Bassanova Ramen, Setagaya, Japan

7th September 2012

Post with 27 notes

Bassanova Ramen, Setagaya, Japan

I realized I never finished posting about the final few days of eating adventures on my “Ask A Stranger” Tokyo ramen tour last month, so it’s time to catch up!

Looking back, my last post was from day four of the tour, where I was at Tsukumo Ramen enjoying a bowl of their odd but outstanding Cheese Ramen. Well, it was a conversation there that set me on the path for day five. You see, the two dudes next to me, both also trying out the cheese ramen, were talking about other Tokyo ramen joints with unusual menu items, and they mentioned the green curry ramen at a shop called Bassanova. I remembered having heard about Bassanova before, from my friend Kenshiro at Sun Noodle, so I took this as a sign and made plans to hit them up the following day!

Once my meetings were all over, I boarded the Keio line in Shibuya and took the local train out to Shindaita Station, which was a bit unsettling at first as no one else got off and there was no one on the platform at this lonely suburban station…

With the sound of the cicadas being the only sign of life in the area, I felt like I had just stepped into the opening of a Miyazaki movie. But the station master soon showed his face and was able to guide me to my dining destination…

Jumping ahead a little, this is Keizo, the chef at Bassanova Ramen. He used to be a computer programmer in Los Angeles and ran the website goramen.com. But he gave it all up to follow his dream of becoming a ramen chef in Japan. One which he made come true…

(I wanted to insert that info here as full disclosure as I did look up Bassanova when I got to my hotel the previous night, and it turns out my buddy Ken is friends with Keizo and let him know I was coming. So while I overheard the Bassanova name from stranger, it turns out I did have a previous connection to this place going into my eating experience there.)

Keizo works with Boom, seen here on the left, another American ex-pat from Jersey, also pursuing ramen dreams in Tokyo…

But on to the ramen!

Bassanova uses one of the traditional old school ticket machines…

If you go, this is the button you’ll want to press: Green Curry Soba…

And this is what you’ll get…

Just lovely, isn’t it?

The mild, milky green curry based soup…

The thicker cut, chewy noodles…

All the ingredients really came together for what may have been the best bowl of ramen I had the whole trip…

I know when you hear “green curry” you might be a bit taken aback. I know I was. Curry is for rice, not ramen, you may think. But Bassanova makes it work. Really. The curry flavor is subtle. Balanced. Enhancing. Its spice warms you. As does the soup, so it’s a double warming whammy. The curry also blends perfectly with the toothsome noodles they chose. From the first wonderful whiff when they put the bowl down in front of you, to the tantalizing tickle on the back of your tongue when you swallow your last spoonful of spiced soup, Bassanova’s green curry ramen is ecstasy in a bowl.

Good to the last drop…

Now I know a lot of you read these ramen posts and get hungry and would like to try a bowl for yourself but can’t make it all the way to Tokyo. Well, folks in the NYC area maybe get lucky soon as the documentary “Ramen Dreams”, about Keizo’s Ramen quest, will debut at the New York Food Film Festival in October. And if everything goes according to plan, Keizo just might be doing a ramen event at that time!! Stay tuned for details.

But for when you’re in Tokyo…

BASSANOVA

1-4-18 Hanegi

Setagaya-ku, Tokyo

03-3327-4649

Closed Tuesdays

Cash only

Tagged: Ask A Stranger Tokyo Ramen Tour 2012