For a New Sensation, Try Sake Kasu Ramen at Kazami in Tokyo's Ginza!

Sake kasu, also known as "lees" in English, is a by-product of Japanese sake production. In recent years, this fermented food has gained attention for its nutritional value.

At first glance, its classy exterior looks like a sushi restaurant.
When I went there for lunch, several people were lining up outside.

Enter the restaurant and the aroma of sake kasu will greet you in a bright and clean space. The counter seats only eight at one time.

There are four types of ramen made with soba noodles: rich sake kasu, tsukesoba (dipping soba), shio (salty broth) and shoyu (soy sauce broth).
No chemical seasonings are used in any of these ramen dishes.

The toppings include fried tofu, 2 slices of pork char sui, mitsuba (Japanese parsley), simmered eggs, seaweed, komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) and Welsh onion, garnished with red pepper strings.
For ramen, these are unusual Japanese-style toppings.

This soup is made from a soy-sauce base, to which chicken, pork, clams, oysters and sake kasu have been added.
The thick, rich soup is not heavy but rather elegant. While sake kasu has an original flavor, it's not at all distasteful.
Actually, I'm not so fond of sake kasu, but even someone like me could drink it all up.
I had no idea that sake kasu and ramen went together so well!

To savor the difference in flavor, Italian porcini mushrooms and myoga (Japanese ginger) are offered. Add them to the ramen, and the taste will change dramatically.

The noodles are straight and medium-thick. They are the perfect match for the soup!

Sake kasu ramen is both delicious and nutritious.
The alcohol content disappears when the soup is boiled, so it's safe for children or those who can't drink. Please give it a try!

For your reference, this is the oyster soba I tried when it was offered on their winter menu, from October to the end of January.

To a confit of 3 oysters from Hiroshima, sautéed king trumpet mushrooms, Welsh onion, red pepper strings and yuzu citron are added as toppings. The soup has a seafood base made of oysters and niboshi (fermented, dried sardines). This light dish offers a hint of several different flavors spreading in the mouth.

These straight noodles are a little thinner than those used in the sake kasu ramen.

The ramen's "bubble-popping" texture also feels good!

The oysters are so juicy and delicious!
The refreshing flavor of the yuzu citron is a nice touch.

With this rare type of ramen, you can feel what the chef is particular about. It's a truly tasty bowl!