I love visiting shops where I can purchase authentic ingredients from foreign countries, and whenever I find one, I can't help but stop by. While moving around Toyonaka City, I stumbled upon a shop called "Shokumisen Kawa Kaori" near the city hall and decided to check it out. The menu was mostly in a language I didn't understand, but I found out that they serve Sichuan cuisine for dine-in as well. For lunch, I decided to try their recommended dish, the "Dan Dan noodles (medium spicy, soupless)" for takeout. The dish arrived in about 10 minutes, with minced meat, nuts, and pickled vegetables generously piled on top. Despite the small plate, I mixed everything well and savored the rich sesame sauce and abundance of ingredients. It was my first time trying soupless Dan Dan noodles, and I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was. I finished the meal while enjoying the atmosphere of my trip, with everyone looking at me confused when I praised the dish out loud. I also bought some noodles and spices to take home, and when I went to pay, the staff surprised me by speaking Japanese. The prices were very reasonable, and the food was so tasty that I definitely want to visit again. This was my 216th bowl of noodles this year.

I found a shop on my way back to Sone direction from the city hall, which handles Chinese ingredients. They offer dishes like tantanmen and mapo tofu, all made from scratch instead of being frozen. I tried the tantanmen with mild spiciness, and it was delicious with a unique flavor from nuts and spices. I highly recommend it to those who love authentic Chinese cuisine.

Last week, I decided to enjoy the "Szechuan Beef Noodle Soup" that I had purchased for takeout from Shokumisenkou near Toyonaka City Hall (*´-`). In Szechuan cuisine, the auspicious noodle soup called "Nanshi Mian" consists of a set of soup, spices (very spicy), and noodles, along with Qinggengcai, half-cooked egg, and nuts for a happy dining experience ♡ The red soup base with tomatoes and a strong presence of chili peppers is very spicy, but the subtle acidity that comes through helps to balance out the spiciness, creating a deep and flavorful taste with hints of unfamiliar spices that are probably unique to this dish (о´∀`о). At just 600 yen, I was worried about the cost of ingredients because of the generous amount of tender beef with an unknown blend of spices that added an aggressive flavor to the dish♪( ´θ｀) The thin straight noodles with a firm texture soaked up the stimulating soup, allowing me to experience a taste that I have never encountered before. It felt like I was on a trip to China, even though I have never been there, just by enjoying this meal ♡ I hope to travel to foreign countries and try out unknown restaurants based solely on their atmosphere and make orders like this someday ( ^ω^ ) This was my 222nd bowl of noodles this year ☆☆★ (La 153, Maze 57, others 12)