We visited "Madai Ramen Machikado" in Ebisu, Tokyo. The signature dish, "Madai Ramen," is a soup with a rich madai broth, thick and firm noodles, and kobujime, a small piece of pickled radish with a crunchy texture, instead of chashu pork.

Sea Bream Ramen Machikado in Ebisu

Machikado is located on the second floor of a building a few minutes' walk north of the west exit of Ebisu Station. A banner stands at the entrance. The restaurant is long and narrow, and I was taken to a counter. The menu includes ramen and rice dishes. I was intrigued by the offer of a 50 yen discount if you order a set of ramen and rice.

Sea bream ramen

After some hesitation, I ordered Sea Bream Ramen and Battera. They are priced at 950 yen (tax included) and 350 yen, respectively, but the set includes both for 1,250 yen. After a short wait, both items arrived on a beautiful wooden tray.


The sea bream ramen has an aroma of seafood just by smelling the steam. It smells like "Ara-jiru," a broth made by boiling fish bones, but much richer. The kobuzime on top is beautifully half-cooked. I took a piece and bit into it. It had a crunchy texture, but if you put a little effort into it, you could easily chew it. The concentrated flavor of the seafood almost makes you want to eat it.


Next, I tugged at the noodles. The noodles are thick and firm, and the broth is well mixed with the noodles. The taste is stronger than any of the tai rice or osashimi I have had before. It was not at all salty, but my tongue was taken over by the flavor of the sea bream. The various kinds of Chinese green onions also absorb the broth, and when you bite into them, you can taste the flavor of the sea bream.


Incidentally, "hot oil," not raayu, is provided at the table. It has a soft and pleasant aroma and a moderate spiciness, and it is fun to eat it with a dash of hot oil. It is made in such a way that it does not drown out the umami of the snapper. The olive nuts are also a nice accent to the dish when you take a spoonful of them and put them in the bowl and crunch them.



The last remaining soup is scooped out with a bamboo ladle and drunk in its entirety. It is as if the soup is concentrated ten times, or even a hundred times. By the time the bowl is empty, not only my sense of taste but also my sense of smell is reduced to only the madai (sea bream) for a while.

sea bream battera

BATTERA uses a unique vinegared rice with a hint of citrus flavor. The rice is not too hard, and the snapper is soft and has a clear core, leaving it fresh.


Even after tasting the ramen's rich broth, the flavor is enough to keep up with the richness of the ramen and is well worth the effort. It is advisable to consult with your appetite, but I am sure you will be happier if you order not only noodles but also rice when you go to the restaurant.

Sea Bream Ramen Machikado
Tanaka Bldg. 2F, 1-3-9 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo