During my days as an exchange student in Waseda, there was a place that conquered my stomach every week. The first time I stepped in Budouka, after waiting a long thirty minutes in the line outside, I knew the wait was worth the meal. As a newbie in Tokyo, when there’s a long line in front of a restaurant or shop, it’s probable that the food will be of great value. And if the restaurant is next to a university campus, it’s a guarantee of both good price and good flavor. With a loud “Seeiii” the staff welcomed my entrance to their restaurant. My short comprehension of the Japanese language at that time wasn’t enough to understand that was the contraction for “irrashaimasei”, but my experience told me it was a good sign.
After dealing with the ticket machine and selecting a big bowl of tonkotsu ramen with a hard boiled egg and a side bowl of rice for ¥1000, I handed the little piece of paper to the ramen master and took one of the empty counter seats. The counter has space for about a maximum of ten customers at a time, All seats are in front of the staff at their narrow kitchen.
At most of the restaurants that’s the maximum interaction between guest and staff, but that wasn’t the case. At Budouka, customers are asked for their taste preferences based on three options. The hardness of the noodle, the richness of the soup flavor, and the oil level in the broth. The stronger the flavor, the harder to finish the big bowl of ramen. The ramen master helped a lot as he was watching me struggle to read the options, and kindly translated it into English for me. I made my decision, went for the strongest selection, and observed their work at the kitchen.
In Japan, the louder the sound of slurping your noodles, the more delicious the diner finds the food. Well, at Budouka, the sound of all the customers slurping at the same time was near to a tropical storm. No wonder the staff had to scream “Seeiii” every time a new customer came into the restaurant. One taste from the broth and the noodles was enough to convince me. The intense flavor of the ramen and the broth might not be for all tastebuds, but it’s definitely worth trying once. I poured some pickles on my side bowl of rice and ate it in a flash, the better to concentrate on the ramen. The staff spotted my empty bowl and asked “okawari” which meant if I wanted another round of rice. At Budouka, the side bowl of rice is only ¥50, and you can get numerous refills at no extra charge.
A lively staff, intense flavor, good value for the meal, and a way of speaking that transcends language barriers. All the ingredients were well put together and because of that, Budouka got a loyal customer for life. During my stay as student, I went at least once a week until the point the staff recognized me even after months of absence. It’s been almost four years since my first time, and every time I’m in Tokyo during one of my trips, I make sure to make a return visit.
