Honta Mendokoro serves authentic soy sauce ramen! Akihabara Ramen Tasting Report

Did you know that there is always a line under the overpass in Akihabara?
Yes, this queue is the one that Akihabara is proud of, the famous ramen shop "Honta Noodle Shop" queue!!!
Mensho Honta is a famous restaurant that was located in Higashijujo, Kita Ward, but moved to Akihabara in 2020.
I had always been curious about this place whenever I passed by Yodobashi Akiba, so I finally went there this time, and here is my report on my experience eating at Mensho Honta.

Let's go to "Mensho Honden," an excellent ramen restaurant conveniently located near Akihabara Station!

Getting to Mensho Honta is super easy!!

The ramen shop Honta that we will be investigating this time is very easily accessible from the station.
It's just a 1-minute walk from the station.Under the JR Sobu Line overpass in front of Yodobashi Camera AkihabaraIt is in.
It's great that it's only a short walk from the station.
I've listed the address and contact details below, so if you're still not sure, please use this as a reference!!

A famous restaurant's specialty: "Long lines of anticipation"

When I came across the underpass where the shop was located, I noticed a crowd of people...

Yes, it's the long line that is typical of famous ramen restaurants!!
Since they cannot all fit in front of the store, they line up on the opposite side of the sidewalk.
I visited here around 12 noon on a Sunday.
Even though it was lunchtime on a holiday, with such a long line, expectations were high that the food would be delicious.
I personally enjoy the excitement of waiting in line.
It took about 40 minutes from the time we started lining up until we entered the store,When you actually go, it's best to leave plenty of time before your next appointment.

The interior of Mendokoro Honta has a calm atmosphere.

While you are waiting in line, the staff will instruct you to buy a meal ticket in advance, so once instructed, choose your menu from the ticket machine inside the store.

Since this was my first visit, I chose the "Special soy sauce" I ordered it.
While most ramen shops offer a meal for under 1000 yen, 1500 yen is a fairly aggressive price tag.

The interior of the store is finished in a calm and modern style, with exposed concrete and wood-style tables and counters.
It was a little different from the down-to-earth atmosphere that is common in many ramen restaurants, in a good way.

Time to try it! Authentic soy sauce ramen

The soy sauce soup and the thin noodles are a perfect combination

I entered the restaurant and waited at my seat, and the ramen arrived in just a few minutes.

It looks a bit dark for a soy sauce ramen.
Toppings such as pork slices and seasoned eggs are lined up in a narrow space.

gulp

This looks delicious

The noodles are homemade thin noodles that mix well with the soup.

As it isZzzzzzzzzHe slurps it up heartily.
As the dark soup's appearance suggests, it had a strong soy sauce aroma, yet also had a fragrant smoked aroma.
The broth has a particularly strong umami flavor from dried sardines, and the homemade thin noodles perfectly absorb the light soy sauce-based soup.
I've been eating a lot of ramen since I was a student, and this ramen is so well-made that it ranks in the top three soy sauce ramen I've ever eaten.

"Special soy sauce" comes with plenty of toppings for a satisfying experience

As I showed you in the photo earlier, the special soy sauce is topped withMorimoriIt is.
It contains four types of pork slices and is beautifully presented with seaweed, seasoned egg, and green onions.
Since it is a soy sauce ramen, it may feel a little less filling than tonkotsu ramen, but with so many toppings it's great when you want a hearty meal.
As for the essential taste of such toppings...

↑First, thisroasted pork filletThe moment you put it in your mouth, the original flavor of the meat spreads throughout your mouth.
It has a chewy texture, so the flavor of the meat seeps out with every bite.

↑Next, thisChicken char siu TheVery plump!!
The texture was incredibly juicy, and the light flavor of the chicken harmoniously matched with the equally light soy sauce soup.
Once you've enjoyed the meat and noodles, check out the seasoned egg!!
In fact, out of all the ramen toppings, I particularly like seasoned eggs.
Let's just cut it in half and see what's inside!!!

on second thoughtsFlavored eggThe egg should be soft-boiled and the yolk should not be too runny when you split it open!!
Perfect!!There's nothing more to say!!!
All of the toppings were perfectly matched with the noodles and soup, and each had its own unique characteristics, so it was clear that the restaurant had put a lot of effort into making sure customers would not get bored of eating them.

Mensho Honta is the ultimate in traditional soy sauce ramen!!

This time, I went to Mensho Honta, a famous restaurant in Akihabara that often has long lines.
If I had to sum up my impressions of the food in one word, I would say that Mendokoro Honta is "The ultimate evolution of traditional soy sauce ramen" Perhaps?
What was impressive was that the quality of the soup, noodles, and toppings were all high, without compromising the basic flavor of soy sauce ramen.
If there's one thing that bothers you, it's the price.
Even though it comes with a ton of toppings, 1500 yen per bowl is a bit out of my wallet for a low-paid office worker like me (please give me more money...)
However, even if you overlook the price, it's definitely a dish that you should try at least once.
Finally, I have rated each item with a star, so please use this as a reference.