Well, after enjoying a meal at the long-awaited Chanchantei, I realized that I had forgotten something but was in such a good mood that I headed in the opposite direction of the station without noticing. My destination was Maruhachi Seimenjo, a noodle factory that supplies noodles to Chanchantei. It wasn't actually too far to walk, and along the way, I encountered some scenic spots like Tamagawa Josui, typical of Musashino. It turned out to be a pleasant post-meal stroll. There was one group of customers ahead of me, and then more and more people lined up behind me, showing that this place is popular among locals. Besides their signature oil noodles (170 yen), they also offered pasta and udon noodles. Of course, I tried the oil noodles, but I'd like to try the other options next time. Just a heads up, they are closed on Sundays. They also offer online ordering for their oil noodles. The oil noodle kit includes noodles (150g per serving) and their secret sauce with instructions. Since I had the large portion (300g) at Chanchantei, I naturally bought two servings for myself. In the end, I bought 5 or 6 servings including a spare. Sorry for the wait, Yokozuna-tei. I feel embarrassed comparing my presentation to Chanchantei's. My plating skills are seriously lacking. What I realized while making it was that I tend to pile on lots of toppings. We boiled about 1kg of bean sprouts (≒vegetables) for the whole family, but ended up with half left over. I also added tube garlic, fried onions, mayonnaise, and more generously. Enjoying oil noodles at home was fun. I could experiment with various seasonings that I wouldn't normally try at the restaurant. It was delicious having oil noodles at home. The oil tends to solidify, so it's best to eat it while it's piping hot.

Recently, when I have a weekday off, I visit a shop and purchase thick noodles oil soba with thin noodles, topped with pork bone ramen soup, and also some fresh pasta. Last time, I visited around 2:30 pm on a Saturday, but they were out of thick noodles oil soba, so I couldn't purchase it. This time, I visited before going out on a weekday Monday around 9:30 am, so I was able to buy the thick noodles oil soba. I ate it like a dipping soba style, and the flavor was a bit strong, so I decided to add a raw egg, which made it taste even better. The fresh pasta portion was generous, with long noodles that tended to tangle easily and sauce that splattered easily. The chewy texture of the noodles was delicious. The pork bone soup, perhaps made by a company from Kyushu, was quite tasty, although not at the level of eating at the restaurant, it was still delicious enough to enjoy at home.

I bought takeout ramen this time because the noodles were really delicious last time. This time, I tried the maze soba and tantanmen. I forgot to take a picture of the sauce for the maze soba, but I ate it as is to keep the flavor consistent. The maze soba had a slightly stronger soy sauce taste, which was quite enjoyable. It tasted similar to a popular nearby restaurant. The noodles in the maze soba were even more delicious than when I had them in ramen. The tantanmen had a mild spiciness and a slightly stronger sweetness. The flavor was not too distinctive, making it appealing to most people. The sauce for the maze soba was unique and my favorite. My child also enjoyed the tomato ramen they had, so I'm curious to try more dishes when I have a day off work during the week.

I visited the restaurant around 2:15 PM on a weekday Saturday and there was no line when I arrived. However, a few people lined up after I made my purchase, so it seems to be popular. The prices are reasonable and it seems to be popular among locals. The fresh pasta I bought was not dried noodles, but seemed to be fresh and had a chewy texture. Both types of noodles were delicious. The Japanese soba noodles had a generous portion and felt like a good deal. There are many other stores selling fresh noodles, so I tried this one based on my preference. It was neither exceptionally good nor bad, just average. I tried the ramen without adding any soup, and it tasted quite good. I would like to try their oil noodles or a soup that this store specializes in next time.

I had some business nearby, so I finally got to try Chin Chin Tei, a noodle shop that supplies noodles to other places. I bought the abura soba, and the noodles were smooth and delicious. They were so good that I could easily finish two servings in one go!

Oil soba ===========

Oil soba showdown! Which is the best between Omote & Ura, and Musashino Ichiban!? On a weekday afternoon off, feeling hungry, I remembered about Chara Neko. Oh yeah, I have oil soba at home. Ta-da! The noodles from Maruhachi Seimen, also known as Maruhachi's noodles! It's said to be one of the top-ranking "must-have in the fridge" items in Sakainami-cho and Kichijoji Kitamachi. What ranking? Well, just my own research. Maruhachi Seimen is the noodle supplier for the famous oil soba restaurant Chinchintei. They sell noodles to the general public and even at the local Ito-Yokado store (as of 2016). Oh, it's not frozen, it's fresh. With this, you can enjoy the famous oil soba from the neighborhood at home! I decided to add menma, green onions, and naruto (toppings in Omote oil soba) to it. I also added seaweed since it was mentioned in the instructions. Oops, I forgot to add the char siu. Let's try again... Oops, forgot the seaweed (laughs). Darn, one more time... It's a two-serving pack (laughs, you can buy as many as you want at the store). I'm the type who doesn't mix it much and enjoys the change in taste while eating, so here I go! The taste... The lard flavor comes first? Not too salty? = Surprisingly lacking in punch? The gentle soy sauce flavor wraps nicely around the lard. If you're not averse to lard, it's totally okay for beginners! Even though it's oil soba? Gentle... or rather, compared to Chinchintei, there's a slight sense of dissatisfaction, but that's natural. It doesn't claim to be like Chinchintei's oil soba! It's just oil soba at home!! However, when you add the Ukokkei Ramen Ichiban egg from Mitaka Yoshino-san's house... I was surprised by how the egg flavor of this Ukokkei Ramen Ichiban, which Sho & Ko Papa highly praised as the strongest egg for egg over rice, was easily absorbed! Oil soba is truly a junk food, huh... and I understand that. Trying to sell this too junky product as frozen is just impossible, Toyo Suisan! However, the "oil soba" at home is much more like real oil soba! Of course, the noodles are authentic! Real McCoy! And you can eat it for less than 200 yen, so it's understandable why it's a staple in the fridge according to Jimoji, right? What? Does Chinchintei offer takeout? Sharappy! They probably charge more with toppings, right! Well, the sauce, char siu, menma are all REAL McCoy, but still. Now... it's only 2:30. Well then, off to Chinchintei I go (that's right, laughs - to be continued)

Near the Musashino Chuo intersection, there is a long-established noodle factory that also supplies the original "Chanchantei" oil soba. They sell their homemade sauce with the noodles at a small window next to the store, and it is quite popular. I purchased the "Oil Soba with Sauce (\150)". The noodles are cooked for 6-7 minutes after boiling 140g of them. The sauce, which is over 50g, is mostly made up of fat. After melting it in hot water for about 5 minutes, I poured it into a bowl and added the drained noodles. I mixed them well and tried it as is. The noodles are thick and chewy, with a nostalgic aroma and a slightly soft texture. The sauce has a light soy sauce flavor with a rich fatty taste that goes perfectly with the noodles. Adding vinegar, chili oil, and sesame oil enhances the flavor even more. The minced garlic was quite good, but the mayonnaise was a bit different. It was a satisfying dish with a good portion size, delicious taste, and reasonable price, making me want to come back for more.

There is a noodle shop on Itsukaichi Street, near the Musashino Central Library in Musashino City. It's a very small shop where you order from a window outside rather than going inside. I heard a rumor that they supply noodles to the popular "Chin Chin Tei" restaurant nearby, known for their "abura soba" (oil noodles) dish. Today, an old man was running the shop alone. They offer a set of oil noodles with sauce for 150 yen per serving. They also have the trendy "Musashino Udon" noodles and soba. Ramen with soup starts at 100 yen per serving. It's all very affordable! It's a great place for locals. However, the old man isn't very friendly, but that's okay since he's a skilled artisan. When I got home, I realized that there were no instructions on how to cook the noodles or use the soup. I didn't ask because I assumed it would be written on the package, so I was a bit puzzled. If you're buying for the first time, be sure to ask for cooking instructions! Otherwise, you might end up overcooking or undercooking the delicious noodles. Next time, I won't make the same mistake!

A noodle factory located near the intersection of Mitaka Street and Itsukaichi Kaido. I occasionally buy fresh noodles here because it's close by. This time, I recommend trying their "abura soba." For ¥150, you can enjoy an authentic abura soba. The noodles are thick, and the sauce comes in a plastic container. While boiling the noodles for about 5 minutes, warm up the sauce in a bowl with hot water. Once the noodles are cooked, pour the sauce over them to complete the abura soba. I added eggs and spinach as toppings. The abura soba here isn't as oily as what you might get in a restaurant, but it still has a nice oiliness to it. For ¥150, you can enjoy a delicious bowl of abura soba made with fresh noodles. I tried adding S&B's "bukkake okazu ra-yu" this time, which was tasty but lacked spiciness. Regular ra-yu would be better. However, the bukkake okazu ra-yu looks visually appealing. Check out Maru Hachi for fresh Chinese and local flour udon noodles.

Summary: Mitaka 1958, a noodle factory established by Reiki Oshima, who has been in the noodle manufacturing business for 50 years and supplies noodles to famous restaurants such as Musashisakai Chin Chin Tei and Higashi Koganei Ippai Soba, known for their Abura Soba. Recently, they have started selling their own sauce after manufacturing noodles for Chin Chin Tei's Abura Soba. I visited the shop to purchase it. The noodles are similar to those used in Chin Chin Tei and Ippai Soba, slightly thick and slightly curly straight noodles. You can purchase them at the retail window and also receive instructions on how to cook them. I was able to see the noodle-making machine in the workshop upon request. Reiki Oshima kindly explained the process to me in detail. The noodles are made using a machine in the shop, and then packaged in boxes for delivery to various ramen shops and udon/soba restaurants. For general customers, they are packaged in plastic bags and sold on-site. I tried to recreate the Abura Soba from Chin Chin Tei using their sauce. The toppings and arrangement are similar. The taste is good, probably better than other average Abura Soba shops, but lacks the unique aroma of Chin Chin Tei. However, it is the best I have tried so far in terms of reproducing the dish. The noodles are the same as those used in Chin Chin Tei, which makes a significant difference. And at 150 yen with the sauce included, it is a great deal. Other Information: Abura Soba was created about 50 years ago by the late Shinkichi Kotani, the predecessor of Chin Chin Tei, in 1958. In the same year, the shop was founded by the late Shosaburo Oshima, who has been supplying noodles to Chin Chin Tei for half a century, delivering 600 servings. Currently, Reiki Oshima produces 3,000 servings, but it will soon be taken over by his son, the third generation. The noodle factory is located on the corner of Mitaka Street, just a short walk from the "Shimin Bunka Kaikan Mae" intersection after turning right on Itsukaichi-dori. It is a 1.2 km walk from JR Chuo Line "Mitaka" Station North Exit, which takes about 15 minutes on foot. You can take buses 1, 2, 4, or 6 from the North Exit of "Mitaka" Station and get off at "Shimin Bunka Kaikan Iriguchi", or take buses 1 or 2 from the North Exit of "Kichijoji" Station and get off at "Shimin Bunka Kaikan Mae". The shop also sells ramen with medium noodles of blade 20, including tonkotsu shoyu and miso, and fine noodles of blade 26 for shoyu, as well as for hiyashi chuka in the summer. For udon/soba, they offer 500g of Japan soba, fine noodles, and thick noodles in packs of three, as well as a special order "Roll Udon" where you can cut the noodles to your desired thickness. They also sell gyoza skins, wantan, shumai skins, and more. Since 2007, the shop has been studying and selling their own homemade Abura Soba sauce. They open at 5:30 in the morning to match the production schedule but close at 16:00 in the evening, so be sure to plan accordingly if you plan to visit. Menu: 60 yen

In one corner of Kichijoji's Harmonica Yokocho, there used to be a noodle shop that I was disappointed to see disappear. However, I recently found out that they offer online shopping. Surprisingly, there is another shop nearby that sells their noodles. I remember a person I once worked with who loved the tsukemen from this shop in Musashisakai, but I haven't had the chance to try it yet. This person used to visit the shop once a month and would buy noodles for their family on the last day of work every year. I often go to this shop to buy wonton wrappers, dumplings, and shumai skins. I also enjoy their egg noodles, ramen, soba, udon, and soup occasionally. I like to experiment with different noodle dishes at home, so this shop is very convenient for me.

The building faces Gokashichido, but the retail window is located down a narrow alley. I knew about the noodle shop that sells retail, but I didn't know it was the birthplace of Abura Soba. It's difficult to park on the street in the narrow residential alley, but there is a perfect coin parking just a short distance away. It's a bit past the retail window, on the right side. So, if you're prepared to pay for parking, you can even drive there to buy. It's perfect for me, who tends to avoid "Chanchantei" due to the difficulty of parking nearby. I bought Abura Soba for ¥150 and Tsukemen for ¥100. It seemed like a small amount, so I got 3 portions of each for two people. The Tsukemen noodles are thin but have a good texture, and the dipping sauce is refreshing. However, one portion with 1.5 portions of noodles would be enough for a good taste. The Abura Soba, of course, has thick noodles. The sauce is also excellent. The price of ¥150 for one portion is cheap for this taste. However, if you really want to enjoy the Abura Soba, one portion with two portions of noodles is a bit more satisfying. That would be ¥300 in one go, but it's still quite cheap. This could easily become addictive. As a result, I might start to drift away from "Ippin" or "Hoka" (even though they are from different noodle shops).

I stopped by Muntaji on my way home and bought the "Local Flour Fresh Udon - Thick Noodles" for 250 yen. When I got home and weighed it, it was exactly 500g. They also included instructions on how to cook it, so I followed the instructions and made some delicious udon. The taste was good, but it turned out slightly firm, maybe due to the way I cooked it or the heat. They also had "Local Flour Fresh Udon - Thin Noodles" available, which I might try next time. It would be more convenient if they had a later closing time, but it seems they open early in the morning so it can't be helped.

A little hard to find, but a shop where you won't regret buying. The noodles have unique characteristics, with the "local flour raw udon" being popular and delicious, but they also have a wide variety of Chinese noodles. Personally, I recommend the "abura soba" with sauce, which is irresistible for those who love it. It's really delicious. This is the original abura soba noodles. It just doesn't feel right with any other noodles in the oily sauce. And the chili oil, vinegar, and pepper all match perfectly. And the price is only 150 yen for one serving (regular size)! It's unbelievable to get this taste at this price unless it's from Maruhachi Seimenjo. It could be said that this is a hidden gem in Musashino that is not well known.

The noodle factory also sells retail. Their oil noodles are the best, with a chewy texture and smooth taste. You can easily make your own oil noodles at home with your favorite ingredients. The delicious sauce is also a popular reason. My recommendation is their fresh fettuccine pasta. With a slightly more expensive pasta sauce and some olive oil, it transforms into restaurant-quality pasta. It's delicious and highly recommended.

I wanted to eat oil ramen after a long time, so I visited the noodle shop on Saturday morning. Purchasing through the sliding window of the noodle shop adds to the atmosphere. When I got home, I added toppings and tried it! It's nice to be able to enjoy a restaurant-like taste easily. It's more like Cookpad than Tabelog.