Ramen Jiro Keisei Ookubo (ラーメン二郎 京成大久保店): Old Man’s Jiro; Keisei Ookubo, Chiba

One of my favorite things about my exploration to all the Jiro locations is that a lot of them are in pretty isolated parts of Japan and if it weren’t for the fact that a Jiro exists there, I probably would have never gone. The Keisei Ookubo station is definitely one of those that would warrant a “where!?” and many think it’s located near Shinjuku in the Shin-Okubo area of Tokyo. However this small little station is out towards rural Chiba and is a stop along the Keisei line which connects the Chiba suburbs with central Tokyo. A couple popular ramen shops have set up here, notably “ramen case-k”, but the area is primarily known as a small college town. Makes sense that a Jiro would open here since a large majority of every Jiro location is the hungry, cash strapped university student, but it does still garner the long queues from the Jirorians that consider this to be one of the best.

So simple menu here, but you might see a pretty unusual item that you won’t see on the regular menu at any of the other Jiro locations. No English here so I’ll translate the ticket machine for you here. On the left column starting at the very top is the Mini Ramen, Sho (small) Ramen, Sho Buta (extra pork chashu), Dai (large) Tsukemen, and Dai Ramen. On the second column starting at the top is Miso Ramen (yes, Miso), Miso Tsukemen, Dai (large) Miso Tsukemen, Tsukemen, and Dai Buta (extra pork chashu) Ramen. Now you probably understand why this locations is popular…it is the only one with Miso on their regular menu. Unfortunately, since this is my first visit, I opted to grab the regular ramen so I will have to come back to expand on this review when I try their Miso version. Call for the day was Ninniku, Abura, or extra garlic and pork back fat.

The Keisei Ookubo location has been here since 2002, closing once in 2007, but reopening in 2007 and going strong ever since. The shop itself has gone through some changes, notably the lack of red counter tops which they apparently had to replace a number of years back, but the dingy, oil drenched walls and floors is evidence of the years of Jiro experience the master has under his belt. After purchasing my ticket, the old master asked me to show my plastic plaques which signal to him how much noodles he needs to cook in the next batch. Maybe 5 minutes after taking my seat, my bowl was ready and was asked for my call. I love seeing the style in which each Jiro master shape their bowls and here they opt to throw a handful of vegetables on top the noodles, followed by abura pork fat, and finally another handful of veg. As someone who enjoys using the pork fat as the world’s unhealthiest salad dressing, I loved this plating style and really enjoyed how flavorful the veg was as a result.

In terms of soup, I would say it is leaning towards the more emulsified end of the spectrum, but still pretty neutral in comparison to the other shops. It has that opaque look in the photo, but has a clean crispness to it on the palette that is more in line with the low emulsification soup. I quite like the sheen layer of oil floating on the surface of the soup as well as the sharp shoyu tare that pairs fantastically with the pork heavy soup. However my favorite part of the Keisei Okubo soup is definitely the globs of rendered pork fat which gives the bowl some phenomenal bursts of flavor. Garlic is a must order at any Jiro, but I would say even more here where it helps cut through the fattiness of the soup to give that sharp bite in between sips of the soup.

Noodles are of course house made as they are in all Jiro shops and is pretty basic to be honest. Strands are a bit shaggy, but mostly straight with a medium thickness. I personally thought it could have used a bit more character, but can’t deny it’s balance as it meshes well with this neutral soup. Pork chashu came in generous chunks, three slices if I recall correctly, but have a melt in your mouth finish and it had a hard time keeping it’s shape in between my chopsticks. The ratio of meat to fat was really nice, but I personally prefer my Jiro chashu with a bit more bite. Generous balance of the cabbage and bean sprouts as well…I love having a good portion of cabbage so I really appreciated that touch.

Pretty far from central Tokyo, but if you’re in Ueno, it is technically just one train ride away. My photo of the shop front was taken 30 minutes before opening and by the time they were open for service, 20+ hungry patrons were in the queue so make sure to allocated yourself at least an hour if you plan to make a visit. As with most Jiros, turnover is quite fast, but don’t be the one that holds up the line either. If you end up making a visit, let me know in the comment section below or give me a tag over on my instagram @ramenguidejapan.