Hyperlocal Tokyo

Breakfast at 'Rokurinsha' in Yaesu Located in Yaechika, directly connected to Tokyo Station. Tokyo Ramen Street is a gathering of popular ramen shops. Some shops offer morning ramen, and lines can form early. This time, I ordered the Rokurinsha Special Morning Tsukemen (Regular) for 950 yen. The soup was rich. It's said to be based on pork bone broth blended with several types of fish flakes. You can definitely taste the aroma and flavor of fish powder. The noodles were very chewy, springy, straight, thick noodles. They were so chewy! They were quite filling. When I was about 70% through, I had some soup broth. It changed the flavor, making it milder and easier to eat. That was a good idea. I enjoyed tsukemen in the morning! It was delicious.

Probably the most popular tsukemen (dipping noodles) restaurant in this area. There's always a huge line. I visited on a weekday at 11:40 am. There was a sign indicating a 45-minute wait, and it was pretty much accurate. I ordered the Special Tsukemen with extra noodles for 1350 yen. It felt like I hadn't eaten it in about 10 years, but it was still the classic tsukemen style. The extra noodles were way too much. I regret it. They only accept cash or transportation IC cards for payment.

## 240914 **Special Morning Tsukemen (¥950) + Large Portion (¥100)** On a Saturday morning, I headed to Rokurinsha in the Tokyo Ramen Street at Tokyo Station for their morning tsukemen. Arriving at 7:13 am, I joined the line with over 20 people ahead. The wait was estimated at 45 minutes. The shop opened on time at 7:30 am, accompanied by music playing inside. At 7:40 am, I purchased the above-mentioned dish from the ticket machine. Surprisingly, I was seated at counter seat number 9, the same as my previous visit. The dish arrived just 5 minutes later. Despite ordering a large portion, the amount of noodles was quite small. Looking towards the back of the counter, I noticed they were weighing the noodles. However, the noodle quantity listed on the ticket machine is undoubtedly the weight after cooking. The taste was the consistent Rokurinsha quality! The morning tsukemen was slightly lighter than usual. ## 240720 **Special Morning Tsukemen (¥950) + Fresh Chili Pepper (¥100)** This was my first visit in 15 years since the early days (main branch?) in Osaki. Arriving at 7:42 am, I joined the line with a 30-minute wait displayed at the front. However, I moved to the entrance after 15 minutes and purchased the above-mentioned dish from the ticket machine. Even for morning ramen, ¥950 for the special is quite affordable. Five minutes later, I was guided to a seat at the back of the counter. The table condiments included "black chili pepper, yuzu powder, citrus vinegar, toothpicks, special spicy sauce, etc." offering various flavor variations. The dish arrived 5 minutes later. The dipping sauce had a light feel, the noodles were slightly thinner than usual, and there was fresh chili pepper. The soup was different from the usual rich dipping sauce, with a lighter flavor reminiscent of Daikatsuden. The noodles were also a special thin type for the morning tsukemen. The texture was slightly soft. The ticket machine stated "Regular 250g," but it felt like the weight was after cooking. The fresh chili pepper was a good accent, not too spicy and delicious. I enjoyed the noodles by themselves, with fresh chili pepper on top, and dipped in the soup with fresh chili pepper. Before I knew it, I finished the noodles and enjoyed a self-made soup dilution to finish the meal. It was delicious. Next time, I want to try their regular tsukemen.

Ramen Tokyo 100 Best Shops! I braced myself and joined the line. ^_^ I was lucky and it was actually a little less than 30 minutes, even though it was supposed to be a 30-minute wait. The best recommendation is definitely the tsukemen. They also have cold mazesoba now. The cold mazesoba gets really spicy if you add the Sichuan peppercorns. 😅 The tsukemen has various flavor-changing condiments on the table, so try a little bit of each. ^_^ I added extra fish powder from the start. As I ate, I gradually added the special spice. Finally, I got a soup broth and enjoyed the soup to the last drop. ♪ I also added fish powder to the cold mazesoba at the beginning. They let you store large luggage in a corner of the shop, so that's reassuring. Also, they kindly asked if I needed a paper apron at the beginning. The couple next to me shared one mazesoba, and they brought them a separate plate, which is fantastic! 👍 It's impressive that they don't have the 'one dish per person' rule that many restaurants have these days.

—Overall Impression——— I visited for dinner. I arrived around 4 PM, but there were about 10 groups waiting. It's amazing. It's definitely the most popular place in the Ramen Street. It was my first time here, and honestly, it wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe I just don't like dipping noodles that much. —Food——— Special Tsukemen (dipping noodles) with a large portion —Service——— It's a ticket system, and you'll be guided by a staff member to purchase your ticket while waiting in line. For the Tsukemen, there's a soup broth for finishing, so if you want it, ask the staff. I was too full to order it though. —Ambiance——— There are counter seats and tables. —Access——— It's located in the Ramen Street at Tokyo Station. Be careful, it's outside the ticket gates. —Payment Methods——— Only cash and transportation IC cards were accepted.