あちお
I visited "Nikuju Men Susumu," located a few minutes' walk from Akihabara Station. I had known about this place for a while, and finally went when I was really hungry, as it seemed like a must-try from the photos outside the shop. At 6 pm, there were 3 customers ahead of me and 3 behind me. I checked out the ticket machine by the entrance, and saw options like Level 2 with 200g of meat, Level 1 with 130g of meat, and three types of rice for ¥100 each. Since it was my first visit, I went with the basic 130g of meat and a large rice. Here is what I ordered:
- Ramen ¥880
- Large rice ¥100
I thought about getting the extra-large portion, but when I saw on the ticket machine that it was 400g, I decided against it. The large rice arrived, but it wasn't really large... maybe I should have gone for the extra-large after all? I'll explain more in the results below, but not going for the extra-large was the right choice. Then came the ramen. The soup was pitch black, but surprisingly light and not salty at all, with a hint of fish powder flavor. However, it lacked richness, and a lot of oil from the fried pork kept floating to the top. I read the instructions on the table and added garlic, but it ended up overpowering the little flavor that was there. The soup was a struggle to finish. The noodles were medium-thick and firm, cooked just right. And finally, the anticipated meat! It was coated in starch, fried, and then seared, with a thick, enticing sauce drizzled on top. I took a bite... and was disappointed. The excessive starch made the meat soggy, mushy, and sweet, not tasty at all. I'm glad I didn't get extra meat... the rice was supposed to save the meal, but the meat was so bad that it didn't help speed up the rice consumption. In the end, I'm relieved I didn't go for the extra-large portion. Overall, this place had the biggest gap between expectations and reality that I can remember in recent years. Goodbye, Nikuju Men Susumu. Rating: ★1.2. June 2023.