Michelin Featured! "Mendokorokinari" Sophisticated Ramen with Delicious Duck Chashu! Check out the blog for more details.https://tokyo-tabearuki.com/kinari-higashinakanoThis review covers:1. What is "Mendokorokinari" (Kinari)?2. Exterior, Line, Menu, and Atmosphere of Mendokorokinari in Higashi-Nakano3. Tried the Special Rich Soy Sauce at Mendokorokinari in Higashi-Nakano4. Directions, Business Hours, and Ratings of Mendokorokinari in Higashi-NakanoFor more details, please refer to the blog.

The menu name "Rich Soy Sauce" might make you think it's a bit salty, but it was actually packed with umami and had a refreshing taste. I finished the whole soup because it was so delicious. The medium-thick noodles were cooked perfectly al dente with a nice chewiness that complemented the soup well. The two types of char siu were tasty, and the steamed chicken was soft and delicious. I would definitely want to go back when I'm in Higashi-Nakano.

On a Sunday afternoon around 12 o'clock, I joined a line of 8 people and waited for about 15 minutes after purchasing my food ticket. I ordered a ramen with extra pork in white soy sauce, seasoned egg, and a beer for 2050 yen. The beer came with a dice-sized piece of char siu, a nice touch. On the table, there was coarse-ground black pepper, reflecting the restaurant's unique style. The char siu was a delightful addition. The ramen had a clear, transparent soup with a refreshing appearance. The extra pork char siu and seared duck char siu were served separately on a plate. The soup had a refined taste with hints of chicken, seafood, and shellfish, combined with the fragrance of sansho pepper, creating a high-quality flavor. The noodles were thin and firm straight noodles, which paired well with the subtle soup. The pork char siu, likely cooked at low temperature, was tender, juicy, and had a strong meaty taste. Although there was only one piece, the seared duck char siu had a delicious juicy flavor with a crispy skin. After enjoying the noodles, I ordered a seasoned egg. The sauce was delicious, with a hint of shellfish essence, but adding a bit more oil could have enhanced the dish by allowing the essence to coat the noodles better. I sprinkled some black pepper and dashi vinegar, poured the remaining soup, and enjoyed the meal even more. The base of the ramen had a Chinese-style broth with a Japanese twist, and the various types of char siu had a Western influence, creating a unique and flavorful dish. Thank you for the meal!

Visit date: September 18, 2023 (Monday) Today's lunch is at "Mendokoro Kinari" in Tokyo's Higashi-Nakano. I came here looking for the "tsukemen boiled squid liver" made by the former owner of the French bistro "bistrotriostrios33." I had originally planned to go to a different restaurant today, but this morning I saw a post by the previous owner of Mendokoro Kinari on my timeline. It mentioned that before the autumn menu, they will be serving a chilled squid dipping noodle dish. This dish is similar to a squid salted roe flavor chilled dipping soup with noodles. I have tried a similar dish before at a different restaurant and absolutely loved the unique and delicious taste. I arrived at Mendokoro Kinari and found a line of five customers outside. The restaurant only has a few seats, so I was worried about not getting a chance to try the limited dish. However, I decided to wait and ended up being the 17th customer in line. I purchased a ticket for the limited squid dipping noodle dish and also added a side of duck breast, which was previously unavailable due to a shortage. The restaurant does not offer a large portion option, so I also purchased a flavored extra noodle called "Aedama." I returned outside to wait, and soon the line had grown to ten people. The staff came out to check the number of customers and collect their tickets. After a short wait, I finally got to enjoy the unique and tasty dish at Mendokoro Kinari.

I had some business in Higashi-Nakano, so I decided to visit Kinari, a ramen shop run by a French owner. I ordered the Meat Extra Special Ramen with White Soy Sauce and topped with Sansho (Japanese pepper). While soy sauce is the safe choice, I had a craving for Sansho for some reason. It was delicious! My friend ordered the Squid and Dried Bonito Flake Tsukemen, which also caught my eye.

Second visit. The first time I came during the day and had to wait a bit, but this evening it was pleasantly empty and I could go straight in. It's light in flavor, but there's a subtle punch to it... Perhaps that is the elegant satisfaction of French-style ramen. It's rare for a place like this to serve a bit more noodles. The soup with Sichuan pepper at the end was so good I ended up finishing it all. Even if I didn't slurp it all at once, before I knew it, my plate was empty. Absolutely delicious.

This restaurant is a ramen shop located in Higashi-Nakano, where the French owner uses French techniques to make ramen. It has been selected as one of the top 100 ramen shops for four consecutive years since 2019, and in 2021, it was awarded the bronze prize. I have tried to visit this place twice before, but both times I gave up due to the long line and went to a nearby shop called "Kashiwagi". However, on this day, I was able to enter without waiting because it was close to the last order at 2:30 pm. The regular menu at this restaurant includes three types of ramen: rich soy sauce, salt, and Sichuan white soy sauce, and there are also limited-time menu items. As it was my first time, I followed the rule on the menu's top left and ordered the rich soy sauce ramen with extra meat (¥1,250) and seasoned egg (half, 70g, ¥150). The rich soy sauce soup is made with a mixture of 20 types of soy sauce, 15 types of salt, and mainly fish-based broth with dried sardines, providing a complex yet rich flavor with an overall refreshing taste. The noodles are medium-thin straight noodles. The toppings include chashu (pork loin, chicken breast), bamboo shoots, spinach, and seaweed as default, and the additional chashu from the extra meat order consists of two pork loins, chicken breast, and duck. The chashu was rare in finish, and among the three, the duck stood out in terms of deliciousness. While the pork loin and chicken breast were also good, the duck had a strong umami flavor of the meat, showing a different level. Moreover, the seasoned egg was interesting, as it had a flavor reminiscent of soy sauce-marinated salmon roe. I couldn't believe that they would include salmon roe in the sauce, but it surprisingly complemented the noodles well and was quite delicious. The ramen itself was quite tasty, but I especially liked the duck chashu and seasoned egg, so when I visit next time, I think I'll order extra meat and seasoned egg again. Thank you for the meal.

I visited the restaurant on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. There was only one person waiting outside, and I was seated in 5 minutes. The interior, especially the counter seats, had a stylish bar-like atmosphere, but the seats were too high and uncomfortable, and the seat was hard, making my bottom sore. I ordered the following: Special Sichuan White Soy Sauce Ramen for ¥1,250. The ramen was served in about 10 minutes. The taste was truly that of a top-notch ramen shop. The Sichuan pepper was just right in flavor, not too overpowering. The noodles were a good amount, despite being from such a stylish ramen shop, and I was satisfied. The chashu pork was plentiful and delicious, even without getting the special option. The special chicken and duck meats were also amazing. With a location just a 1-minute walk from the station, I would definitely want to come back to this restaurant.

I arrived at the restaurant slightly past opening hours. Although I had been curious about it for a while, I had been hesitant to visit due to the line. However, I decided to stop by on this particular day. I ordered the Sansho Shoyu Ramen and Tsukemen with seasoned egg. The ramen lived up to its reputation with a well-balanced flavor profile. The subtle aroma of sansho, clear soy sauce broth, and satisfyingly chewy noodles all complemented each other perfectly. The seasoned egg was also flavorful enough to eat on its own, adding to the overall satisfaction of the meal. The portion size was decent, so it may be worth considering ordering the ramen first and then the seasoned egg. I also found myself intrigued by the seasonal special of cold sea urchin tsukemen.

After 6 pm, there was a line of about 30 people waiting to get into the popular ramen shop called Kimari-san. Luckily, I got a seat and ordered the Ankimo Tsukemen for 1480 yen and extra meat for 350 yen. Every time I visit, I always try a new menu item. The shop is known for its unique and bold rare pink chashu that everyone seems to enjoy. The Tsukemen with ankimo soup was delicious, with a sophisticated taste of sea urchin, avocado, and cocoa nibs as accents. At the end, I asked for some soup to pour over the remaining noodles. Other customers were mostly ordering regular ramen with extra noodles. The shop, run by a former French chef, provides elegant and creative ramen dishes, catering not only to food enthusiasts but also to those seeking a satisfying meal like the hungry men of Tokyo's Nakanoshinbashi area. Operations are necessary to ensure all types of customers are satisfied.

I went to four bars in Shinjuku, then ended up at a gay bar in Ni-chome where I had a drink and then went to a tequila festival followed by a random club. I woke up at home completely naked, thankfully alone. I think I'm okay. My head is pounding, but I really want ramen. Tried to go to my favorite spot but it's closed. Ended up at another place with no wait, lucky me. Was planning to get soy sauce ramen but they had a limited edition cold tsukemen. It was delicious but the flavor was too clean and left me wanting more.

Visited the restaurant around 7 pm on a weekday. There was a coin parking right in front, which was convenient for those driving. Surprisingly, there were empty seats available. I thought it might be crowded because it's a well-known shop with a good reputation. The ticket vending machine accepted both 10,000 yen and 5,000 yen bills. I ordered the thick soy sauce on the top left and added a flavored egg as a topping. The noodles were thin, so the dish arrived relatively quickly. It had a high score on recent food review websites, which is often the case. The rare char siu and the chicken char siu hidden underneath were both delicious. The seaweed seemed a bit cheap, you could see through it a bit. Well, good seaweed sometimes has a strong aroma that can overpower the soup, so it's a matter of preference. The soup was tasty, but I found myself finishing the noodles quite quickly. I didn't feel like I had drunk a lot of soup, but it had decreased significantly. On the other hand, there seemed to be plenty of noodles. Maybe because I'm eating less lately, or maybe the soup was just not as much? The flavored egg was quite firm, personally, I prefer it to be softer and not as firm. After finishing the meal and paying for the parking, I realized I had finished within 15 minutes, so I only had to pay 200 yen, which made me feel like I got a good deal.

I visited this restaurant after reading the reviews. The location is convenient, just a 1-minute walk from the station. I had the salt ramen with extra meat. The soup, noodles, and chashu were all delicious and refined. The extra chashu was particularly tender and superb. Thank you for the meal.

A ramen shop in Higashi-Nakano that has experience in acquiring the Michelin Bib Gourmand award. The predecessor, "Mendokoro Kinari," relocated to Higashi-Nakano in 2018, and the former owner moved on to Shin-Tachikawa and Hannou, while a new owner, who is an acquaintance of the former owner and has a background in French cuisine, took over the Higashi-Nakano shop. Their most popular option is the rich soy sauce ramen, which uses a combination of 20 types of soy sauce and 15 types of salt to create a layered "kaeshi" flavor, combined with a broth mainly made from dried fish. The simple yet refreshing taste is achieved by this combination. The location is a 1-minute walk from Higashi-Nakano Station, and the business hours are 11:30-14:30 for lunch and 18:00-21:00 for dinner. Closed on Wednesdays. The reviewer visited on a holiday evening and was seated quickly. They ordered the rich soy sauce ramen with extra meat and a half-size "aetama." The atmosphere inside the restaurant is calm and reminiscent of a French bistro with soothing music playing. The ramen options include rich soy sauce, salt, Sichuan white soy sauce, and fish broth. The reviewer opted for the most popular choice, the rich soy sauce with extra meat. The restaurant infuses French culinary techniques into their ramen, so while it resembles a Chinese-style noodle soup, the base broth being made from dried fish might classify it more as a dried fish ramen. They also offer a signature dish called "aetama," which is a seasoned egg. After a short wait, the ramen arrived. The clear and translucent taste of the rich soy sauce broth was sweet with a hint of savory dried fish flavor in the aftertaste. The straight and thin noodles were firm and absorbed the broth well. The reviewer recommended adding extra meat, as the confit duck meat, a specialty from the French-trained chef, added unique richness to the dish. The thick slices of duck meat provided a delicious experience with each bite. Lastly, the reviewer tried the "aetama," which had a salty flavor similar to soy sauce marinated salmon roe, but it evolved into a different oilier taste as they continued eating.

I visited during lunchtime on a regular day! There were about 10 people waiting in line! The wait time was 30 minutes! It was selected for the Michelin Guide Tokyo in 2019! Selected as one of the Top 100 restaurants from 2019 to 2022. In 2021, it won the Bronze award. I had been to this place when it was located in Komagome before it moved, but I was curious about the taste after the relocation, so I revisited after several years! I ordered the rich soy sauce with extra meat, topped with a flavored egg and added "ae dama" (seasoned bamboo shoots). The soup is mainly made from dried sardines, combined with chicken, shellfish, seafood broth, 20 types of soy sauce, and 15 types of salt, creating an exquisite taste that is incredibly delicious! The medium-thin straight noodles from Mikawaya with low water content deliver the umami of the soup even more directly - it's irresistible! The chashu pork made from chicken breast, duck, and pork is all delicious! It's easy to see why the staff recommends the extra meat option! The seasoned egg has just the right amount of saltiness and a oily richness to it! The firm "poki poki" noodles combine perfectly with the sauce - it's amazing! Despite it being a while since my last visit, the quality is still very high, as you would expect from a Michelin-starred restaurant! Thank you for the meal!

Located about a 2-minute walk from Higashi-Nakano Station on the JR Sobu Line. Arrived at 1:10 PM on Sunday with a wait of 3 people. The weather was cloudy. Seated in 10 minutes. Ordered the "Rich Soy Sauce Pork Ramen" (1,250 yen) and "Mixed Cold Noodles" (200 yen) today. Received my noodles after about 5 minutes of being seated. The pork (thigh) had some tough parts and became a bit bland when mixed with all the extra meat in a separate dish. The mixed cold noodles were delicious with a flavorful broth.

Arrived at the restaurant at 11:12 on Saturday with 2 customers already there. Purchased a ticket at the vending machine and ordered the Ramen with rich soy sauce for 900 yen. There are 4 counter seats, a table for 4, a table for 2, and a single seat. Waited for 6 minutes. The soup was a well-balanced soy sauce with a rich flavor. The noodles were thin and firm. It had a good balance with the soup. Toppings included pork and chicken breast char siu, spinach, and bamboo shoots. It wasn't overpowering but everything was well-balanced with a rich and deep flavor. Although not ordered this time, the seasoned extra noodles called "egg noodles" seem popular as well.

After visiting Kashiwagi, I had some room left in my stomach, so I decided to stop by another ramen shop in Higashi-Nakano station called "Mendurokokinari," which is also one of the top 100 ramen shops. I had been here once before when they first opened, and I really enjoyed their salt ramen, so I had high expectations this time. It felt luxurious to go from one top 100 shop to another on a weekday afternoon around 2 pm. I appreciate that both shops have longer opening hours. I walked in without waiting around 2:15 pm. I ordered the soy sauce ramen with egg. The soup had a nice balance of chicken and seafood flavors with a rich soy sauce base that melded well with the umami flavors. There was a slight unusual scent in the aroma, or maybe it was just my imagination? The soup could be seen as a bit monotonous, but the bitterness from toppings like spinach and mitsuba added a nice accent. The thin straight noodles clung together well, picking up the soup nicely. They were cooked just right, and I was very satisfied with the texture. The rare-style char siu may be a hit or miss for some, but I personally enjoyed the melt-in-your-mouth texture. The flavored egg had a strong sherry flavor, which wasn't my favorite. Overall, it was a unique and high-quality bowl of ramen, and I found it delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I always used to give up when I saw the line, but this day, it happened to be clear when I passed by so I decided to give it a try. Since it was my first time visiting, I intended to choose the top left option on the ticket machine, but the sound of "sansho" (Japanese pepper) tempted me and I ended up ordering the "Sansho Shiro Shoyu" (White Soy Sauce with Japanese pepper) ramen. It was delicious, and the presentation of the ramen was beautiful. The white shoyu brought out an intense umami flavor. The Japanese pepper provided a subtle numbness, serving as a stimulating accent to the clear soup. The noodles were cooked firm, flavorful, and had a smooth texture that was easy to eat. The tender chashu pork and other toppings were also delicious, justifying its popularity and high level of completion. I also ordered the "Waedama" (seasoned egg) which had good reviews. You can add cash for extras later. First, I mixed it with the sauce and when I tasted it, I was impressed by the delicious balance between the flavor of the noodles themselves and the slightly rich sauce, creating a remarkable dish. Then I added it into the ramen soup and enjoyed changing the flavor by adding the smoked vinegar.

The first picture is of shiro shoyu (white soy sauce) and the second picture is of koikuchi shoyu (dark soy sauce) ramen. It was simple and delicious. The shoyu flavor was strong but not overwhelming, and the noodles were thin and easy to eat. I also added extra menma and even got a second helping of noodles after finishing. The staff were wonderful and even gave me their umbrella to use in the heavy rain and thunderstorm. Despite being a bit nervous eating during the storm, the ramen was so delicious it became a memorable experience. I'm glad I had the chance to try it. Thank you for the meal. I will visit again. Thank you for the feast.

Around 8:00 PM, this restaurant is easy to enter as long as they are not sold out. I visited after seeing information on Twitter about their limited-time fish and shellfish broth or white miso soup until Obon. Unfortunately, they were sold out, so I ordered the Sansho White Soy Sauce Ramen (¥950) and Aedama topping (¥200) with a meal ticket. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, but this is a popular place, so it's best to eat and leave promptly. The ramen was served quickly, just like before, simple and beautiful. The broth had a refreshing kick from the sansho pepper. The two types of chashu were tender and paired well with the noodles. Aedama is definitely a must-have. It was a game-changer. The owner noticed that I was sweating a lot, so they turned up the air conditioning. Thank you for your consideration. I will come back on a holiday afternoon to try the limited menu properly. Thank you for the meal.