On the second day of the Tokyo gourmet tour, for lunch, I absolutely had to visit the original "Chukasoba Aoba Nakano Honten", founded in 1996. This popular restaurant stands out among the many dining establishments in the area, known for being one of the first to combine pork bone and chicken broth to create a unique W soup. As I walked into the restaurant, I first had to purchase a meal ticket from the vending machine. Despite my dislike for vending machines, the limited menu made it easy to choose what I wanted to eat. Once inside, I sat at the counter surrounding the kitchen, enjoying the live cooking experience. The menu consisted of only four items, including two types of ramen and a limited "Yuzu Togarashi" service. I ordered the Chukasoba for 780 yen. The aroma of the soup filled the air as I took my first sip, revealing a gentle flavor with a blend of animal-based umami and bonito. The noodles were thin and straight, perfectly complementing the flavorful W soup. The chashu was tender and flavorful, with a sprinkling of black pepper adding a nice touch. The menma provided a crunchy texture, enhancing the overall experience. I also tried the "Yuzu Togarashi" with the noodles, which added a pleasant citrusy flavor and a hint of spiciness. Next, I tried a bit of the Tsukemen for 830 yen, which featured a dipping sauce with added spiciness to the W soup. The whole wheat flat thick noodles paired well with the tangy dipping sauce, providing a refreshing and delicious taste. Overall, I enjoyed both dishes immensely and left the restaurant feeling completely satisfied.

The other day, I stopped by this popular restaurant in Nakano Ward when I went to submit various documents at the ward office! I've been curious about this place for a while, and I was lucky to be seated right away despite it being crowded! I had the Chinese noodles and they were delicious! I will definitely visit again!

On a holiday afternoon after 12 o'clock, there were two seats available. We were seated promptly, but right after we sat down, two more people arrived and the restaurant became full. It's no wonder this place is always bustling. Today, I ordered the Chinese ramen for the first time in a while. The double soup was consistently delicious and satisfying. Thank you for the meal!

I purchased a ticket for Chinese noodles from the ticket machine outside the shop. I entered around 9 p.m. before closing time, so there weren't many customers, which allowed me to enjoy my meal slowly. It didn't feel rushed, and the food seemed carefully prepared. The seafood pork bone soup and slightly thin noodles were delicious. I felt that there was more emphasis on the soup and char siu than on the noodles.

The shop consistently had customers coming in, with short serving times and quick turnover. The ramen (large portion) had a gentle flavor with just the right amount of richness and thickness. The chashu was also tender. The tsukemen had a light tangy dipping sauce that stimulated the appetite. I heard they also have thick noodles, so I want to try that next time (but they seem to sell out by noon).

Visited around 17:05 on Sunday. Had soft serve ice cream at "Daily Chico" in Nakano Broadway for dessert. Decided to have dinner in Nakano as well. There was a ticket machine in front of the restaurant. Ordered the classic menu item this time: - Chuka Soba (Chinese-style ramen) for 830 yen. The restaurant was about half full. Entered and seated right away. The spacious interior allowed a view of the kitchen. The food arrived in about 3 minutes. The soup had a strong Japanese dashi flavor and was rich. Later found out that this restaurant combines the best of "Tokyo ramen" and "Kyushu ramen" with their "double soup" concept. More details are available on the restaurant's website. The char siu was tender and melt-in-your-mouth. The noodles had a strong wheat flavor and were delicious. Finished the meal in no time. I bet their tsukemen (dipping noodles) would be delicious too. Thank you for the meal.

I always order the special Chinese noodles. The char siu is initially tough, so I submerge it in the soup to warm it up and make it tender, but today it was a bit tough. However, I never get tired of the taste and I love it so much that I end up finishing the soup too. I want to go back again tomorrow.

I think the fusion of animal-based and fish-based broths will continue to thrive, but personally, I feel that the tsukemen was a bit of a misstep. The balance between the two was perfect with ramen, but with tsukemen, it felt off. The acidity seemed to stand out oddly, which wasn't present in the ramen. While it's a valid way to achieve a refreshing taste, I think it would be better to focus on enhancing the animal broth and using yuzu peel to cover it. It's not bad, but something to consider. Also, for non-Japanese staff in customer service roles, please think about it. Thank you for the meal.

It was just before 3 o'clock when I stumbled upon this shop in the sweltering heat. I decided to enter immediately as it was idol time. It had been almost 20 years since I last ate here, and it wasn't even the main branch, but the shockingly delicious taste still lingers in my memory. Lost in reminiscing, my order arrived in no time. I took the first bite to confirm my past taste buds. Honestly, I don't remember much after that. It was just so delicious, I wanted to keep eating it forever. But I didn't want to finish the noodles... that kind of feeling. I do remember that the dipping sauce maintained its gentle flavor until the very end. It was a brief moment of delicious happiness.

A few minutes walk from JR Nakano Station through Nakano Sun Mall, there is a ramen shop known as the originator of double soup ramen. I visited this place after about 15 years, having waited in a long line the first time I tried it. I arrived a bit earlier than opening time and was the first one in, with about 4 people lining up behind me. The shop only has counter seats surrounding the kitchen in an L-shape, with limited seating. I purchased a ticket from the machine outside, and ordered the "Special Double Soup Ramen (1,080 yen)" this time, as the menu was quite simple. The ramen was ready in about 7 minutes. The double soup, a blend of animal and seafood flavors, is now commonly found in various shops, but I still remember being amazed the first time I tried it here. The slightly soft medium noodles paired well with the soup, creating a well-balanced and delicious ramen. While the impact wasn't as strong as the first time due to the increase in double soup ramen shops, the quality remained consistent and is recommended for those who enjoy double soup ramen.

I had a business trip to the northeastern part of Hokkaido from July 11th to July 12th. My first stop was in Asahikawa, where I visited a famous ramen shop. I arrived in the afternoon and had to wait in line for about 20 minutes before being seated. The ramen I ate was simple yet delicious. However, I found the way the shop owners treated the customers waiting in line to be a bit lacking. They seemed to be a bit disorganized and sometimes rude. While I appreciate their dedication to their work, I couldn't help but wonder if their behavior was part of their "style" or if it was something that should be improved. As I get closer to their age, I started thinking about the idea of stepping back from work.

Location ⭐️ Nakano Station North Exit ⭐️ Shop ⭐️ Aoba Main Store ⭐️ Feature ⭐️ The originator of double soup, the main store ⭐️ Order item ◾️ Tsukemen - Regular 880 yen ◾️ There happened to be a vacancy so I visited for the first time in a while. Aoba Main Store, famous for its double fish and pork bone soup, tried their tsukemen for the first time. The soup is a slightly pork bone-flavored, tangy, light soup. The toppings include a tender and flavorful chashu similar to corned beef, menma, naruto, and green onions. The noodles are the same as regular ramen, medium-thin curly egg noodles? The noodle aroma is good, and the light soup pairs well with the thin noodles. Thank you for the meal.

Location ⭐️ Nakano Station North Exit ⭐️ Shop ⭐️ Aoba Honten ⭐️ Feature ⭐️ The originator of double soup, main store ⭐️ Order items ◾️ Tsukemen (dipping noodles) Regular 880 yen ◾️ Thick noodles available as an option Visited after a long time as it happened to be empty. Aoba Honten, famous for its seafood and pork bone double soup, tried their tsukemen for the first time. The soup is slightly pork bone-heavy with a sour taste, light and smooth. The toppings include tender chashu resembling corned beef, menma, naruto, and a moderate amount of green onions. The noodles are the same as regular ramen, medium-thin curly egg noodles? The aroma of the noodles is good, and they go well with the light soup. The amount of noodles is not too much, more like hiyashi (cold) ramen than tsukemen.

This is the famous main branch of Aoba-san. I tried it and it was delicious! The soup has a seafood flavor that is very satisfying. The noodles are thick and chewy. The chashu and menma are just as good as other shops. It's a great ramen shop that makes you want to come back again! Thank you for the meal!

I went to Nakano Broadway after a long time to buy a watch and stopped by "Hoouzuki" for Dan Dan noodles on the way back, but it was closed on Wednesdays. So, I visited "Aoba" and had their Chinese noodles instead. I usually eat at the Kichijoji branch near my home, but the noodles at the Nakano main branch seemed to be cooked firmer. They were served piping hot, so they softened as I ate. Many foreign tourists were also eating there, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was too hot for their sensitive tongues. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the meal. Thank you for the delicious food.

Arrived at 5:30 p.m. when light rain started. There were about four customers. Today, I had tsukemen. First, I enjoyed slurping the noodles, but the special one had a lot of toppings, so I couldn't soak the noodles in the soup. I started by eating the toppings, the seasoned egg, sliced chashu, and menma, and then slowly savored the noodles with the soup at the end. The vinegar-flavored soup was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I revisited this place after over 20 years. I can't remember exactly when was the last time I came here. I had the special tsukemen in large size for 1250 yen. There was also a limited-time thick noodle option, but I chose the regular noodles. The dipping sauce was a rich soy sauce-based fish and pork bone broth. It was delicious.

I have been to the Aoba restaurants in Kichijoji and AEON Mall Higashikurume a few times, but this was my first time at the Nakano main store. The atmosphere of the store is similar to the one in Kichijoji, or rather, the Kichijoji store is similar to the Nakano main store. They only have L-shaped counter seats, and it seems like they have fewer seats compared to the Kichijoji store. I bought a regular tsukemen ticket from the vending machine and showed it to the staff. I was surprised to see that each menu item is written on the same type of ticket, but the staff could tell what I ordered with just a glance. The staff told me I could choose the thickness of the noodles for the tsukemen, so I hesitated a bit before ordering "thick noodles." It was actually my first time trying the "thick noodles" at Aoba, and I personally like the flat thick noodles that were served. Yes, it was definitely delicious! So from now on, I will choose "thick noodles" for my tsukemen at Aoba!

I visited around 14:00 on 23/05/2814. There were about 5 people waiting. I stood in front of the ticket machine contemplating. Options included: - Regular ramen 830 yen - Tsukemen (dipping noodles) 880 yen - Special ramen 1,080 yen - Special tsukemen 1,130 yen I purchased a ticket and waited in line. Within a few minutes, I reached the counter and ordered the special tsukemen. The toppings were all in the dipping sauce rather than on top of the noodles. I dipped the noodles in the sauce and slurped it all down. The broth seemed to be made with pork bones and seafood, but the seasoning overpowered it. The noodles were not different from the regular ramen. Honestly, I'm tough on tsukemen (laughs). The chashu and seasoned egg were delicious. I also tried soup wari (diluting the soup with hot water) before finishing. Maybe I'm just used to rich dipping sauces, but this tsukemen didn't quite satisfy me (well, their regular ramen is famous anyway). Thank you for the meal~

Today, I visited the main branch of Seiyou Nakano, a Chinese soba restaurant located near Nakano Station in Nakano, Tokyo. There is a ticket machine on the side of the street, where I selected the special Chinese soba. The restaurant has only 13 counter seats, and there are no partitions in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the rising prices, I found the pricing to be reasonable. The prices are as follows: Chinese soba - 830 yen, tsukemen (dipping noodles) - 880 yen, special Chinese soba - 1080 yen, extra-large special Chinese soba - 1200 yen. There are two staff members, one male and one female, working during lunchtime, and the place was packed. When it gets busy, customers have to stand behind the counter. The noodles arrived in about 5 minutes. The soup is rich in pork bone and animal bone flavors, with a strong presence of double soup and bonito flakes. The soy sauce adds depth to the flavor, creating a unique taste that is characteristic of Seiyou. There are no condiments on the table for seasoning, but you can request yuzu chili pepper, which adds a nice aroma. I requested it and added it at the end for some flavor variation. The noodles are yellow, chewy, high-hydration noodles that pair well with the soup. The toppings include chashu, menma, naruto, negi, and nori. The chashu is made from lean pork shoulder with a good texture and a touch of black pepper, which adds a nice harmony to the rich soup. I will definitely visit again. Thank you very much.

I went to the local branch after a long time and the taste seemed different. I used to only eat tsukemen, but even that seemed to have changed, and the ramen tasted completely different from the tsukemen. The website mentioned that at Seiyo, they actively introduce scientific methods into taste research and development and quality control. The taste of the ramen is backed by knowledge of food science. The main store now is completely different from before. I went there while drunk in May 2023 and there were only 4 customers. The atmosphere was unique and the taste was just right. The double soup with pork bone, chicken bone, and seafood was distinct. The noodles were slightly flat and had a good texture. The toppings were delicious, and the balance of flavors was perfect. Overall, it was a great experience.