There is also a "Manbukuroki" in Sapporo, my local area. It is located on B1F of Sapporo Station, and I have visited it many times. The prices are a bit high, but all the dishes were really delicious. I found out that there is only one store in Sapporo, but there are stores nationwide with Tokyo as the center. This time, I visited this store. I visited on Monday around 8:20 PM. Both the counter and tables were empty, so I entered. There were mostly 1 or 2 customers, and surprisingly, there was also a solo female customer. This time, I ordered dumplings and fried rice. Pork and vegetable fried rice for 980 yen, and handmade 2 types of dumplings, small size 6 pieces for 710 yen (meat meat black dumplings/pork herb dumplings), totaling 1,690 yen. The dumplings arrived in about 15 minutes. I was planning to order large dumplings, but they were not on the menu, so I ordered the limited 2 types. The meat meat black dumplings were almost all minced meat filling with plenty of meat juice. The pork herb dumplings had celery in them, giving them a somewhat western flavor. Both were full of meat juice and I finished them quickly. The fried rice arrived in about 4 minutes. I was initially planning to order shrimp and seafood fried rice, but I changed to the popular pork and vegetable fried rice. As usual, it was a generous portion. The tender roast pork and crispy vegetables were plentiful. The fried rice here is hard to describe but delicious! It's no wonder it's a popular menu item. I finished it in no time. It was a nostalgic and delicious Chinese meal. Thank you for the meal.

I ordered the soupless tantanmen and half-fried rice set. The tantanmen alone costs around 950-980 yen, but with the half-fried rice it's 1150 yen. While the individual price may seem a bit high, it feels like a good deal to get the set for just an extra 200 yen. The soupless tantanmen comes with white onions, green onions, bean sprouts, and meat miso, and it's not too spicy. The fried rice is simple with just eggs and green onions, but it's a good amount, about 80% of a regular serving, and has a nice fluffy texture. If they had a set with slightly smaller portions of noodles and fried rice for under 1000 yen, I might go back again tomorrow.

When in trouble, this is the place to go! Park your car at the coin parking under the overpass, cross the pedestrian crossing, and you'll be right in front of it. It used to be just dan dan noodles and dumplings, but recently they have added other menu items as well. The portions are generous and the cost performance is excellent. Thank you for the meal.

I visited the restaurant at 11:30 am, 15 minutes before its opening time. When it opened, it was already 100% full with 95% of the customers wearing work clothes. It seemed busier than usual because a nearby popular ramen shop was temporarily closed due to equipment failure. Five minutes after I entered, there was already a line forming outside. I placed my order by speaking to the staff directly and paid when leaving using various barcode payment methods. I ordered the Showa-era Gyoza set for ¥850, which was listed as including 12 gyoza. It took about 8 minutes from ordering to the food being served. The gyoza looked neat on the plate, and after taking a bite, I realized it tasted exactly like the ones sold at a nearby supermarket for ¥108 for 10 pieces. I was a bit disappointed but managed to finish them by adding vinegar and chili oil for flavor. I noticed a regular customer at the next table getting a refill of rice from the rice cooker, but I was not informed about this service, so I rated the service of this restaurant as one star. Due to these reasons, I do not plan to visit this restaurant again!

I forgot to take a photo and ended up taking it when we were almost done eating. I went with my junior and ordered pork and leek fried rice, pork belly and vegetable fried rice, and tanmen. The dishes were plentiful and had a consistent taste. It's not addictive, but I feel like going back there occasionally. They now accept PayPay, so I will revisit.

The place is located near Azabu-Juban Station and is easy to spot as it faces the street. It seems to be owned by Saikai Corporation. I visited around noon and customers started coming in one after another. It seems to be quite popular. I ordered the Red Mala Tantanmen for 950 yen and got half rice for free. There were various types of Tantanmen, but this Red Mala Tantanmen and the soupless one had the spiciest mark. The Red Mala Tantanmen arrived in just a few minutes. The soup wasn't as cloudy as I expected, it had a clear appearance. However, it was still spicy! It was deliciously spicy and tasty. Thank you for the meal.

Selected the Hormone Garlic Fried Rice. Lacks punch in flavor. Not bad, but not great either. Tastes like homemade cooking. Priced at just under 1000 yen. Feels a bit overpriced at checkout. Disappointing.

From Asakusa Juuban, go up the hill towards Iidabashi and you'll find a long-standing chain restaurant on your left! The atmosphere here is different from other places, with a nostalgic town Chinese vibe. Their specialty is hand-pulled noodles and hand-made dumplings. The hand-made dumplings here have a chewy skin and fluffy filling, a taste that brings back memories of late-night snacks. The hand-pulled noodles, especially the spicy chicken hand-pulled noodles, pack a punch with their spiciness and have a good chewy texture. The fried rice is quite generous in portion, so sharing is recommended!

It's been a while since I came back, but I used to order the same thing before. I used to always get the pork belly and vegetable fried rice. Today I had the liver and leek stir-fry set for ¥900, with free refills of rice and soup. It was a bit salty though. They don't have many COVID-19 precautions in place.

I visited this restaurant because I was craving dumplings after a long time. Their large dumplings are filled with juicy meat and highly recommended. I also ordered the mapo tofu, which was spicy and perfect for the upcoming hot season. They have a variety of lunch menus, so it's a good place for regular visits.

Mantonki is a chain restaurant located a short walk from the Shinnihashi intersection towards Iidabashi at Asabu-Juuban. The yellow sign with a drawing of an old man gives off a nice vibe. Back in my student days, I used to frequent another branch of this restaurant for lunch. They had a dish called Beef Tendon Tantanmen, which was my favorite. They also had Tomato Tantanmen. I used to mispronounce Mantonki as "Mantonki" because I didn't know how to read it. Unfortunately, the branch next to my favorite Mantonki was destroyed in a fire. Over time, the beef tendon dishes disappeared from the menu. This time, I ordered the Tantanmen and fried rice set for ¥1100. I chose the medium spicy Black Sesame Tantanmen. The fried rice was tasty and the portion size was good. The Tantanmen wasn't too spicy, making it easy for everyone to enjoy. The hand-made noodles had a nice chewy texture. My pasta-loving partner also enjoyed the Tantanmen. I also added the Showa Gyoza for ¥290. I'm not sure why it's called Showa Gyoza, as it didn't feel particularly innovative. It disappeared quickly too. Despite being carb-heavy, the meal didn't feel heavy to eat, which was a pleasant surprise. I wish they would improve their infection prevention measures a bit, but overall, it's a good place for a casual lunch.

As expected, I have a hangover, so I crave something spicy. I decided to visit this restaurant, which is part of the SAI Corporation group. It is located up the slope from Azabu-Juban intersection, past Shin-Fukusai-kan. I arrived around 11:30 on a holiday and there was only one other group of customers. It's not too crowded in the Azabu-Juban area, so it shouldn't be too busy. Since I had delicious tantanmen at Kurenai Tori Gyoza in Hatchobori before, I decided to try the black sesame tantanmen here. I also ordered half fried rice and 2 large dumplings. The food arrived in about 10 minutes. The soup had a strong sesame flavor, with a mild spiciness and a noticeable miso taste. The noodles had a unique texture, more like Chinese cuisine noodles than ramen. It wasn't bad, but it felt somewhat average. The fried rice also arrived, with a very simple appearance and taste - almost too little salt. It lacked the bold use of oil and salt that is key to fried rice. Also, there was a slight off smell of oil or rice. The large dumplings had a reliable taste, probably just reheated from frozen or refrigerated. It was just okay. The tantanmen at Kurenai Tori Gyoza in Hatchobori was much better, even though it's the same chain and likely the same ingredients. It seems that the difference lies in the cooking process. The restaurant lacked cleanliness and felt more like a personal Chinese restaurant than a chain. What was that smell in the fried rice? Overall, this place is better suited for sober daytime meals after drinking in Azabu-Juban or Roppongi. You tend to forgive things more when you're drunk and don't care as much. Maybe I'll go back to the Hatchobori store. Hopefully, those two chefs are still there. Thank you for the meal.

It's been a long time since I had black sesame tantanmen. The flat twisted noodles were chewy and brought back nostalgic memories. However, the soup seemed to have less black sesame flavor compared to before. The color also looked more like a rich miso ramen, which was a bit disappointing. Nevertheless, the taste was still delicious, maybe because it had been a while since I last had it.

This time, I ordered the super spicy tantan noodles in the extra spicy version. It's already the spiciest menu, but as a spicy food enthusiast, I want to keep challenging myself. After a while, the atmosphere in the restaurant became strange, with customers coughing and choking. It seemed that the strong smell of a large amount of fried chili peppers from the kitchen had spread throughout the restaurant. The men with me couldn't bear it and started coughing, making it hard to talk. The extra spicy version is ready now. It's pretty spicy! But the deliciousness remains the same. The tingling sensation on my lips is enjoyable. The men who found it a bit too much couldn't handle the spicy soup sticking to the noodles and ended up coughing a lot. I'm happy they made it this spicy! Maybe they can make it even spicier? I feel like aiming for even spicier now. In the end, I was full and left some noodles, but I finished the soup! I even ate the chili peppers. It's so addictive... Thank you for the meal! By the way, why was the mapo tofu we ordered together also spicy? It was just a regular order, haha.

2020.02.19 (Wed) Sunny, 2nd visit, entered at 16:14, 1 customer before, 2 customers after, served at 16:17. Ordered "Vegetable Soup Noodles" verbally. Condiments on the table included soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, GABAN white pepper powder. Served in about 3 minutes. Rice was supposed to come with the meal but requested without. Noodles were thin and curly, cooked just right. At first, they had a slightly chewy texture. As they absorbed the soup, they became more supple and had a good throat feel. Ingredients: cabbage, Chinese cabbage, bean sprouts, onions, chives, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms. No meat, only vegetables stir-fried and then simmered in the soup. Cabbage and Chinese cabbage were roughly chopped, retaining a crunchy texture. Bean sprouts and onions were also well-textured. The onions had a slight char on them. Chives were tender but flavorful. Bamboo shoots were canned and had a soft texture with a slightly peculiar taste. Wood ear mushrooms were rehydrated from dried ones. They had a chewy and elastic texture, varying from crunchy to soft and firm. The overall amount of vegetables was generous. The soup was a cloudy salty broth served piping hot. The base was chicken and pork bone broth, with a hint of sweetness from the vegetables, but lacking in depth of umami flavor. There was also a unique flavor, possibly from the bamboo shoots. The salt and oil content were just right. Overall, the noodles were good, and the abundance of vegetables was a plus. However, the soup could have been better. Thank you for the meal.

Super Spicy Tantanmen 880 yen, I think I changed to handmade noodles (+80 yen) Nira Ramen 880 yen Hormone Ponzu 480 yen Gyoza (I forgot what kind of gyoza) I love spicy food. The Super Spicy Tantanmen is spicy and delicious. I wish I had come earlier, I didn't expect this restaurant to be so delicious.

After eating yakiniku at Mabu Juuban, we went to this place for our second stop. I had passed by it a few times before and thought the gyoza looked delicious, so we decided to check it out. We arrived around 9pm and surprisingly, there were only about 6 people inside. Maybe it's busier during lunchtime? The waiter was a bit scary, with a stern expression on his face. When I tried to order the large gyoza, he told me they were sold out with a very intimidating look... He was unfriendly throughout the meal. The food itself was not bad! The gyoza had a mild flavor that you could eat as many as you wanted, and the fried rice was decent. They seem to be open until late at night, so I guess they get more customers then. If the waiter had been friendlier, I might consider coming back, but I probably won't visit again. I just realized, do they really run out of their signature large gyoza? Oh well, it's fine.

I stopped by a delicious-looking Chinese restaurant. The portions were surprisingly large, and although I thought I ordered just regular ramen and fried rice, the kimchi fried rice was quite spicy and there was so much of it that my friend and I had to share. Next, we tried the mapo tofu glass noodles, which looked intense. It turned out to be extremely spicy, and we could only eat a small portion. Lastly, we had the mapo tantan noodles. I assume it was also spicy, but after the fiery glass noodles, I couldn't really tell how spicy it was, though it was still quite spicy and delicious.

I ordered the mapo tofu set meal. The mapo tofu had a strong taste of starch and chili, but lacked depth of flavor and spiciness. The side dishes were decent. However, as I've mentioned before, the white rice is just not good. It seems like they cook a large batch and serve it throughout the day. It lacks sweetness and the cooking method is off. This is definitely something they need to work on.

When it comes to gyoza, I ordered the large gyoza set today despite having the medium gyoza set yesterday. Each gyoza is said to weigh 50 grams, and I ended up ordering 8 of them without thinking. That's 400 grams of gyoza alone. Although not as big as the ones at Kairaku in Ikebukuro, the gyoza I received were quite large. When I tried them, they were juicy with a nice texture from the roughly chopped ingredients. It seems like there are also glass noodles and wood ear mushrooms inside. And the mystery ingredient providing the texture is the green one (name not mentioned). All of this for 1,100 yen is a good deal. I will definitely come back when I'm really hungry for lunch again. By the way, you can have unlimited rice and soup refills (self-service). Thank you for the meal.

I had a bad experience with homemade fried rice last time, so I decided to have a revenge with dumplings. When it comes to Chinese food, it has to be dumplings, right? I ordered the medium dumpling set meal because I was worried about finishing a large portion. The meal came with free refills of rice and soup (self-service). The rice portion was quite large, so it was enough for me. The dumplings were juicy, light, and I quite liked them. There were 12 dumplings in total, and one of them was crispy, which was the most delicious for me. Maybe they could have cooked them a bit more to make them crispier, but it's just my preference. Unfortunately, there were two downsides. Firstly, the rice wasn't tasty at all. I'm not sure if it's the type of rice or the way it was cooked, but it was disappointing. Secondly, the soy sauce and toothpick containers were sticky and dirty. It's a shame because this could be easily improved. I hope they work on these issues.