Eirin-san recently moved from Akasaka. It is known as the birthplace of hot and sour soup noodles, and I was worried that the original location might not be as good, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was delicious. The lunch set was a satisfying option with just the right amount of food. It included a platter of three appetizers, shrimp in chili sauce, stir-fried pork with onions and shimeji mushrooms, their famous hot and sour soup noodles, and dessert. My friend, who is picky about food, also enjoyed the meal and commented on the comfortable seating, modern course presentation, spacious layout, and attentive service. This renowned restaurant has been in Akasaka for over 60 years and also has a branch in Karuizawa, catering to a sophisticated clientele. Located in a quiet corner of Kagurazaka, it stands out as a casual yet elegant Chinese restaurant. The convenient location, away from the hustle and bustle, makes it a hidden gem in Kagurazaka. Another addition to the list of must-visit restaurants in this charming neighborhood.

On Saturday, Kagurazaka was a calm town with less crowds and no long lines as I had expected. I strolled around, visited a shrine, and for lunch, I tried the famous Suan La Tang Mian (spicy and sour noodles) at a restaurant known for its popularity. Despite the "currently full" sign outside the building, I was lucky to get the last available seat on the second floor. The noodles had a thick and flavorful soup with a nice tangy taste. The soup was so thick that lifting the noodles was a bit challenging, but the overall taste was satisfying. The addition of ham, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots added a nice touch, and the chili oil on top created a fun and delicious eating experience. I don't usually order Suan La Tang Mian, but I would definitely come back to Kagurazaka for another bowl. It was a delightful meal.

Located in Kagurazaka, this restaurant serves the original "Hot and Sour Noodles" dish. With a history of 31 years and a reputation of being loved for 60 years in Akasaka, this high-end Chinese restaurant offers a calm atmosphere even during lunchtime. I personally love the spacious window seats overlooking the alleys of Kagurazaka. The Hot and Sour Noodles are perfectly balanced with a tangy vinegar flavor and savory sauce. The Five Ingredient Fried Rice is moist and fluffy, with large and juicy shrimp. I also tried the Five Ingredient Ankake Soba and Yakisoba on another visit, both dishes were packed with generous amounts of seafood and had a delightful texture. The spring rolls were crispy and filled with a good balance of ingredients, while the dumplings were large, juicy, and full of flavor. They make a great accompaniment to drinks as well. I'm looking forward to trying their lunch course next time I visit.

The second and fourth Mondays are regular holidays, but I visited on a Monday evening, which is a business day. I made a same-day reservation. It was the anniversary course of the restaurant that moved to Kagurazaka. Unlike lunch, the landlady greeted us in a beautiful summer kimono. She looked stunning in her kimono, which was perfect for Kagurazaka, a place where kimono lovers would be thrilled. We started with appetizers and had draft beer, then ordered a bottle of wine from the shark fin course. We had a leisurely and elegant time. The shark fin soup had a rich pork bone broth flavor, different from traditional Chinese cuisine, and was delicious. Eating shark fin always makes my skin look great the next day, and this time was no exception. The Szechuan ramen was consistently delicious, and the inevitable weight gain the next day was worth it for the taste. Thank you for the wonderful meal~

I love instant hot and sour soup, so I was thrilled to be able to try it at a restaurant. It was so delicious with the tomato topping, perfect for even summer. I was so impressed by how good it was that I want to go back when I visit Tokyo again!

While the chance to visit at night hasn't come yet, this is the third lunch visit in two weeks. So, let's try all the yakisoba varieties. Today, I walked around Takadanobaba and Waseda area, then returned to Kagurazaka by 11:30. I still want to eat yakisoba today. Climbed Jizo-zaka, took the usual path, entered a building, and pressed the elevator button. The elevator announced in English after Japanese. Arrived on the 2nd floor. Maybe because it's a weekday or still early for lunch? Only two other customers. Ordered right away. Intrigued by the salt flavor. Seasonal vegetable yakisoba. No meat. Lots of summer vegetables. Pumpkin, bitter melon, zucchini, shiitake mushrooms, corn, etc. The corn is sweet. Delicious. Personally, I prefer the seafood yakisoba. Thank you for the meal.

I entered the restaurant about 5 minutes after it opened on Saturday without a reservation. More than half of the seats were already taken, and the remaining seats were filled within 10 minutes, making it full. My partner ordered the classic hot and sour soup noodles, while I chose the seafood yakisoba. Oh, the dishes were made with such care for the ingredients. They were not just delicious, but I wanted to keep eating even after finishing. I would like to come back next time to leisurely enjoy the course menu in the evening.

Renowned for popularizing the hot and sour soup noodles, the famous Chinese restaurant Eirin from Akasaka has opened a new branch on the 2nd floor of Kagurazaka Center Building! The entrance of Kagurazaka Center Building may give the impression of an office building, making you wonder if such a famous restaurant really exists on the 2nd floor. However, with courage, you climb up (there is also an elevator). Upon reaching the 2nd floor, you are greeted by the staff and guided to a somewhat plain but clean and spacious hall with well-spaced seating. During my visit with a friend, we ordered the hot and sour soup noodles with a tomato topping, and the mixed vegetable sauce over rice to share. While there was only one option for the mixed vegetable fried rice, we were surprised to see five different options for the sauce over rice. Now onto the tasting. The hot and sour soup noodles were delicious with a balanced egg and tangy flavor. The mixed vegetable sauce over rice tasted a bit bland, perhaps due to having it after the noodles, but adding a bit of soy sauce enhanced the flavor. The prices were a bit on the higher side, with the hot and sour soup noodles with tomato topping priced at 1,540 yen, and the mixed vegetable sauce over rice with soup and pickles priced at 1,650 yen. It may be a bit pricey, but being a renowned longstanding restaurant, it's somewhat expected. Overall, it was a satisfying meal.

In the past, musicians used to ride stolen bikes and hang out with shady characters, but I lived my life on the sidelines, watching them from a distance. I can't say it out loud, but I did underage drinking and smoking, probably overlooked because I wasn't famous like Yuuki from EE JUMP or Ai Kago from Morning Musume. As an adult, I know the rules but whether I follow them is debatable. One night, I got off at Aoyama-itchome station, feeling the urge to pee. I unzipped and started urinating into the darkness, only to be surrounded by police officers asking what I was doing. They took me to a police box and questioned if I knew where I was. It turned out I was peeing near the current residence of the Emperor, the Togu Palace. If it were in the past, I would have been charged with disrespect and wouldn't be casually posting articles like this. The address of the Togu Palace is well-known. For lunch today, I went to Eirin Kagurazaka, which used to be in Akasaka but relocated. I ordered their famous Sura-tanmen with tomato topping. The stylish and clean interior attracted many female customers. The thick noodles, tangy broth, spicy chili oil, and various toppings like egg, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, ham, and chicken created a delightful combination. The addition of tomatoes added a soft acidity that I had never experienced before but enjoyed. I had a great time until the end, realizing that I could enjoy such flavors without having to go all the way to Karuizawa.

I ordered the original sour and spicy soup noodles with toppings at the restaurant. The sour and spicy soup noodles alone were not enough for me, so I added spring rolls, dumplings, and pickled vegetables. I prefer spring rolls over dumplings. I enjoyed the sour and spicy soup noodles as they were, and then added vinegar and chili oil to suit my taste. I would like to visit this restaurant again next time. Thank you for the delicious meal!

- Ramen registration number: 5974th ramen shop, 440th bowl in 2023 - Eirin Kagurazaka branch (Bagimachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo) - Original Suratanmen: ¥1430 - Instagram: tsukasan's ramen (@tsukasan777) - Twitter: tsukasan2010

Location: When you go up the slope across from the stationery store Soumaya on Kagurazaka Street, you will see this standing sign about halfway up. The atmosphere is usually quiet with many solo customers, and reservations are not necessary. However, on holidays like today, about 80% of the seats were filled and it was lively. Menu: - Yakisoba with five ingredients: 1680 yen - Spring rolls: 330 yen The yakisoba contained shrimp, squid, pork, mushrooms, and other ingredients. The noodles had a nice char on them. It was a bit difficult to pick up the ingredients with chopsticks, and the noodles were a bit tough to eat. The flavor was decent, but it was quite light in seasoning, and I wished it had a bit more saltiness.

I went up Kagurazaka from Iidabashi Station, passed by Bishamonten, turned left at the next alley, and it was a bit up on the right hand side. The building is not facing the street, but slightly set back. I visited around 1:30 pm on a holiday afternoon and was able to enter right away as there were a few seats available. The interior is simple with exposed concrete and basic paint. The wide windows provided an open feeling. The signature dish, Sour and Spicy Noodles (1,430 yen), had beaten eggs along with bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and chicken as toppings, and the thick sauce remained piping hot. The soup had a prominent sour taste with sesame oil from the chili oil enhancing the flavor, although it wasn't very spicy. The noodles were well mixed and while they weren't very chewy, they paired well with the sauce. The Chicken Tsukesoba (1,430 yen) had a clear soup with a gentle flavor. The steamed chicken was tender and delicious. It was a calm and relaxing place to enjoy a meal, truly impressive.

I visited the restaurant alone without a reservation around 11:40 on a weekday. The spacious interior gave the impression of not having many seats. There were a variety of customers, including those having business meals, individuals like me, office workers for lunch, and elderly people enjoying course lunches. By noon, most seats were filled, so if you go without a reservation, it's better to go between 11:30-12:00. I ordered the hot and sour noodles with tomato topping, spring rolls, and almond jelly (free if you follow on LINE or Instagram). The hot and sour noodles were not too sour or too spicy, appealing to a wide range of people. The spring rolls were not greasy and easy to eat. The almond jelly was crispy and made me want to have another one.

On a day trip from Osaka for business, I had the freedom to choose my lunch. I struggled to decide what to eat, but eventually settled on this place. I found out about it on Tabelog, after it relocated from Akasaka. It's much smaller than the previous location, but it has a calm atmosphere compared to the bustling lunch scene in Akasaka. The food was still delicious as ever.

Original Sura Tanmen for 1,430 yen. This shop originated in Akasaka and is known for being the first to create Sura Tanmen. While eating, I realized that the orange packaged noodles I always eat are from the same brand, Eirin. The gentle acidity made it very delicious. We arrived at 1:30 PM on a Saturday, so thankfully we didn't have to wait in line. The entrance of the shop had a nice Kagurazaka vibe. I would like to come back at night as well.

This restaurant is not facing the street and is hidden away, so it always feels calm inside. It is located up the hill from Kagurazaka Street, past the stationery store, Meat Sushi, about a minute away. The price is 2200 yen and the contents include appetizers like spring rolls, cold dishes like steamed chicken, and stir-fried shrimp and vegetables. It seems suitable for those who want to have a light beer at lunch, or for gatherings where talking is more important than eating. The seasoning is very light, and the rice portion is small. The menu was a bit unexpected.

The original shop of sour and spicy soup noodles, I'm not interested in the origin dispute (not that this shop is disputing), as long as it tastes good, that's all that matters. I visited at night and the elegant and refined interior made me think it would be expensive. Even the entrance had Momoclo's autograph displayed, creating a nice mismatched vibe. There were various lunch menu options, but I chose the sour and spicy soup noodles with tomatoes as a topping. The bowl that arrived had an elegant appearance, conveying a sense of quality. The soup had a mild acidity, elegant but not weak, and delicious. The tomatoes were also subtle but effective. The noodles were medium-thin straight noodles that paired well with the soup. Due to my dull palate, I often seek something with a sharp impact, but this simplicity and deliciousness made me think that this is the skill of the original. Other noodle and rice dishes on the menu also exuded an aura of deliciousness from their names, so I would like to come back again, maybe to try the shrimp rice in a thick sauce.

On a regular day at 11:30, we visited the restaurant right after it opened with two people. The interior was clean with a calm atmosphere. There were only table seats available. The service was smart, polite, and good. On the table, there were soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, and pepper, but I wished there was black vinegar. I had a medium-sized draft beer for 880 yen and the original Sura Tanmen for 1430 yen. I considered adding tomato topping but decided against it. The ramen had ham, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and a soft-boiled egg. The noodles were thin but had a good firmness. The spiciness, sourness, noodle texture, and thickness were all very neutral or ordinary. Maybe that's what makes it the original version. Personally, I prefer thicker consistency with stronger sourness and spiciness. I also tried the Seafood Tsuyu Soba in soy sauce flavor for 1650 yen, which had Chinese cabbage, shrimp, squid, and scallops. The soup in this tsuyu soba was incredibly delicious! We also had two spring rolls for 330 yen each. It was a refined and slightly expensive lunch experience, suitable for light entertaining. Thank you for the meal. The total bill for two people was 4620 yen.

Ryurin Kagurazaka Store / Kagurazaka: A shop known for its original hot and sour soup noodles ✨ * I had bookmarked this place and wanted to visit for a while. It's close by, and I had passed by the front of the shop many times, but the shop is located deep in a back alley, so I wasn't sure about the atmosphere. * There was a menu displayed at the entrance of the alley, mentioning their signature Suratanmen (1,430 yen). The evening menu only offers courses, starting from 11,000 yen, making it quite a high-end Chinese restaurant. * When I climbed up to the second floor of the building at the end of the alley, I was greeted with a high ceiling and an open atmosphere. The seating was spacious and the interior was simple. * I ordered the hot and sour soup noodles with tomato topping (110 yen) and extra noodles (330 yen). * Served in a white ceramic bowl, the soup had a reddish hue and delicate strands of beaten egg, making it visually appealing. * The soup was truly amazing! I wonder if they use Jinhua ham... The umami of shiitake mushrooms could also be tasted, making the soup very complex. * The noodles were thin and had a nice chewiness that paired well with the thick soup. * The balance of sourness and spiciness was just right for a Japanese palate, and I enjoyed it very much. Despite the cold weather, I found myself sweating by the time I finished my meal. * It was very delicious. However, the cost performance may not be the best... Thank you for the meal! 🍜

I went to Eirin in Kagurazaka, a restaurant that I recently moved to. I have been to Eirin in Karuizawa about 100 times! Well, in Karuizawa, I only know Eirin and the Chinese restaurant at Manpei Hotel, where the young proprietress serves in a kimono. It's nostalgic to see her again as she is actually a junior of mine from Keio University. The older proprietress and the owner that I knew seem to have passed away. Eirin used to be a traditional Japanese restaurant. The seasonal vegetables served on traditional Japanese tableware remind me of the restaurant's past. The dishes were beautifully presented and delicious. Especially, the shark fin white soup and the shrimp and lily bulb with black vinegar sauce were delicious. Surprisingly, it was my first time trying the spicy and sour soup noodles, but they were delicious as expected. We never ordered the spicy and sour soup noodles in the summer in Karuizawa when we were in a large group. Thank you for the meal! I forgot to take a photo of the first appetizer, jellyfish and sea snail.