虎丸にハマってるおっさん
Located a few minutes' walk from Itabashi Honcho Station, near the intersection of Itabashi Honcho, this restaurant was about half full when I arrived around 7:00 PM. I ordered the "tsukemen large size" with a call for "vegetables, extra oil". The default amount of chopped onions in the soup seemed to dilute it, giving off a rather light soy sauce impression compared to other Jiro-style ramen. The vegetables were definitely forgotten, right? Right? Hey! The amount of vegetables was modest and refined (see photo). The oil was in the form of large, well-preserved pieces, giving a hearty feel. The noodles seemed like they were not homemade but rather a mass-produced type from a noodle factory (apologies if I'm wrong). They were straight and slightly wavy, with a medium thickness, lacking the chewy and firm texture typical of Jiro-style noodles. For those looking for chewy noodles, be aware. The pork was small and not very memorable, a small block with a texture that's more substantial than tender (possibly due to rising prices). It was small in size and quantity, so I didn't have much time to savor it before it was gone. However, it was delicious. (For those who want more meat, I recommend ordering extra meat). This review is based on the tsukemen, but the light soup was quite thin for a dipping broth, while the noodles, whether chewy or firm, did not really cling to the soup. If you don't mind that, the thick noodles were delicious. The soup and ingredients were tasty, making it easy for even a customer like me who liberally adds pepper, chili pepper, chili oil, and table spices to finish the bowl. I must admit that I never add garlic, but even if I did, it wouldn't be a bowl that hits you hard overall. It's likely a bowl that's easy for everyone to enjoy. The lack of a strong connection between the slightly wavy medium-thick noodles and the light dipping broth was not to my liking as a tsukemen enthusiast, so I honestly found it to be mediocre. The noodles were tasty on their own, and the soup and toppings were delicious, so I would recommend the regular ramen to those who are undecided. Two things that caught my attention and I would like to mention are: first, despite there being plenty of empty seats when I entered the restaurant, I was directed to a corner seat that was obstructive (I ended up having to avoid other customers several times). Second, the restaurant was surprisingly quiet for a ramen shop. The main reason is that the kitchen is located in the back, so there was hardly any cooking noise. The radio playing above the water dispenser was also very quiet, and overall, there seemed to be a lack of necessary background noise. The air conditioning was very effective, making the indoor temperature very comfortable. However, with the windows closed and no external noise, only the slurping noises of others echoed in the restaurant. In such an environment, I, who lacked the courage to slurp, ate my noodles as quietly as possible (though I did make some noise). The fact that the spoon was made of plastic and didn't make a clanging sound was great. I realized that such an environment, which lacks the usual background noise of a bustling ramen shop, did not whet my appetite. I found it hard to enjoy eating in a ramen shop where I could only hear the slurping noises of others in complete silence. During my meal, I daydreamed and smirked like a weirdo, thinking that maybe such an environment could make it easier for a solo female customer like me to enter. Thank you for the meal. Although it says they only serve tsukemen during the day, I honestly thought about not going when I found out they weren't serving it at night. But when I went anyway, I was surprised to find that they were serving it at night. Wait a minute? I'm a tsukemen-loving guy, so it's worth going even though I found out they weren't serving it at night.