Today, the first snow fell, and I finished work at noon. I had lunch in Funabori. Funabori doesn't have many ramen shops, but there is "Yafuku" near the station that I've been curious about for a while. This was my first ramen of the new year. There is a curtain at a separate entrance from the pachinko parlor. You go up the stairs to the 2nd floor. It seems like the shop was renovated from part of the office space of the pachinko parlor, or maybe they are connected (laughs). There is a ticket machine on the right side of the entrance. You can buy a ticket or order inside the store. The interior is about the size of a living room with small tables and a counter, enough for 8 people to sit closely. There was one customer before me. The owner was working on a PC at the counter, and when I handed in my ticket, the part-time staff in the kitchen received instructions. The owner seemed to be involved in a wide range of businesses based on his phone conversation. This time, I ordered the miso ramen. All ramen is 700 yen. They have four types: soy sauce, miso, salt, and tonkotsu, plus toppings, etc. The menu also includes a variety of side dishes, giving the impression of a ramen shop that also serves izakaya-style dishes. The miso ramen I ordered was like a mix between soy sauce and miso. It was not too rich, suitable for finishing off a meal, I'd say. Overall, it had a light taste with curly yellow noodles and a variety of toppings. It also had a half-boiled egg cut in half. It was a well-made bowl that was not boring. The part-time staff was friendly too. There is no restroom, you have to go inside the pachinko parlor. I feel a bit hesitant about going into a pachinko parlor to use the restroom. Despite being small, it was cozy and I think it's worth revisiting.

A few minutes' walk from Funabori Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line, on the second floor of a building where there is a pachinko parlor, I visited "Menya Hafuku." On this day, I went with two friends for lunch, as our second stop. We arrived around 3:30 PM. The restaurant has about 10 seats, including counter and table seats, and it's cozy. There were two friendly staff members. There were two customers before us and one after us, which is understandable given the time. We ordered various dishes (see photos) and everything was good value for money, with no disappointments. The only thing to note is that the shoyu ramen was a bit lacking in flavor and value compared to the other dishes. But considering how much we ate and drank, it was surprising that it didn't cost more than 3000 yen per person! If you happen to be in the area, definitely stop by. It might be a good place for a late lunch without a break, or when you want to have a drink casually on a day off. Thank you for the meal.

Sake 1 cup 300x2, blackthroat seaperch from Hokuriku, wood-end, 350 dumplings 250, hot assorted oden 8 kinds 350, daikon, egg, chikuwa, ganmodoki, konjac, thick fried tofu, kombu, wheat gluten 2, pistachio tempura 350. Total 1900.

I had the Spicy Vegetable Ramen. It had a variety of fresh and crunchy vegetables. The soup was flavorful and spicy, with a nice numbing sensation. The noodles were chewy and paired well with the soup. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.