Tokyo Ramen Show 2009

We decided to check out the Tokyo Ramen Show 2009...West of Shibuya on the Hanzomon Line, about 4 stops. First, you wait in line for about 25 minutes to buy your tickets (pic with the guy in the purple shirt) from machines, like the ones outside Ramen shops. Each ticket is 750 and gets you a bowl of ramen. You can buy multiple.

Next, you have to wait in line again for each different vendor, so you need to wait another 20-few hours, depending on the popularity of the vendor.

I chose R-14, which had Tonkatsu ramen, and a moderate line.

• Soup base was tasty. It was probably pork fat, judging from the foaming layer of grease on top, and the amount of burnage my face experienced when collaterally caught by flying drops of it while slurping noodles
• 2-3 slices of fatty pork was of good quality, good balance of pork and fat
• Noodles had good bounce
• The egg was the most disappointing ingredient. In fact, it was the most disappointing egg I've had in Japan to date. Mainly due to it being hard boiled - I've gotten used to eating soft boiled eggs here...