I love the udon texture and broth at Mentsudan, but if you don’t want to search for the one Mentsudan in the city, go to one of the many Marugames. They have kashiwa chicken, which is super juicy and crisp chicken breast tempura. If you swear you don’t like chicken breast, all it will take is one bite of kashiwa when it comes fresh out of the fryer and you’ll be a chicken breast convert. I’d go to Marugame just for the kashiwa chicken. The udon is decent too! Oh, and if you think the name Marugame sounds a bit familiar, you’re right! They have outposts in other parts of Asia, as well as Hawaii.
Afuri
Afuri is one of my favorite bowls in Tokyo. They specialize in yuzu ramen and if you’re a fan of citrus, you’ll love the broth here. The yuzu is subtle, yet noticeable. The broth is a light chicken, fish, kombu affair and the noodles are thin, yet firm. The boiled eggs always have creamy orange centers and each slice of charsiu is charred a bit over an open flame. A tiny bit of yuzu zest sits on top of the egg and when you lean down to breathe in the smell of the delicate broth, you’re overwhelmed with hunger. The tsukemen here, according to Mike, is pretty damn good, but I’ve always been too busy devouring my own bowl to pay attention to anything else.
