Scott S.
Yelp
I've passed by this Rokurinsha a dozen times (at least that's what Yelp is telling me) at Haneda thinking "holy crap, I'm just going to eat dinner at the airport next time" but for some reason kept forgetting that Haneda Airport has two decent ramen choices in Setagaya and Rokurinsha, because well, it's a damn airport and food at airports typically suck hard.
Having to play tour guide while being annoyingly hungover because I didn't have time for dinner the day before, however, made me remember because I'd been craving something with warm soup and starch all day and then voilá, Rokurinsha to the rescue.
I know it's a bit blasphemous to get the Tokusei Ramen when Rokurinsha's proverbial bread and butter is their time-tested tsukemen, but I didn't feel like explaining how to eat tsukemen to the two fellow diners who were already somewhat skeptical about the possibility of a decent food choice inside of the check-in terminal.
Rich flavorful shoyu broth with just a hint of sesame-like savory flavors; if the original Demae Iccho was replicated in somebody's kitchen using only the finest ingredients around, I bet this is what it'd taste like.
Noodles look more like tsukemen noodles than anything; this is probably because I was still hungover, but the chewy medium-thick, straight glutinous noodles just glided down my throat without any effort at all.
The toppings were admirably prepared despite this being an airport; the chashu was super soft and bursting with light soy sauce and bajiao-like flavors with each bite; the generous serving of menma probably came out of a package somewhere, but was well seasoned (i.e. didn't taste like slimy disinfectant solvent) and even the poached egg was still runny on the inside.
To any prospective Japan-bound visitors, do try your best to fly out of Haneda instead of Narita; you won't regret it, I promise.