Just a couple minutes down the road, we came to the second
stop of the night. When we entered 濃次 (Koiji) we were immediately
welcomed and told to sit wherever we pleased. Of course, we opted for the seats
near the kitchen where we could scope out the scene. The wait staff instantly
brought us water and asked if we were ready to order. Since the menu required a
little more time to decipher, the server told us to call her when we had
decided what we wanted to eat.
In a flash, not only did the server come when we were
finally ready, but two servers came, both standing as close as possible to
Husband. He felt in of awkward having
two people standing in his bubble so he quickly ordered the chashu-men. When the
deep, steaming bowl arrived, hungry Husband almost forgot to let me snap a
photo before diving in. The broth here
was wonderful and hot, dark and rich in flavor, yet thin with a fine layer of
fatty oil on top. Sliced onions and
chopped, steamed greens accompanied the usual tender menma and sheet or
nori. Six pieces of chashu, which had
been cooked until it fell into little pieces when attacked by the chopsticks,
laid just below the hot soup. In the
depths of the bowl were thin noodles with decent chewiness that kept a good
grasp on the flavor from the broth.
Despite burning his tongue a bit, Husband left 濃次full
and satisfied.
At the register, we presented the book for its twenty-third
stamp. Clearly, we have gotten to the point in the challenge where people start
mentioning how close the finish is, and to keep going. It is nice to hear the
encouragement. Not much further to go!
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| 濃次 (Koiji) |
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| A nice display of toppings lying atop noodles in a rich, brown broth. |
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| Just another angle. |
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