Hyperlocal Tokyo

【 "Spicy" and "Numbing" Combined for a Deliciously Smooth Dan Dan Noodles 】 ☑︎ A Dan Dan Noodles shop just a 4-minute walk from Kinshicho Station ☑︎ Delicious Dan Dan Noodles with a smooth, non-bitter flavor ☑︎ The option to choose your spice and numbing levels is a welcome addition ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ 【Today's Pick】 ▶︎ Dry Dan Dan Noodles The first bite was delicious, with no bitterness at all. The premium Australian Prime Hard wheat used for the noodles is chewy yet has a good bite. I'm not a fan of super spicy food, so I chose level 1 for both spice and numbing, but it wasn't that spicy or numbing. I think level 2 would have been better. ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ 【Today's Little Info】 ▶︎ Nothing special ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ 【Today's Dining Experience】 I actually go to Kinshicho once a month for futsal. This time, I had some time for lunch and decided to explore. While walking through the deeper parts of the area, I spotted a large red curtain. "Don't talk to me until you've tried my Dan Dan Noodles!" I thought to myself. The shop has only 6 counter seats. They specialize in Dan Dan Noodles, and the dry version is popular, so I went for that. The large portion was ¥120 extra, which seemed a bit pricey. You can choose your spice and numbing levels for free. They use a blend of 4 carefully selected chili peppers for the "Spicy" and home-ground Sichuan peppercorns for the fragrant "Numbing." Levels 3 and above require an extra charge. It seems like a good place for a quick lunch. Thank you for the meal. ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ 【Today's Menu】 ⚫︎ Dry Dan Dan Noodles (Large) ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ 【Today's Shop】 ■ Noodles House Kin-Koi (Dan Dan Noodles) ■ 4-minute walk from Kinshicho Station / Irregular Hours / ¥1,020

I had the "汁なし担担麺" (dry dan dan noodles) with a spice level of 4 and a numbness level of 3. The flavor was rich and intense, right up my alley. The restaurant has a counter with about 6 seats. The staff were very friendly and approachable, and we naturally started chatting.

The restaurant was almost full at 1 pm on a weekday. The creamy dan dan noodles had a strong sesame flavor. The spice aroma was excellent, not overpowering but noticeable. On the other hand, the base broth was weak, with the sesame and spice flavors dominating over the umami.

I entered the restaurant around 2 pm on a weekday. I thought it might be past the last order time, but they said it was still okay. The restaurant is small, with only about 6 or 7 counter seats. I ordered the spicy tantan tsukemen with extra spice. The thick noodles were delicious, coated in the flavorful dipping sauce. The tsukemen wasn't just spicy, it had a rich flavor. The only downside was that it was summer, and the only cooling system seemed to be a fan, making the place uncomfortably hot. The dipping sauce was thick, so it disappeared quickly. It might be better if it was a little thinner. Overall, I was very satisfied. Next time, I want to try the tantanmen or the mazesoba.

I had been wanting to try this place for a while, so I finally went. I went straight for the soup-based dan dan noodles and chose a spice level of 2 and a numbness level of 3. The dan dan noodles were incredibly delicious, with a rich and creamy sesame flavor that wasn't overwhelming, and a good kick of spice and numbness. Next time, I'll try a spice level of 3 and a numbness level of 3. I usually leave some soup behind, but I ended up drinking it all. I saw a sign for a limited-time mapo tofu noodle dish after I ordered, and I thought I should have gotten that instead, but the dan dan noodles were so good that I have something to look forward to next time. I'll definitely be back with my sister and daughter, who both love dan dan noodles. Thank you for the delicious meal.