-Daigaku, and the shop was originally a music bar called "PARADE," written in the Roman alphabet. When the COVID-19 pandemic made business difficult, he was selling grilled dishes as bento through connections of his wife, who is from Aomori, and that's how he came to be able to get niboshi. Thinking he could make ramen with it, he started serving ramen when in-store dining resumed. After that, the Aomori ingredients gradually increased, he said.

Another item the owner recommended was soft-serve ice cream to finish. SUSURU says he never eats soft-serve in his usual videos, but he did that day. He described it as having a stretchy texture, a rich cream flavor, and restrained sweetness. Ryuji, a self-professed soft-serve lover, said he still had room for it even after eating so much, and even started saying he wanted to alternate it with the soup to refresh himself with the sweetness, prompting SUSURU to laugh and call him a "weirdo."

Talk also turned to SUSURU's own shop. Ryuji asked whether people must write "it's bad" in reviews of SUSURU's shop too. SUSURU acknowledged that such reviews exist and said he thinks it can't be helped. His view is that it's enough if people who say it's good keep coming.

Finally, SUSURU shared his impressions of Toritsu-Daigaku. For someone like him who only pays attention to ramen, the area has few ramen shops, so he hadn't had many reasons to visit. But once he widened his view to restaurants beyond ramen, he found it to be an area packed with appealing places. In particular, he rarely goes to places like the pâté shop on his own, so he said it was a great experience to be introduced to them. Ryuji wrapped up the episode by urging viewers to come to Toritsu-Daigaku and visit even just one of the five places, adding that following the same route would be fine too.