Get off at Shinjuku. Today, I want to eat at the long-established ramen shop, Manki, which I haven't been to in a long time! I finished my errands in the morning and now I'm ready to go! The shop opens at 11:00, but when I arrived at 11:50, there was no one in front of the shop. Lucky me! I opened the door and saw 7 people waiting inside and 7 people waiting outside. The seating is only at the counter with 15 seats. I quickly decided to buy a meal ticket. I chose the Chashu Ramen with extra noodles for 2200 yen. The price seems to have gone up. The shop has a rating of 3.73 in the top 5000. It was opened in 1961 in Nerima, then moved to Nakano, and finally to the current location in Shinjuku. It's been over 60 years since it opened. The turnover of customers is fast, and I got my meal in about 20 minutes. The ramen was very voluminous with thick chashu standing out. The noodles were made from high-quality flour and tasted delicious. The chashu was also flavorful and the soup had a rich flavor. I later found out that the regular ramen here is around 300g, while the large portion is 500g. No wonder I felt so full! The next day, I tried the cold noodles, which were also good but I prefer the ramen for its noodle and soup flavors. Overall, it was a truly impressive ramen experience at Manki!

It had been a while since I last visited Shinjuku, so I decided to have a late lunch. I was originally planning to go to Nakanomoto, but I noticed that Mankai wasn't crowded, so I chose to eat there instead. The zaru ramen, which I hadn't had in a long time, was delicious. While it may have been less in volume compared to other menu items, it was still a sufficient amount.

How many years has it been? Well, more than ten years? I visited again. The taste is still delicious as ever! I know there may be various opinions, but personally, it feels like a classic tsukemen. Sorry, but I'm not a big fan of fish powder, haha. However, I realized once again that the portion is huge! Of course, this is usually a compliment, but for someone approaching their sixties like me, it was a bit tough, haha. Next time I visit, I'll definitely need to say "small portion of noodles."

I arrived at Manrai just 10 minutes before opening and there were already about 10 groups waiting in line. I managed to get a seat on the first round. I was torn between ordering the Char Siu Zaru or the Ramen for 1,100 yen, but about 90% of the other customers ordered the Char Siu Zaru. I saw the Char Siu Zaru of the customer next to me, and it was huge! The Ramen was incredibly delicious! The soup was a perfect match. I finished every drop of the soup. There was plenty of bamboo shoots and the Char Siu was included as well. Personally, I think the size of the Char Siu was just right. The Char Siu was delicious, but the size of the Char Siu in the Char Siu Zaru might be too much. I'm glad I chose the Ramen. By the time I left, the restaurant was full of waiting customers. Thank you for the meal.

Recently, I have been frequenting Shinjuku and visited the long-established ramen shop "Manki." The Char Siu Ramen was already sold out, so I ordered the Char Siu Zaru for 1600 yen. After waiting in the store for about 20 minutes, the Char Siu was served first, and it was impressively large. Then, the noodles arrived. It seemed like I ordered a large portion. The regular size was already 400 grams. If you have a small appetite, you might find it enough. The Char Siu was tender and flavorful with the sauce soaked in well. The Zaru Ramen had a slightly spicy dipping sauce, but it was easy to eat and delicious with a soy sauce base. I was very satisfied with my experience at Ramen Manki.

I visited around 1pm on a weekday. There were 3 people waiting outside and 13 people waiting inside. The customers were of all ages, genders, and nationalities. Most people ordered tsukemen, but this time I ordered ramen. The menu is simple so there's not much to think about. It's a shame they don't have seasoned eggs. I waited for about 25 minutes before being seated. The table had only pepper, vinegar, and was simple. I sat down and the food arrived in about 5 minutes. The noodles were the first to appear in the soup. The soup was like a traditional Chinese ramen, clear and not too sweet or spicy, just delicious. The noodles were nicely curled and had a good chewy texture. The crunchy green vegetables in the soup were a nice touch. The bamboo shoots were slightly sweet and there was a generous amount. The thick slices of pork were impressive, not too fatty, easy to chew, and incredibly flavorful. This was a unique experience for me. The portion of noodles was generous and I left feeling full. The soup was gentle and delicious, and the pork slices were outstanding. I can see why this place is popular.

Second visit. First time ordering the zaru (cold noodles). Generous portions of both meat and noodles. No need for extra large serving as the amount is satisfying. The soup is salty with a hint of acidity, and slightly oily which complements the dish well. The thick noodles are perfectly coated and delicious. The meat is tender and flavorful, with fatty parts adding to the overall taste. Eating the meat separately from the noodles. The bamboo shoots are also well-seasoned and balanced. Next time, I will try the ramen again. It's an endless loop of ramen and zaru.

I ordered the Natto Tsukemen (regular). - The broth with fish and yellow foam has a dashi-like flavor and is really delicious. - The noodles are regular size, but it's better not to get the large size. - The natto in the dipping sauce is a nice touch. - The noodles are thick and curly, perfect for slurping. - You line up outside and then purchase a meal ticket inside. - There were about 8 groups waiting inside the restaurant. - I started lining up at 11:50 AM and got my food around 12:10 PM. - There is a restroom available. - Almost all the customers were salarymen.

I had a business trip to Shimonoseki after a long time, but I returned to Tokyo promptly. I got off at Shinjuku Station West Exit from Haneda Airport via shuttle bus and since I hadn't had lunch, I decided to have ramen. There is a ramen shop behind Odakyu HALC. There is a ticket machine on the left side of the entrance where I purchased a ticket. The seating is only at the counter and I sat in one of the available seats, about half full. It was served in about 10 minutes. As mentioned in reviews, it was quite generous in portion size. The people next to me ordered tsukemen, but due to my tiredness from traveling, I felt like having warm soup from the ramen. The noodles were medium thick, the chashu was thick, there were green vegetables, menma, and seaweed. The base soup was soy sauce flavored and easy to drink. I was tired from transferring between planes and buses, but I ate slowly and finished it all. The zaru (cold noodles) also looked delicious. Next time, I might try the natto zaru. Thank you for the meal!

On a regular afternoon, while walking around the back of Odakyu HALC at Shinjuku Nishiguchi, I stumbled upon Raumen Mankai. Surprisingly, there was no line and no one waiting inside the restaurant! This was a chance not to be missed, so I impulsively entered. I ordered the Mankai Ramen for 1100 yen and took a seat at the counter. Just as I was about to pour myself some water, a large crowd of customers rushed in. In no time, the waiting area behind the counter was full, and there were even customers waiting outside. Seeing this situation, a scene from Matsumoto Seicho's "Points and Lines" came to mind. I felt like I had hit the gap in the diagram with a perfect alibi, and I had been extremely lucky to have been seated with no wait at such a rare timing. The ramen was great! Thank you for the meal.

On this day, I had to quickly grab dinner near the west exit of Shinjuku Station. With limited time, I could only eat ramen. So, should I go to Mankai or Horii? Both have similar taste, but since Horii is also available in Shinbashi, I'll go with Mankai! It's been a while since I last visited Mankai. It was hot, so I ordered the zaru (1,150 yen). By the way, I had a late lunch, and this place serves quite a lot, so I'll skip the extra noodles or extra chashu. The "zaru" here refers to tsukemen. The noodles are medium-thick and curly, with a firm texture. The portion was surprisingly large for a regular size. The dipping sauce was light soy sauce-based, tangy, and slightly spicy. It had bamboo shoots, green onions, and plenty of chashu in it. Considering the amount in a regular zaru, I wonder how much chashu would be in the chashu zaru. I was full after finishing it. The portions here are still generous. Well, it's a bit pricey, so it's not the most cost-effective option. Also, after trying it again after a long time, I realized it has a classic taste that hasn't changed much over the years. I used to find it quite delicious before, but now I wasn't that impressed. Back then, a colleague insisted it was the best ramen in Shinjuku. I wonder what he would say now. Thank you for the meal.

After sweating a lot due to the intense heat, I felt chilled on the Odakyu train and craved for a salty soy sauce ramen. It was almost 5 years since my last visit, and I went just before the busy hours. The saltiness I was looking for had decreased, but the ramen had actually become more delicious.

Please look at the portion of this dish! The chashu tsukemen is amazing, with such large slices of chashu that you can't even see the dipping broth underneath. It's fantastic. The restaurant is also well-maintained, and when I visited around 8 pm, I was able to be seated right away without waiting. The turnover of customers was quick, with the restaurant consistently full. Personally, I really enjoyed the ramen in particular.

I ordered the popular Chashu Tsukemen. First, the soup with a generous amount of chashu arrived. Shortly after, the noodles arrived. The soup bowl contained what seemed to be thinly sliced chashu and menma from a normal order, and the volume of chashu was quite large. It would be difficult for an average woman to finish it all. Even with thinly sliced chashu, the amount is satisfying, so I recommend ordering extra chashu with determination. The chashu is tender and doesn't have the dry texture often found in mediocre chashu. The noodles are average, as well as the menma. The soup seemed not to be mixed well, so I recommend digging in and mixing it with the ramen before eating.

After enjoying two delicious bowls of ramen at Manki Ramen, I visited Natto Zaruin for the first time. It was a place I was supposed to eat at after attending a joint bus company interview event, but I had to cancel last time due to receiving an emergency call as the facility director for elderly care. It's been about 5 years since then. As I entered the restaurant, there was a line forming inside. I bought a ticket from the vending machine and ordered the Natto Zaru. It seemed like some people were ordering it for the first time today. The strong smell of animal broth filled the restaurant. The soup had a very salty and strong flavor. The noodles were hand-kneaded and had a nice chewy texture. Mixing the soy sauce with the natto in the soup created a unique taste. The addition of shichimi spice added some heat to the dish. The chashu had a nostalgic flavor of broth. Adding vinegar to the soup gave it a refreshing taste. I left the restaurant feeling satisfied and full, thinking about trying the Zaru Ramen next time. Thank you for the meal!

I paid 1,600 yen for the Char siu soba. I was surprised by the amount of noodles. Even though I didn't order the large portion, it came out as a large portion. I regret not researching a bit before ordering. I managed to finish the Char siu, but left some noodles. If I eat this for lunch, I won't be able to eat anything for dinner. I am full. It was delicious.

And then the ramen arrived. I've never seen noodles sticking out of the soup like that before (laughs). First, I tried slurping the soup. The base soup gives off the impression of being centered around pork bones. The soy sauce seasoning is gently present, adding depth to the umami with a combination of animal-based broth and chemical flavors. The appearance of the ramen is similar to Eleven Foods ramen I had in the past, but the direction of the soup itself is slightly different. The noodles are medium thick with a light wave. The amount of kansui seems slightly less, giving the impression of a slightly higher water content ratio. It makes sense that it takes over 5 minutes to cook the noodles. And the amount of noodles is estimated to be around 250-300g. This is a regular serving, so be careful. It's probably homemade noodles. The toppings include chashu, spinach, menma, seaweed, and green onions. The chashu is boiled pork made from pork thigh meat. I thought it would be more meaty with less fat, but surprisingly it was tender. The menma has a sweet seasoning that reminds me of homemade.

Oh, how unprofessional to admit making a mistake in front of customers! The way the staff responded with just a "hmm" is not ideal. Eating the ramen while it's already on the counter doesn't leave a good impression either. Good customer service is crucial in a restaurant with only a counter.

Today I went to Shinjuku and found a restaurant with a long line before opening, so I decided to try it. Since it was a weekday morning, I was able to get a seat quickly. I ordered the tsukemen instead of ramen. The tsukemen had chunky slices of chashu, which was a unique touch. The noodles were decent, nothing special but still tasty. The broth started off tasting like soy sauce, but towards the end, it had a slightly sour taste. Although the portion size of the noodles was good, considering the price of 1150 yen, I thought next time I might try the ramen instead.

The Chinese noodles at Ramen Mankai were exquisite. The rich soup had a deep umami flavor, and the noodles had a perfect chewiness. The char siu topping was tender and perfectly seasoned. The atmosphere in the restaurant was calm, making it a delightful dining experience. A must-try bowl for fans of Chinese noodles. I would love to visit again!

After a long time, I visited Manki again. There are times when I suddenly crave their food. This time, I ordered the cha-soba. I purchased it from the ticket machine and waited a bit. After a while, a bowl of dipping sauce with a chunk of meat was brought to me. Shortly after, a generous portion of noodles was also served. I couldn't dip the noodles in the sauce with the meat chunk in the way, so I set the meat aside and started slurping the noodles. The taste was just as good as I remembered! I enjoyed the thick slices of chashu while slurping the noodles. They complemented each other well. After a few bites, I added black pepper for a flavor change, which turned out to be a great accent! Finally, I added some vinegar for a refreshing finish. It was delicious! Thank you for the meal!