Hyperlocal Tokyo

I recently visited "Menyu", a restaurant specializing in red sea bream ramen. I'd been wanting to try this place for a while! Outside the restaurant, there were plaques from the past Tabelog Top 100 Restaurants and posters for the Tokyo Ramen of the Year awards! This definitely got my hopes up. Since it was my first time, I ordered the classic "Madai Ramen" for 980 yen. After a short wait, it arrived. First of all, it was visually stunning. The clear broth was topped with chashu pork and greens, making it look incredibly delicious. The taste was... the broth was amazing! The red sea bream flavor was strong, with a concentrated richness and umami, yet it was also light, delicate, and well-balanced. I could easily eat this for hours! The noodles were medium-thick and coated perfectly in the broth. The low-temperature cooked chashu pork had a good meaty flavor, but it wasn't overpowering, which was great. 👌 I could faintly taste the cherry wood smoke. The greens complemented the ramen flavor beautifully. The small amount of yuzu was also a perfect touch. I finished every last drop of the broth, a clean plate! 😂 It was absolutely delicious. Thank you for the meal!

Located in Kinshicho, Tokyo, "Mentai Ramen Men-Uo Honten" (真鯛らーめん 麺魚 本店) is a must-visit for ramen lovers. Their "Tokusei Mentai Ramen" (特製真鯛らーめん) is a true testament to the bounty of the sea. The soup, made with the bones of carefully selected Madai (red sea bream) from Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, captures the essence of the fish's flavor. The addition of German rock salt and Madai fat extracted from the fish itself further enhances the depth of the broth. Each sip is a journey into the ocean, with its expansive and profound taste. The noodles are made with 100% Hokkaido wheat, using a stone mill to grind the whole wheat flour into a thin, straight noodle. The natural sweetness and firmness of the noodles perfectly complement the Madai soup. Don't miss the Sakuragi smoked chashu, prepared using a vacuum low-temperature cooking method. Its smoky aroma and juicy texture are truly unique and unlike anything you'll find at other ramen shops. The meticulously crafted egg, infused with Madai extract, adds another layer of complexity to the dish, allowing you to savor the harmonious symphony of flavors. This ramen is not just delicious; it's a testament to the chef's respect for ingredients and mastery of culinary techniques. Gochisousama deshita! (ごちそうさまでした❣️)

The rich, flavorful broth of the tai (sea bream) ramen warms you from the inside out! 🍜 **Menu I had:** - Tai Ramen with Zosui (rice porridge) Set - ¥1230 **Gourmet Record:** Located a 6-minute walk from Kinshicho Station🚶, I visited this ramen shop that's known for its delicious tai broth! ◎ **Interior:** The wallpaper is dominated by a large, bright red tai, as if it's swimming through the restaurant! Lively shamisen music, the kind you'd hear in a sushi or fish shop, plays in the background. Combined with the aroma of the tai broth, I was like, "Wait, is this a ramen shop or a sushi shop?" 🤣 There are counter seats lined up, making it easy to eat alone! It has a very Japanese feel, so I recommend it to foreigners as well. ◎ **Food:** As the phrase "Noodles and fish fall in love, cherry blossoms bloom, and a tower rises" suggests, the noodles and fish are a perfect match! The strong tai broth soaks into your body✨ The yuzu aroma is also a nice touch. It's not a light, subtly flavored broth, but rather a strong, salty one. The medium-thick straight noodles are made with whole wheat flour and have a good chewiness and firmness✨ They have a smooth texture and go very well with the light soup. The chashu is thinly sliced and smoked with cherry wood. It reminded me of ham. And for the finale, zosui! It comes with shredded tai meat, which is a real mood booster! This was also seasoned quite strongly. The flavor is quite strong, so those who prefer bold flavors will love it ❤ (I'm a light flavor person, so I prefer broths that emphasize the umami.) It would be even more delicious after a few drinks✨

I was excited just by the name "Tai Dashi Ramen" (Sea Bream Broth Ramen), but when I actually tried it, the saltiness was overwhelming, and the sea bream flavor felt exaggerated. While the umami of the sea bream was definitely present, it was too intense, leaving a heavy feeling rather than an elegant one. The overall balance of the ramen felt off, especially with the sea bream flavor being so prominent, making it a bit difficult to finish. The story behind the ramen, showcasing the owner's dedication, was very appealing, and it was a great experience to enjoy a bowl knowing the background. However, honestly, the taste wasn't to my liking.

I visited this ramen shop alone around 7:20 PM on a weekday. The shop has a counter with about 16 seats, and about half of them were occupied. This ramen is made with a broth derived from sea bream. This was likely my first time trying a sea bream soup ramen, so I was looking forward to it. I purchased the "Special Sea Bream Ramen for ¥1,350" from the vending machine. I was told it's the most popular option. The ramen arrived about 3 minutes after I handed in my ticket. I took a sip of the soup first. The sea bream soup was incredibly delicious. It tasted like the broth you enjoy in sea bream rice bowls, but even more flavorful. The noodles were medium-thick and straight, made with 100% Hokkaido wheat. They were delicious and went well with the sea bream soup. The char siu was thinly sliced, but there were many pieces, so it was quite filling. The egg was delicious. It was perfectly soft-boiled and had a smoky aroma that was really nice. It was a delight to my nose. I also tried adding some yuzu pepper, which the shop provided, to change the flavor. It went well with the sea bream soup and was delicious. One thing that stood out about the interior was a large red painting of a sea bream (it also looked like a goldfish) on the wall. It was right in front of me, and it felt like its big eyes were watching me eat. The background music was also traditional Japanese music played on the shamisen (or sanshin). This was a unique and delicious ramen. Thank you for the meal.