天反
Good evening, this is Amataji. Last Sunday, my wife had a performance with her choir group called Coro di Meicon (a choir group of Meicon alumni) at the Chofu Green Hall, so I went to watch. They sang passionately. The first part was a medley of children's songs arranged by Shunji Genda, which was quite skillfully done with familiar melodies transitioning in a fun way. I can imagine it must have been quite challenging for the singers. Then they performed opera songs, which everyone seemed to enjoy. Overall, it was a great experience.
After the performance, I thought of having ramen for dinner. I initially wanted to go to Takechan for their boshi shiramen, but it seemed they were closed on Sunday nights. I couldn't find any other appealing options nearby except for Butatora Soba, which was right next to it. The signage and the design of the two restaurants were the same, indicating they might be run by the same management. However, I decided to try Soramame, located in a narrow alley nearby.
Upon entering, I noticed that they specialized in miso tantanmen and other miso ramen variations. It was a bit confusing for first-timers as the menu had different options for miso and shoyu ramen. I ordered the signature dish, miso tantanmen, while my son went for the chashu ramen. The miso tantanmen had different levels of spiciness, and I chose the medium level. My son, being a student, opted for the large size.
The ramen arrived after a short wait. The chashu ramen was generously topped with chashu slices, while the miso tantanmen looked like a regular miso ramen with something similar to meat sauce on top. The miso ramen broth was mild, not too strong in miso flavor, with a hint of umami. It had a mix of vegetables like bean sprouts, cabbage, leeks, carrots, and onions. The meat sauce-like topping added a unique texture and flavor, somewhat resembling a meat sauce. Mixing it in made the dish spicier, with a pleasant level of heat that made me break a slight sweat.
The noodles were not the typical yellow, curly miso ramen noodles but rather straight, medium-thick noodles with a moderate chewiness. The spiciness of the dish was subtle, as the broth was not overpowering. Overall, the miso tantanmen at Soramame was a flavorful and satisfying experience.