Curry ramen A bowl recommended by teacher 一条もんこ Apparently, “Wearing glasses and letting them fog up is stylish,” so I put on glasses I don't normally wear. Full-on neighborhood Chinese restaurant vibes! Full-on foggy glasses too! And delicious! Outstanding as a substantial ramen meal! Thank you for the meal!

It had been a while since I'd been to 中野, and while debating whether to have some daytime drinks, I found myself heading toward 新井薬師. Wandering through the shopping street, I spotted a noren curtain. Looking at the menu by the entrance, chuka soba was an astonishing 550円! I couldn't see inside, but you rarely come across prices like that these days, so in I went. Some reviews raised hygiene concerns, but when I visited, the interior was clean and I noticed no particular smell. Well, the sort of exchanges common in family-run businesses can be distracting and unpleasant on a first visit, but perhaps once you're used to them, they're “part of the charm.” Wry smile From the many options, I ordered wonton men. I was the only customer, so the bowl arrived without much waiting. The bowl was filled with wontons, topped with scallions, a small piece of chashu, and nori. The soup was piping hot with a light, old-fashioned flavor. If you're used to today's carefully crafted broths, it might feel weak and indistinct because it doesn't assert itself. The noodles were unremarkable and soft, so being able to choose the firmness might be nice. There were plenty of wontons, but unfortunately they had practically no filling (by chance). To compare, think of the wontons in cup noodles. I haven't eaten the other dishes, so I can't say much more, but with prices rising, perhaps one shouldn't ask too much when it's this affordable.

After visiting the one in 練馬 the other day, I went to “代一元” in 中野. Their bottled beer is a large 赤星 for ５５０円. A large bottle for ５５０円 these days is a treat♪ Ordered gyoza for ４００円, then fried rice for ６５０円. The gyoza wrappers are fairly firm, with what felt like plenty of meat. The seasoning is mild, but the garlic chives and such have quite an impact, making them tasty and good with drinks. The fried rice was cooked with separate grains, and perhaps the rice itself was cooked firm, as it nearly crossed from fluffy and separate into dry. Not my preference, but its gentle savoriness was like the other 代一元 locations—not bad fried rice. Next I'd like to visit the 代一元 in 大田区, but looking at the map, it's far from the station and seems hard to reach. Still, I'd like to give it a try this year.

+1

I was hungry while passing nearby, so I went in. I couldn't decide between mapo tofu with rice, liver and chives with rice, and ramen with half fried rice, but ordered the ramen with half fried rice There were no other customers, so it came quickly The ramen with half fried rice had hardly any flavor despite its appearance. I ate it with quite a lot of pepper The ramen was old-fashioned chicken-bone broth ramen and felt nostalgic The taste was, well, ordinary. Also, they served water, but something green like a cucumber? was sunk in the glass, so I didn't drink it The place itself looks old, and since it's a restaurant I think things like cockroaches appearing can't be helped, but I really don't like foreign objects in my drinks

+1

【2026.5】 Hiyashi gomoku soba（1100円） 代一元, established over 70 years ago🏮 Chilled noodles so generously topped they make you smile😊 The sauce used to come separately, but now it's already poured over. The sauce is cleanly balanced, with restrained acidity and sweetness Soy sauce and fish broth come clearly to the fore😋 The medium-thin noodles have a firm bite Classic, old-fashioned chilled noodles☺️ 【2022.12】 Had the hiyashi gomoku soba (1000円). Their various chilled noodle dishes are available year-round. The separately served sauce is mild in acidity and sweetness, with pronounced soy sauce and broth. You rarely notice the broth in hiyashi chuka sauce, but here the fish flavor comes through clearly. The noodles are medium-thin and quite firm, making them satisfying.

+3