I’ve been working my way through every ramen shop in Ikebukuro that’s supposed to be famous, and Menya Musashi is going to be the last one. If you count the not-so-famous places too, there are tons of them.. I’d like to get round to those someday when I have time, but it’s not as if Ikebukuro is the only place with ramen shops.. I need to wrap this up quickly and move on to other areas.
The hours said they were open until 9:30, but it turned out 9:30 was last orders. I made it just in time.
The front of the shop
I took this on the way out, so the door is already shut. In Ikebukuro, where lots of places stay open until dawn, 9:30 is really early. It looks like all the Menya Musashi shops close at this time.
Tamabuta-ten Ramen
The shop is called Niten (“two tempura”) because two pieces of tempura go in the bowl. The thing that sets it apart is that the soft-boiled egg and chashu, the usual ramen toppings, come as tempura. Other than that it’s the same as a regular ramen.. But after eating the tempura I honestly couldn’t figure out why anyone would think of making this. Giving ordinary toppings an unusual twist is fine as far as it goes, but tempura that has gone completely cold can’t possibly taste good. The soft-boiled egg tempura was passable at least, but with the chashu, plain chashu is far tastier than the tempura version.
Close-up of the noodles
The tempura was a letdown, but the broth and noodles are exactly the Menya Musashi taste. The tonkotsu-seafood broth is fresh and savory yet settles into something calm and well-rounded, the taste of a famous shop with its balance nailed down. The medium-thick noodles that go perfectly with it are something I don’t think I’d ever get tired of. Still, in a world as hooked on strong flavors as today’s, I did wonder whether sticking with such a back-to-basics taste can last.
Anyway, that was a good meal.
Personally I think you’re better off going to the regular Musashi than to Niten. If you do order here, skip the tempura toppings..
The view from outside..
The inside of the shop is small, but the interior is stylish.
A popular bar on the way home
It’s a standing bar, and the food is just so-so, but it’s popular because you can drink cheaply. Japan may be a land of fine food, but who’s going to say no to cheap drinks.. Ah.. but isn’t drinking on your feet just too tiring.. At my age, you know. ^_^