Mazesoba on a Cloudy Day at Menya Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba

The past weekend was marked by grey skies and pouring rain, and this kind of weather triggers cravings for comfort food...

Images of a hot and freshly prepared bowl of mazesoba scrolls through your mind, intensifying your craving for noodles. As the skies grow darker, the craving gets real. And there's only one way to satisfy that craving. It's time for a bowl of mazesoba...at Menya Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba (for more on Menya Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba, see my earlier post, #TokyosNumber1Mazesoba: Prepare For A New Ramen Experience by Menya Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba).

Menya Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba offers a whole new way of enjoying ramen. That day, it seemed everyone else had the same idea of having a comforting bowl of Mazesoba on a cloudy day. Packed for lunch, I managed to get a seat on the far corner. A tabletop standee (R) provided tips on how to best enjoy your mazesoba...

...while a hot bowl of Mushroom Soup soothes both the palate and body with its delicate, subtle and nutty notes. Appetizing bits of mushrooms add an earthy flavor to the soup, brightened up by the fresh spring onions. You can request for another bowl of Mushroom Soup as your mazesoba is prepared.

Each bowl is prepared as you order, and it takes time to build up the rich layers of flavor in every bowl of mazesoba at Menya Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba. A quick glance at the open kitchen gives you an idea on the countless details that go with each bowl, as the flavors are built with countless ladles of special sauces, ingredients and spices. There's a finely choreographed process that takes place with each bowl as the toppings are gently laid on the soft and chewy noodles. The kitchen does their own kind of wicked alchemy, transforming a bowl of noodles into something totally rich and indulgent. And it's all done without the usual broth. A gently poached egg is then added to complete the bowl...

Menya Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba's signature Tokyo Mazesoba (P 350) first feeds the eyes with its array of tempting ingredients. The spicy minced pork is surrounded by fresh chives and spring onions, seaweed flakes, minced garlic and finely grounded saba fish topped with a poached egg on soba noodles. The soba noodles are there, all you have to do is mixed it up. And mix it well. The signature Tokyo Mazesoba is available in two variants, the Original (spicy) and Non-Spicy options. When it pours, you can't go wrong with the Original spicy version.

It started to pour that day, with the grey skies opening up and releasing heavier than usual rains. The soothing heat from the spices just seemed to provide that balance to brighten up a rainy weekend afternoon. The spice also tempers the savory richness of the special sauce coating each and every soba noodle for a burst of bold notes with every bite. And slurp.

Each ingredient comes into play with another bite of noodles delivering both texture and flavor. The unctuous notes line the palate, becoming even more intense and indulgent with the next bite. One bite and you know. That's why Menya Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba is, without doubt, #TokyosNumber1Mazesoba since 2013.

As you slurp up the last strand of thick and chewy noodles, you'll notice a concentration of minced pork, vegetables and sauce at the bottom of the bowl. This is where the ritual of Oimeshi completes your ramen experience at Menya Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba...

Like your childhood bowl of cereal, it's always the bottom of the bowl that packs the most flavor. A small serving of sticky Japanese rice is added to your bowl to soak up all these intense flavors. One spoonful immediately brings in these rich notes with a flavorful punch. 

Grey skies and rainy days just seem much brighter with a bowl of Menya Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba's signature Tokyo Mazesoba. Rich, comforting and satisfying with a hint of soothing heat, you wouldn't mind the rains at all. Just have another bowl and let it rain...