I went to a ramen shop in Nakano! This time, I visited "Taishoken Nakano." I ordered the "Special Tsukemen" with extra noodles. This place is a renowned shop belonging to the Marunaga Renkai, the oldest ramen association in Japan. It is known as a legendary shop where Yamagishi, the god of ramen, used to work. Of course, when you think of Taishoken, you think of tsukemen. The soup, made with a soy sauce base, is light and slightly tangy with a refreshing aftertaste. The noodles are smooth and medium-thick, providing a nice chewiness. The chashu, while a bit tough when served cold, softens up nicely when warmed in the soup. Overall, it was a nostalgic and flavorful experience having Taishoken's tsukemen after a long time. It made me realize that all tsukemen can trace their roots back to this place and have evolved from here. It's a profound taste. My rating for the seasoned egg is 3 out of 5. It was a satisfying visit to Taishoken in Nakano.

On the way back from the chiropractic clinic, there is "Ishigami Chinese Daishoken"⁡⁡⁡⁡. It's delicious! It's a nostalgic Chinese ramen. It's really just the right amount of Chinese ramen. The default noodle amount is 180g, a little more than usual, with tender chashu and a boiled egg for 780 yen, which is a reasonable price. I entered without waiting at 12 o'clock. However, it took 20 minutes from entering to serving, which was a bit slow. Also, the interior of the restaurant was damn cold, which was a negative point. The water was delicious.

The rating on Tabelog was low, so even though I had passed by before, I had never visited. However, I happened to be nearby this time and decided to give it a try. It was close to closing time, but they kindly let me in. I ordered the ramen and it arrived promptly. The aroma of the dried sardines was good, and the taste was well-balanced. The chashu was thick and the menma was crunchy. I enjoyed it very much. Thank you for the meal. I will visit again.

This is a Chinese restaurant that not only serves ramen, but also dishes like vegetable stir-fry and sweet and sour pork as the name suggests. However, it feels like the menu is mainly focused on ramen with some Chinese dishes added. The ramen here is delicious. The dumplings are large and satisfying to eat. The ramen costs 780 yen, and with the lunch set (2 dumplings and rice), it is 1,000 yen. If the dumplings were cooked a bit longer to make the skin crispy, it would be even better. This restaurant seems to have regular customers in the area. It is always crowded at lunchtime. There are two parking spaces behind the restaurant, but if they are full, there is no nearby coin parking! (Actually, there are three parking spaces, but one is probably used by the owner of the restaurant). If you plan to visit, it's better to go right after opening or after 1:30 PM.

I had tsukemen and gyoza for 1460 yen at "Oshokken" in Musashiseki. The location is not very close to Seibu Shinjuku Line or Ikebukuro Line, as it is near Fujimidai Park on the Fushi Kaido. The gyoza, called Anton Gyoza, made with local vegetables from Nerima, cost 580 yen for 5 large pieces. They looked appetizing with a crispy brown color, but they turned out to be a bit soggy and had a pickled cabbage-like smell, which was not very pleasant. As for the tsukemen, I was expecting a traditional soy sauce flavor similar to the ones in Higashi-Ikebukuro, but it was more like the popular Mita Seimen fish sauce flavor, with straight thick noodles. The dipping sauce was thick and had a hint of yuzu fragrance, a classic taste that was not bad for tsukemen. I ordered the standard 200g portion, but you can also get a 300g portion for the same price. Overall, the taste of "Oshokken" varies depending on the location, so it might be better to have a different name for this type of trendy flavor instead of using the same name as the other branches.

"Tskesoba" is a dish that is simple yet showcases the charm of each ingredient. The homemade thick straight noodles are slightly soft but chewy, allowing you to slurp them up easily. The dipping sauce is carefully made by simmering pork bones, chicken, sardines, bonito flakes, aromatic vegetables, and blending the clear soup with soy sauce seasoning. When you slurp the noodles, the refreshing soup texture spreads in your mouth. While there are many rich "tonkotsu seafood dipping noodles" available nowadays, this dish stands out from the rest. The unique flavor that the original dipping noodles restaurant has preserved and developed over time clearly demonstrates its one-of-a-kind presence.

Is it Shakujii or Hoyai? Along the Fuji Highway, there is a Chinese restaurant called Daishoken. It doesn't seem to be part of the Daishoken chain. It's not exceptionally delicious, but it has just the right taste.

They complain about slow service and mysteriously being seated at a couple's table, but I'm hooked. It's just so delicious.

Rice Time Service set. The gyoza is delicious.

I had vegetable ramen and Anton dumplings. The vegetable ramen had a concentrated vegetable flavor and a gentle taste. The thin curly noodles paired well with the vegetables and were very delicious. The Anton dumplings were juicy and filling, highly recommended. Thank you for the meal.

I visited "Chuka Taishoken" for the first time, and I ordered the Wonton Noodle Soup with a small portion of noodles (120g). The amount was just right for me, and it was delicious. I even finished all the soup. However, I wasn't a big fan of the wontons.

The dumplings are delicious.

I ordered the spicy tsukemen. The soup was served in a hot stone pot, piping hot, and had a delicious sweet and spicy flavor. The noodles were medium thickness with a great chewy texture. It was the most delicious tsukemen I have ever had!

Recently, there is a popular double soup that is not thick and heavy, but rather light and refreshing. The location is not ideal, so it may not be worth going out of your way to visit. It is a restaurant that is valued by local residents as it is conveniently located nearby.

It was a different shop than the one I had in mind. The noodles were thin and the soup was fish-based tonkotsu, I believe. But it was delicious.

I visited the Chinese restaurant "Daishoken" along the Fuji Highway, which was opened a few years ago. The parking lot had space for 3 cars behind the restaurant. Inside, there were 3 counter seats on the left near the entrance, a kitchen in the back, and 14 table seats on the right. The restaurant was run by two men. A family of customers had already been served when I arrived. I sat at a table towards the back and looked at the menu. I noticed that they offered "tsukemen" instead of "tsukesoba." I was curious about their specialty gyoza, but since it was my first visit, I decided to order their signature tsukemen for 880 yen. It was served in just 11 minutes. The dipping sauce had a sweet and rich flavor with a hint of acidity, which I really enjoyed. It contained chunky chashu pork, menma bamboo shoots, chopped green onions, and the classic naruto fish cake. The chashu was a bit salty, but overall, the flavor was to my liking. The medium-thick noodles were cooked al dente, chewy, and had a nice bounce to them, which I also liked. The dish also came with a seasoned egg, watercress, and seaweed on the side. Overall, it was a delicious and satisfying tsukemen, although the price of 880 yen seemed a bit high. Thank you for the meal! ★3.68

<April 2017> Ramen Even though this place is located in Nerima Ward, it was difficult for me to visit. In Nerima Ward, if you have access to the Seibu Ikebukuro Line and Seibu Shinjuku Line, you can usually get around on foot. However, this place is equally far from Oizumi Gakuen Station and Shakujii Park Station on the south side, and also far from Musashiseki Station and Kami-Igusa Station on the north side. It was like being on a lonely island, so I had put off visiting. However, I found out that there was a parking lot behind the restaurant, so I quickly visited by car. By the way, I couldn't find a coin parking lot in the vicinity... "Chuka Daishoken".... when you hear this name, those who are familiar with ramen might think of the "Ningyocho style". I did some research before visiting, so I had that kind of feeling, but the experience turned out to be unexpected. This time, I tried the ramen without any expectations. Broth: "Slightly animalistic with a hint of seafood sweetness supporting it, well-balanced soy sauce flavor" The interior of the restaurant has a casual and family-friendly atmosphere rather than a typical Chinese restaurant in the city. The staff is young, cheerful, and the ramen shop is a place where you can eat and drink casually, making it comfortable for families to visit. The main seating is at tables, and once you sit down, you might feel like staying for a long time. It is frankly comfortable. You can't see the kitchen at all, which might be one reason why you feel that way. And from the kitchen in the back, the appearance of the noodles served carefully is like this. What kind of Daishoken is this...? From the name of the restaurant, it seems to be the "Ningyocho style". The shape of the bowl is somewhat similar to the "Eifukucho style". The toppings and soup sensation suggest the "Higashi-Ikebukuro style". Oh, I've eaten at quite a few Daishoken places, but this is a rare breed that exists as a matter of course. This is interesting! When you taste it, you can't tell if it's animalistic or seafood-based, but there is a calm flavor. You can feel the essence of pork bone and pork meat slightly coming through, but it is not overpowering. The sweetness is somewhat petillant but not overwhelming. Whether the seafood is subtle or lightly prepared with seafood, it is a refreshing taste. On the other hand, although the animalistic elements are present, there is no strong impact, and the essence gently blends in, making it quite good. At this point, I don't even know if it's animal-based or seafood-based, or even the main component, but overall, it feels well-balanced. The soy sauce flavor is also doing its job. It blends into the sweetness of the broth and saltiness, even though the soy sauce itself is not aged, you can clearly taste its aroma and saltiness blending into the sweetness. In other words, the saltiness is rounded and subtle. And it has a base flavor. You don't consciously think about soy sauce, but you end up distinguishing it from other soy sauce-based ramen, creating a self-contradictory appearance. Noodles: "Slightly flavorful with a nice medium water level! Slightly twisted straight noodles" When you taste it, once again, you can't tell what style of Daishoken it is. With thin noodles, the "Higashi-Ikebukuro style" line disappears. So it's not soft noodles either. Then the "Ningyocho style" is not quite right. I know that the noodles in Ningyocho style are extremely thin and silky to the bite, but many places are not like that, and I myself have lost track of what is the true Ningyocho style. The water level is moderate in Daishoken. It's not chewy, but you can feel a subtle roughness and flavor as you bite into it with your front teeth. It's a straight noodle, but it's slightly bumpy, which is characteristic. There is a slight twist in some parts. So, in the first half, like a typical New Wave style ramen, you enjoy the flavor and smoothness of the noodles while slurping them. In the second half, you gradually allow the soup to permeate, cutting the noodles with your front teeth and crushing them with your back teeth. This clear distinction between the first and second halves is interesting and rare in Daishoken. Toppings: "A classic and timeless flavor! Pork belly roll"

According to the famous ramen database expert Hiroshi Osaki, Daishoken can be divided into three main categories: the Eifukucho style (Mr. Kusamura), the Higashi-Ikebukuro style (Mr. Yamagishi), and the others category. This particular restaurant (specifically, Chuka Daishoken) falls under the others category. The main branch used to be located near the boat pond in Ishigami Park (although it has since closed down), and the owner trained there. This restaurant is located near my hometown (near the Fujikaido Nishimura bus stop, which is now relocated towards the Oizumi Gakuen Station direction, if I remember correctly, there was also a famous udon shop nearby!). I have visited this place with my family regularly, and even had the privilege of having it reserved for a special occasion (grateful!). As the rainy season was approaching, my family and I visited the restaurant. There were about 8 of us, and I will share only the photos I was able to take. The specialty of this place is the Anton Gyoza. The filling is made with minced meat (domestic beef and pork) with specific cuts to enhance the flavor, and fresh vegetables from Nerima are used, with twice the amount of meat, making it very healthy. The size is also impressive at 12 cm! When you bite into it, the hot broth oozes out, making it delicious. The special dipping noodles come in standard, curry-flavored, and spicy variations. There are also various other Chinese dishes to enjoy. One thing to note is that the food may take some time to be served, either due to the meticulous preparation or the owner's personality (please serve the drinks faster!). Overall, whether dining alone or with family, this place offers decent Chinese cuisine to enjoy. It's a great song, isn't it? The answer to the quiz in the photo is also included in the review.

Chukadai Shoken. Probably completely unrelated to that famous Daishoken known for their tsukemen. Is it related to the Chinese restaurant Daishoken? Well, I'm not sure and I'm not interested, so I'll skip that. They serve ramen, as well as dishes like ankake yakisoba and umani don, focusing on stir-fried Chinese cuisine. But they don't have fried rice. They also offer alcohol, but I'm worried that lingering in such a small restaurant might affect the turnover. It feels more like a ramen shop than an izakaya or Chinese restaurant. They seem to pour a lot of passion into their ramen and gyoza. They constantly come up with new menu items and are very dedicated to their research. Their recent recommendation is tomato curry tsukemen... which is hard to imagine. I didn't have the courage to order it (laughs). The basic ramen has a traditional taste, similar to Tokyo-style ramen. In that sense, it's closer to that famous Daishoken in terms of taste. It's quite delicious, I think. Now, let me say something about the mala ramen! This is not mala ramen, but rather spicy ramen. There is no "ma" flavor at all!! When I see the characters "mala," what I expect is not only spiciness but also the "ma" of Sichuan peppercorns. But it's completely missing, which I think could be considered food fraud. But in Japan, there are many restaurants that cater to Japanese who don't like mala, but... If you don't like spicy food, then don't order it! I wish they would make it a qualification system, like if you have a Level 1, you can order it! Local NERIMA vegetables are used in the popular Anton gyoza. The "Anton" in Anton gyoza means the filling weighs 1 ton. Or maybe it's a play on words with ton of pork. Basically, it means there's a lot of filling, but hmm, maybe it's not that special nowadays? The skin is not thin and it's juicy, which I personally like, but it lacks a bit of impact. But I appreciate the use of local produce, which is the most delicious. This place is not that famous Daishoken, but I felt a great dedication here that surpasses that famous Daishoken.