Shimokitazawa, a Bohemian neighbourhood that’s an easy four-station local train ride from the chaos of Shibuya, is one of my favourite parts of Tokyo.

It is a vintage clothes shopping paradise; houses independent theatres and cinemas; and has one of the world’s densest concentrations of record stores in a single area.

Best of all: every square metre of Shimokitazawa, like seemingly every major urban pocket of Japan, boasts multiple restaurants, bars, cafes and carts serving delicious things to eat and drink, from rowdy seafood-centric izakaya Nishinba, to unique, only-in-Japan offerings a la specialist curry houses whose obsession with spice carries over to dessert: chocolate and Sichuan pepper gelato, anyone?

Next week a small piece of Shimokitazawa comes to Perth when Tokyo restaurant Spice Ramen Ten and Sen opens its first Australian outpost in Leederville. But while Ten and Sen might have an address in the Japanese capital, its heart is located some 1200km away in Hokkaido, the second-biggest of Japan’s major islands as well as the country’s largest and most northerly prefecture.

Hokkaido also happens to be the home of Nobukazu Muraki: the chef that introduced Perth to Hokkaido-style soup curry via the 2023 opening of Rojiura
Curry Samurai in Shafto Lane. With the decision to open restaurant number two,
Muraki is doubling down on his commitment to the flavours and traditions of his
hometown.

“I want this to be a real celebration of Hokkaido,” says Muraki.

As the restaurant’s name implies, ramen will be a key part of Ten and Sen’s offering. What it doesn’t tell you, though, is that the house ramen isn’t based on just one set of blueprints: it fuses elements of different regional styles to create something new, but is still very much made-in-Hokkaido in flavour.

So while the blend of miso in the soup base chimes with Hokkaido’s legendary
Sapporo-style ramen, the use of curry spice is a nod to Muroran-style ramen: a
relatively recent creation named after the southerly Hokkaido city that it originated in.

Wavy, medium-length egg noodles are designed to latch onto more of the broth while toppings include all the vegetables and – if you opt for the “special” bowl – three different kinds of braised chashu. A vegan bowl that uses rice noodles in lieu of the standard-issue egg noodles ensures that plant-based eaters aren’t left out.

Ramen, however, is only part of Hokkaido’s food story. And traditions.

“This is, of course, a ramen restaurant, but originally, Hokkaido restaurants served Hokkaido ramen as well as other Hokkaido dishes,” says Muraki.

These deep-seated favourites include zangi (the island’s version of Japan’s ubiquitous karaage fried chicken that introduces a few more ingredients to the meat’s marinade); deep-fried broccoli with garlic; and peeled tomatoes marinated in dashi – an example of the seasonal side dishes that will be changed monthly.

Other than beers from Dingo Brewery, the drinks selection is a snapshot of Sapporo’s best-known whiskies, brewers and sake houses.

To ensure Ten and Sen’s Australian bureau adheres to the same standards as the
original, Keijiro Hasui and Amu Hayashi – president of Ten and Sen’s parent group and chef at the Tokyo restaurant respectively – are in Perth for the launch with Hayashi planning on staying after the opening to run the off-shoot.

Hasui’s influence, meanwhile, can be seen in the handmade tables and the
reclaimed red-brick interior of the 30-seat dining room that he and Maruki began working on since taking over this one-time burger bar at the end of 2024. (That shade of forest green that they’ve painted the doorframes in sure is striking, isn’t it?)

Admittedly, even peak-time Leederville doesn’t hold a candle to Tokyo. (Then again, how many precincts or cities can? The world’s largest metropolis is a hard act to follow.) Nonetheless, with a high-vis address near the bustling Newcastle-and-Oxford Street nexus, Ten and Sen should find a receptive audience among passers-by, not least since it will initially trade seven days.

Talk about making a good impression on the rest of the neighbourhood.

Spice Ramen Ten and Sen (747 Newcastle Street, Leederville) opens on Monday March 31 and serves lunch and dinner daily.