Ramen Ishida ramen photo by NYNJ Ramen Enthusiast

Normally when visiting Ramen Ishida I go with the off-the-menu Tokyo 80s Shoyu, but I had originally been in the neighborhood to have Miso XO at Nakamura, only to find it closed by the health department (?!). So I walked over to Ramen Ishida and tried their Umami Miso as I had been looking forward to miso all day. Started off with the Echigo Stout, which had a sweet malty taste that I believe may have altered the flavor of the soup. Despite being a miso, the characteristic miso malt was not there. Chicken oil was very pronounced, and there was a bit of the saltiness from the miso, but much more like a mellow tare. Delicious! The noodles were medium thickness and springy. The chashu was the best I have had in a long time - thinly sliced but tender and popping with smoky fatty flavor. Moyashi bean sprouts, a jammy egg, corn and a skinny whisper of bok choy rounded things out. An outstanding bowl.