Menya Kokoro Mazesoba Shinjuku Kabukicho-ten 麺屋こころ新宿歌舞伎町店 (Tokyo, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

Immediately following lunch, little nugget met up with one of his best pal, K and together, they went on a bit of a rampage at a number of game centers in Shinjuku. But I wasn’t there to witness the whole thing as there was other business for me to take care of while we were in Kabukicho. One of those business was a visit to Menya Kokoro Mazesoba Shinjuku Kabukicho-ten (麺屋こころ新宿歌舞伎町店), a ramen shop I have explicitly jotted down as part of the itinerary for this trip.

Situated right across the street from Seibu-Shinjuku Station (西武新宿駅), Menya Kokoro Mazesoba is one of the pioneers in mazesoba, a type of soupless ramen originated from Nagoya dating back to the 1950s.

Of course, Hongkongers should be no stranger to Menya Kokoro as they have already opened a branch in Hong Kong (Causeway Bay).

All Together Mazesoba (1,250 yen) – Their best seller here I was told.

The soupless ramen came with a mix of toppings including minced pork and beef, bamboo shoots, soft-boiled egg, roasted pork fillet, seaweed, fresh chives, fish powder, green onion and egg yolk. A very busy dish indeed. 

It is really a glorified version of Taiwanese minced pork rice, or Rou Zao Fan (鹵肉飯) but of course, they have replaced the steamed rice with their flat noodles which have been cooked with homemade soy sauce.

But not very often that a ramen shop didn't get their soft-boiled egg done perfectly. This was a tad overcooked.

The ramen came with a bit of spicy kick from the herbs. All in all, not bad but probably a little too flavorful for my taste buds.

It's about time to join up with the gang again.

Food Rating: 5.3/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 2-45-7 Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-0021, Japan

Closest Metro Station: Seibu-Shinjuku

Tel: +81 3-6555-2992

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 3:00pm, 5:30pm - 8:00pm (Mon - Sat), 11:30am - 8:00pm (Sun)