Today is the local 清正公様 festival, so while buying a victory charm, I stopped by the nostalgic 高輪菜香亭. I’d planned to toast with beer with a classmate from junior high, but they were feeling unwell, so unfortunately I drank alone. Then, just as I was leaving, another classmate came in. Classmates really do think alike. It had been about 10 years since my last visit to 菜香亭, but my order hadn’t changed. Soft yakisoba and shumai. The meaty shumai was excellent, as expected. The yakisoba had plenty of onions and mild seasoning. Healthy, but I ate it with vinegar, mustard, and drizzles of soy sauce. Both were a perfect match for スーパードライ! The characteristics of 菜香亭 are: ①Despite being a neighborhood Chinese restaurant, there’s no gyoza. ②The menu includes popularity rankings. ③Great value, starting with ramen at ¥600. ④The guy serving the dining room is unfriendly. That about sums it up. I hear the noodle dishes can be a miss on some days, and some regulars find that suspense irresistible. Incidentally, today’s soft yakisoba was a hit. Must be the blessing from my shrine visit. Haha. Thank you for the meal.

+3

Tanmen (タンメン)：650円 Half portion of fried rice：300円 Tanmen The noodles were cooked just right. There was an appropriate amount of meat and vegetables. The soup had a light pepper kick and was delicious. Half portion of fried rice Was the finely chopped red chashu kiln-roasted chashu??? It was delicious. However, the burnt flavor throughout bothered me. If only it didn’t have that burnt flavor... The tables and seats are spaced fairly widely apart, so the restaurant seemed surprisingly comfortable for relaxing. Thank you for the meal!!

+3

肉細切りソバ 750円 Today, after an appointment in Shirokane, Minato-ku, I had lunch at this restaurant in Takanawa, Minato-ku, which opened in Showa 39（1964年）. 菜香亭 東京都港区高輪2-6-22 Despite its location in 「高輪」, this restaurant is known for offering great value. Indeed, all the 「菜香亭 人気メニュー」 are cheap. Normally I would choose 「ラーメン」, but after much deliberation, this time I ordered 『肉細切りソバ』, something I don't eat very often. The older gentleman was in the kitchen (probably the original owner). The man serving tables and helping with the cooking (probably his son) brought it out on a tray. It was topped with a thick sauce packed with stir-fried shredded pork, bean sprouts, onion, green pepper, shiitake, bamboo shoots, and garlic. Above all, it was piping hot. The thin, straight noodles were quite tasty. They were cooked very well, too. The soup felt thin, lacking stock flavor or richness. Instead, the soy sauce seasoning (saltiness) was overpowering.... Sooo salty‼️ But I ate it all. Thank you for the meal.

+3

Back again after about a year. I had 鶏そば again. That saltiness. It's addictive, isn't it? Can you see the decorative cuts in the carrot topping? That hasn't changed since the old days. There must be some particular reason for it. The dining-room staff are still as unfriendly as ever lol. Well, even so, it's a flavor that makes me want to visit occasionally! Below is my previous review------- A restaurant I've known and loved for over 20 years. I absolutely love their garlicky 鶏そば. The menu overall has a somewhat Showa-era feel, or simple, old-fashioned flavors that grow on you the more you eat them.

I like 天津飯. Also 肉そば, 肉細切りそば, and 鶏そば. It's a little expensive, but I was amazed when I tried 伊府麺 (yifu noodles. Not sure I've written the characters correctly). It's delicious. Oh, I don't really recommend the regular ramen(^_^;)

+1