Jo Y.
Yelp
Eating ramen in Tokyo. A must do. And I've found one of the best. It's Menya Shichisai Ramen in Hachobori.
Here are the reasons why I loved Menya Shichisai Ramen:
* Freshly made noodles. So fresh that you can watch the master through a glass window, inches away while sitting at one of 13 counter seats, make them in ten minutes in front of your eyes. (While it is common to make handmade noodles in Japan, it is unusual that they are made to order in view of the customers.) Each time an order is shouted in his direction, he grabs a ball of dough, adds flour, pounds it, flatten it with a roller, adds more flour, shapes the dough on a cutting board, and slices it into thin ribbons of noodles with a knife that is ratcheted to move a certain distance with each stroke so that the noodles are sliced with perfect consistency. Then the noodles go directly into the pot. The vigorous handling of the noodles makes them chewy. The noodles are cooked until the edges are soft and fluffy, with the center of the noodles still al dente; you can taste the sweetness of the noodles in the flavorful broth. The Kitakata-style noodles originated from the western Fukushima Prefecture, north of Tokyo.
* Perfectly made shoyu or niboshi (dried sardines) broth. The shoyu broth that I chose was light, crisp, and smoky due to simmering whole chicken or baby dried sardines. The broth was not strong, nor was it salty. They also have salt-flavored ramen and tsukemen (dipping noodles).
* Preservative-free. The ramen and broth are all natural; no msg or preservatives.
* Same price whether you order small (150 grams), medium (200 grams), or large (250 grams).
* Delicious! The ramen was topped with thinly cut, woodsy flavored bamboo shoots; tasty and tender char siu; and green onions.
Ordering from the menu will require that you use a ticket machine that takes cash only; but that should not be a problem, as it is both in Japanese and in English.
We were fortunate that there were just a few people ahead of us when we got there, as there can be long lines during peak times at lunch and dinner. We paid for our meals using the ticket machine and stood in line. When it got to our turn, staff took our tickets and sat us in open seats (score! Right in front of the master noodle maker!) So mesmerized by the vigorous physical exertion to hand make the noodles for our meal! And we saw exactly how our ramen dishes were prepared and then served to us piping hot. I slurped (they say to hear the slurping is a compliment to the chef) my ramen and ate all of my medium-sized ramen. It was incredibly delicious! We helped ourselves to the iced water pitchers that were placed on the counters in front of us. Simple and comforting Japanese soul food. I also ordered a side of savory pork belly with rice, which was very flavorful.
Ramen is known as working class street food. Opened in July 2015 by Yoshikhiko Fujii and Hiroaki Sakata, Menya Shichisai Ramen is tucked away on the street level of a tall office building in the heart of Tokyo and is frequented mostly by working men in business suits during their lunch hour and at after work on weekdays. This restaurant moved to this location back in 2015 from Tokyo Ramen Street at Tokyo Station. Open from 11a to 3:30p and 5:30p to 10:30p from Mon. to Fri. and from 11a to 9p on weekends and holidays; closed every 3rd Tues. of each month.
Located within a two-minute walk from exit A5 at Hachobori train station (JR Keiyo Line, Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line) or 15-minute walk from Yaesu Central entrance at Tokyo Station.
Will definitely return to meet my craving of fresh, authentic ramen and to watch the master hand-make my noodles right in front of me. Oishi!