You just never know, you know? This place has been hanging around on one of the most boring streets in Monnaka, and I always thought it might be OK in that dumpy-but-delicious ramen way. I was put off by it being across from a chain fugu place, the kind with the sad fish swimming in the window tank.
This ended up being pretty much my last lunch in Monnaka, and in Japan. The others, I lost the pictures. I know, that was very naughty of me.
You never know – I’m pretty sure the place belongs to this guy, but a lot of things about his manner kept saying “chain employee” to me. Still, when I told him how much I liked his bowl, he beamed.
Then again, one of the great things about Japan is that even chain employees can seem genuinely happy if you like their product.
And I did indeed like this product, 30+-degree day notwithstanding. The soup was excellent – about what you’d expect from a place with a densely-packed poster of text on the wall describing the complex and arduous process of distilling their broth. The noodles were as you see ’em, but a bit soft. Everything else was lackluster, but for soup like that, it’s worth it.
Geez, I miss Tokyo.
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