Ramen Happiness: 優: Bowl #6

Last, but not least, for this day full of catching up with my blog posts is a tribute to 面工房優 (Men-koubou Yuu) which pretty much means "Noodle Workshop: Superior". Located in a shopping area on the edge of town, it had been overlooked by us in the past. Husband and I had previously eaten at the Chinese restaurant right in front of this Ramen shop, and now we both wish we had ventured into the maze of stores a little further. Either way, we had a great lunch. In the Komachi magazine this shop comes in at number five on the "shops to check out" list and boasts a whole half page spread describing the unique noodles they offer. Not only do they offer the standard white Ramen noodles, they also make a chili pepper and a seaweed variety.

After ordering by means of the ticket machine at the entrance (our favorite way to place an order) we sat down and observed the restaurant. There is the usual counter seating, but where as you can usually see into the kitchen and watch what the chefs are doing, at this location there is a tall wall partitioning the two areas. Since the view was restricted, we opted for the tables along the back.

As you may have noticed in my earlier posts, I have an affinity for chashu-men and shoyu broths. Even though I did stick with my favorite style of shoyu soup since it was praised in the article, the Husband decided to try another recommendation; the spicy 坦々面 (tantan-men). Also with a proud spot on the page of the magazine, the 坦々面 was praised for the chili pepper noodles. Actually, all the noodles used by this shop were being recognized for the use of 100 percent local wheat.

An option not shown in the magazine was their house つけ面 (tsuke-men - dipping noodles). The two guys sitting next to us each ordered this course and were presented with a bowl of noodles about the size of the wheel of our car. A mountain of noodles surrounded by small mounds of sides with the bowl of strong broth for dipping completed this dish, and they were nice enough to let us snap a picture.

Our own bowls arrived and we eagerly tucked in. The shoyu Ramen had a slight seafood scent which was due to the fact that they use pork, chicken and seafood elements in their soup. The noodles were wonderfully thick and chewy, with broth clinging generously to them. The rest of the toppings were the ordinary green onion and nori as well as menma pieces that were thick and blocky like small books. The chashu was flavorful and tender, and rounded out my bowl of Ramen quite nicely.

Now for the double feature, Husband’s坦々面 was not as spicy as the reddish orange chili oil floating in the broth would suggest, but the bowl still packed a little heat. The combination of pork stock, sesame paste, minced garlic, and finely ground black pepper delivered a flavorful bite with every chili laden slurp. When the ramen first arrived all you could see was bright red puddle of steaming liquid with a stem of bok choy and what looked like an Italian style meatball floating in it. Upon further inspection Husband found a tangle of red chili noodles hiding beneath the surface. The noodles were the same great texture and thickness we both have come to love, but with a slightly

spicy flare which my Mexican food and hot wing addicted Husband enjoyed. The meatball, made of minced pork, was both salty and sweet with a thick vinegar tone to it. Solid at first, a quick jab with the chopsticks crumbled the ball into hundreds of tiny pieces which all found their way into the space between the noodles giving every spicy bite a tasty, cooling follow up.

On our way out the door the book received the sixth stamp. I did notice the bonus quiz question hanging on the wall, but since there is only a requisite of three answers it was not added to the book. I suppose if it is decided we like one shop more than another it can always be changed, so the answer has been logged away if it is in fact needed. Though there is still a long way to go, being 1/5 of the way through feels like a rewarding accomplishment, especially since it has only been one week.