A note on the words: yaki-ago is grilled and dried flying fish used to make ago dashi, an aromatic seafood broth that forms the rich, savory base of the noodles here. Chuka soba literally means “Chinese noodles” and is a classic, traditional term for ramen. Tsuke-soba (or tsukemen) is dipping noodles served separately from a concentrated soup, while mazesoba is a brothless ramen tossed together with seasonings and toppings like egg and cheese. Chashu is braised pork, a donburi is a bowl of rice with toppings, naruto is a cured fish cake with a pink spiral pattern, menma are seasoned bamboo shoots, iwanori is rock nori, and gyoza are pan-fried dumplings.
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MENDOKORO TOMO Premium 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 heard that Mendokoro Tomo, a famous ramen shop in Akasaka, had opened a new, premium branch! There was no way I could pass that up, so this time I headed out for ramen. The location is on the way toward Akasaka-mitsuke, turning left past OMO3 (a hotel) on Hitotsugi-dori. There is a clear sign out, so you are unlikely to get lost.
And the place has been done up with quite a stylish feel!
Rather than a ramen shop, it feels somewhat like a stylish cafe, ha.
Aromatic yaki-ago chuka soba — 1,000 yen
A rich truffle chicken-shio chuka soba — 1,000 yen
Rich yaki-ago dashi tsuke-soba — 1,100 yen
Rich egg and Pecorino Romano mazesoba — 1,000 yen
When you think of Tomo, ago dashi shoyu comes to mind, but here they have the basic yaki-ago chuka soba elevated to premium, an equally premium salt-seasoned one pairing a chicken-shio broth base with truffle, a yaki-ago tsuke-men, and a mazesoba made with cheese. These four are essentially the core lineup. The donburi selection is substantial too, with things like keema curry, a seared chashu donburi with two kinds of chashu, and spicy taco rice. It is also nice that they have a good lineup of appetizers so you can drink! It might be good just for casual drinking too. This time, I went with the standard aromatic yaki-ago chuka soba and added extra onion as a topping.
The interior is stylish too, somehow. Going fairly early meant I practically had the place to myself.
By the way, they even have terrace seats. Stylish… ha.
Here are the condiments on the table.
Now, after a short wait, the ramen arrived!
Ooh, it looks good! It is topped with a large low-temperature-cooked chashu, naruto (a fish cake with a pink spiral), green onion, menma, iwanori (rock nori), and onion. I really quite like the combination of ago dashi-based broth and onion. With this generous amount of onion, ordering the extra topping might well have been the right call!
Taking a sip of the broth, the rich ago dashi soup is delicious. It feels like it soaks right through the body.
I wonder if it really is a bit more premium than the main shop. A broth said to combine grilled flying fish dashi from Nagasaki Prefecture with a rich chicken and pork dashi, plus an aromatic oil made with yaki-ago, and whole-soybean soy sauce and usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce from Yagisawa Shoten in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture. The attention to detail is remarkable.
The noodles are straight noodles. Chewy and springy, they match the soup very well.
Yes, this might be ridiculously delicious.
Just for a taste, we ordered three gyoza and split them.
Cute, bite-sized gyoza featuring a delightfully chewy wrapper. This is just the right amount to eat alongside ramen! Lately, ramen plus a standard order of eight gyoza tends to leave me pretty full.
And the other person who came with me ordered the tsuke-soba.
Here the noodles are substantial dipping noodles with a satisfying chew. Smooth, firm, and appetizing!
The ago dashi dipping broth looks great too.
As a premium version of Tsukemen Tomo, it delivered a convincing, satisfying deliciousness! What is more, judging from how quiet it was, it might not be very well known yet? So right now could be your chance! The main shop usually has a line, so I think it is only a matter of time before this place gets crowded too! If you ever crave a rich ago dashi that soaks right into your body, I recommend heading straight here!
MENDOKORO TOMO Premium (Ramen / Akasaka Mitsuke Station, Akasaka Station, Nagatacho 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?
