A note on the words: mabo men is ramen topped with mapo tofu, the Sichuan classic of tofu and minced pork simmered in chili bean paste and mouth-numbing Sichuan pepper (mala). Champon noodles are thick, chewy wheat noodles typically associated with Nagasaki champon soup. Budo sansho is a prized Japanese mountain pepper known for its large grape-like clusters and bright, citrusy numbing aroma.
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Rosokuya Premier on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. I came across a photo online of some delicious-looking mabo men (mapo tofu over noodles) and wondered where it was from. When I looked into it, there it was in Roppongi Hills! It is located in the restaurant passage between the Metro Hat basement and the station ticket gates. The newly opened shop is Rosokuya Premier, taking over the space that used to be a pasta place called UOTA. The flagship shop is in Ginza, famous for its tongue-numbing mabo men. Sounds great — spicy mapo tofu over noodles sounds so good! I am thrilled a shop like this has opened in Roppongi!
In front of the shop, boxed lunches (bento) are stacked high. The shop itself is quite small with very few seats, so people working around here must buy a lot of takeout bento. Well, if there is a delicious mapo tofu bento available, I would buy one myself, ha.
Mapo tofu set meal — 1,500 yen
Mabo men — 1,300 yen
Cilantro mabo men — 1,500 yen
Mazesoba — 1,200 yen
They have quite a variety! For the mapo tofu, you can choose from four kinds: REDHOTS with extra heat and numbing spice, YELLOW with a curry flavor, BLACK with squid ink, and the regular version. The delicious-looking photo I had seen online was the BLACK, so I chose the black mabo men.
After waiting a short while, here is what arrived.
Whoa, that looks delicious!
It looks like jet-black mapo tofu. Take a bite: delicious. The chili heat is on the milder, mellow side, but you definitely feel the sharp numbing tingle of Sichuan pepper. Who knew that savory minced meat and rich, umami-packed squid ink together could make something this delicious!
If you want more tingle, adding the budo sansho oil on the counter brings out an even stronger numbing kick.
It looks like you can buy bottles of this sansho oil to take home; I wish I had picked one up.
The noodles are thick, straight strands, similar to champon noodles. The sauce is nicely thickened, so it clings well to the thick noodles. The broth underneath the mapo tofu is light and clean. It gradually blends into the sauce, but because the mapo tofu packs such a punch, you hardly notice any thinning out.
Mm, this really is delicious.
And this is the regular mapo tofu set meal.
I had a bite: it is an orthodox mapo tofu, but you definitely get that solid numbing buzz, and it is great!
If their bento has this kind of mapo tofu inside, I would come here to buy one myself!
So there you have it: a new mabo men spot in Roppongi Hills. True to its reputation built in Ginza, it was intensely flavorful and delicious. I am so glad a place serving addictive spicy-and-numbing noodles opened nearby. I will definitely be back. Next time, I think I will aim for the REDHOTS.
Rosokuya Premier (Sichuan / Roppongi Station, Nogizaka Station, Azabu-juban Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
