When it comes to noodles, I’m a devotee of the Japanese varieties. From thin nutty soba to fat chewy udon, the assortment of noodles used in Japanese cuisine is diverse, made even more so by the different ways in which they are served, whether it be cold with a dipping sauce or in a soup. Ramen is one of the favorites. Although ramen is originally a Chinese dish, over the years the Japanese have embraced it and made it their own.
I’ve been overdue in sharing the next installment of my video series covering my trip to Japan this summer. Since I recently shared a recipe for a quick and easy spicy mushroom miso ramen, I thought it would be fun to share my visit to one of my favorite places for a steaming hot bowl of spicy ramen in Tokyo. You’ll also get a bit of a peak at what Tokyo is like in July. The heat and humidity do a number on your hair and skin. This was definitely one of those times where the luxury of a makeup/hair person would be awesome. But at least you know it’s real, right? No sugar-coating here! Ha. But back to noodles. The noodle shop we’re “visiting” today is called Manrikiya in a Tokyo neighborhood called Azabu Juban. I always order their tantanmen, a bowl of ramen with a spicy broth. Manrikiya’s noodles are uniquely long and thick, making every bite nice and chewy. Their rich silky broth isn’t lacking in the spice arena, which I love, but they’ve managed to strike a balance between spice and flavor so that the heat doesn’t overwhelm all of the flavors in the soup. Let’s take a look!
Manrikiya
Address: 2-3-2 Azabu Juban, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0045, Japan
Nearest train station: Azabu Juban, Toei Oedo Line, Exit #4
Hours: 11:30am — 2:30pm; 5:00pm — 10:30pm
Phone: 03-3452-5510
Website: http://www.adhams.co.jp/manrikiya/
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Ah one day I’ll get to go for a visit to Japan with YOU!
Your hair is so long. I guess it has been forever since I have seen you. GREG
I loved this – have you done other videos? You’re a natural….
What a great video! You have to do more…
Louise
You had me at “nice & chewy”
Such a fun video even with heat & humidity!!
Love this video, Rachael! You are so natural on camera!!!
Ahhh. You are killin’ me tonight. Even though I’m sweating and hot in San Diego, I could so use a bowl of ramen for dinner. Thanks for sharing memories of my favorite place for noodles in Tokyo (BTW: was I with you the first time you dined there?) Also a treat? Hearing the sounds of the train station. Magical.
ENCORE! Can’t wait to see more videos. Thank you for sharing this. It makes me miss visiting Japan!
I think I would indeed have a happy tummy after eating a bowl of that ramen. Great video, my friend!
Rach, finally has a chance to watch your videos, you look so cute…hello Travel Channel, Food Network, Cooking Channel, give her a show! Rachael is the next Samantha Brown!!!
I stumbled upon your site when I was following the mushroom battle and saw Fuji Mama, thinking it was the restaurant in Tokyo with their US restaurant… Congrats on the win! Such fun to see my favorite noodle place and tantanmen here! I lived in Tokyo for 3 years and usually avoided Azabu (too many expats) but made weekly visits to the noodle shop for gyoza and tantanmen… then off to visit the senbei shop across the street for my rice cracker fix. Thank you for such a lovely memory. Keep posting the videos!
Love your Blog! discovered it while searching for a Tamagoyaki recipe. I’m Lynn from Germany and like you, have lived in Japan too. My husband is a “german japanologist” (someone who does research and teaches about the culture, language etc…) and also fluent in japanese. We we actually in Japan when the great eastern earthquake happened. We are now back in Germany but still go back to Japan every summer. As an exception, we were in Japan last March for one month. And the reason why I’m writing this, is that I read in the Japan Times (an english japanese newspaper) this article about ramen, (“The March 12 page article, “Japanese men love their men more than their women,” raises the awareness of ramen shops in Japan and mentions their health risks.”). The article states that one out of two Japanese men between the ages of 40 and 74 have been diagnosed with, or are in the preliminary stages of having metabolic syndrome. And the last paragraph states that a ramenya (ramen shop) has the highest risk of cancer and earliest mortality rate of all food businesses. Here is the link; http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/ek20120312a1.html . Pls read it, it’s interesting.
@Lynn — Fascinating! Thanks for sharing.
Very good info. Lucky me I discovered your site by accident (stumbleupon).
I have saved as a favorite for later!
Preparing for a trip to Tokyo, I found this video, but there is no sound! Thanks for your series on Tokyo.