A note on the words: chuka soba (“Chinese noodles”) is a classic Japanese name for ramen. Niboshi are dried baby sardines used for broth; here they meet squid innards, and the kaeshi (seasoning base) is said to use ishiru, a fish sauce made from squid. Kaedama is an extra serving of noodles; this shop’s version comes dressed with soy kaeshi, niboshi oil and toppings so you can eat it first as aemen (soupless dressed noodles), then drop it into the soup. Sansho oil is oil scented with Japanese sansho pepper, and kaiware are daikon radish sprouts.
Menya Nemuru on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
To all you ramen lovers out there, thank you for waiting! It is time for Hangover Meshi (meshi = meal)!
A 2-minute walk from Hongo-sanchome Station. I visited “Menya Nemuru,” founded in 2015! This area is quite a fiercely competitive battleground packed with ramen shops, isn’t it! It is a niboshi (dried sardine) chuka soba shop that offers both rich (noko) and light (tanrei) styles. Because they stay open straight through until 23:00, it is an easy place to use for a shime (closing) bowl or as a spot to drink!
Behind my huge interest in this shop was the motto they put forward: “Pursuing the deliciousness of chuka soba, and heartwarming service”! True to those words, explanatory cards line both the ticket machine and the counter, and even the table condiments — soy-sauce kaeshi, grain vinegar, and house-made sansho (Japanese pepper) oil — each have an explanation card attached.
What a wonderful shop!
Let’s see what it was really like ^^.
I arrived at the shop a little after 8:00 p.m., I think. At this hour, I was able to get in without waiting in line.
Now, let’s head straight inside.
The strongest drink of all is beer, right!
The ramen arrived, and with so many toppings you cannot see the noodles at all (lol).
Rare chashu ringing the bowl’s rim and big nori sheets standing up! Huge impact. When you bring your face close, a whiff of the sea rises, mingling with the toasty aroma of niboshi. Squid innards (wata), I guess.
Taking a first sip…
So delicious…!
The soup is thick and silky; the soup spoon (renge) feels a little heavy. When you take it into your mouth, what hits you first is the umami of niboshi and a slight bitterness. Right on its heels, the briny richness of squid innards spreads, two strong personalities colliding in the middle. Yet there is no fishy smell at all. It is rich, yet you can just keep on drinking it. Apparently, the kaeshi also uses squid ishiru (fish sauce)!
The noodles are medium-thin straight noodles from Kanno Seimenjo. Cooked firm, the edges snap when you bite down. Being low-hydration, they pull the soup right up with them. The black-pepper rare chashu is moist, and the chopped onion is crisp. On top of that, the slight bitterness of kaiware (radish sprouts) comes in to reset the richness. These radish sprouts are quietly effective!
Having finished the noodles, I decided to ask for a kaedama (extra noodles) ^^;
I feel like I might hear someone saying, “And you call yourself a light eater!” but I really wanted to have it (lol).
Ordering the kaedama whenever the timing feels right on your side makes it smooth! It comes on a flat plate: one ball of thin noodles, niboshi powder on top, and diced chashu and chopped onion on the side. At the bottom of the plate, soy kaeshi and niboshi oil are pooled together.
As instructed, instead of dropping it into the soup, I mix it thoroughly and eat it as is! The gritty, toasty niboshi powder and the saltiness of the kaeshi hit hard. The flavor is already quite strong. The fat of the diced chashu and the sweetness of the onion blend in, making it completely an aemen (dressed noodles). Is this kind of thing trending lately, I wonder?
After eating it halfway down, since I had the chance, into the soup it went.
With the noodles coated in kaeshi and niboshi oil entering the soup, it feels like the soup’s saltiness and niboshi flavor are lifted another level. The onion and chashu sink in too, and the bowl gets lively all over again.
Since the condiments were laid out, I decided to try various things at the very end. A single drop of table grain vinegar quickly lightens the heaviness of the thick soup, and only the outline of the niboshi stands out. Finishing by dropping in some Japanese sansho oil adds a tingly freshness to the aroma of the sea. The sansho oil is pretty good.
Ah, I ate too much, but I am satisfied!!! Delicious!
Well, the ramen is delicious, of course, but I really felt firsthand: they truly put their motto of “Pursuing the deliciousness of chuka soba, and heartwarming service” into practice! The staff treat you very politely, the greetings are proper, and the good aftertaste lasts even after leaving the shop! Some ramen shops can be scary, after all (lol). This shop, where you can eat delicious ramen with peace of mind, is highly recommended!!!
May you meet something delicious today too!
Menya Nemuru: Menu and Prices
Chuka Soba (5 Styles)
Three rich styles and two light styles. For each, you can choose with egg, chashu, extra nori, or the loaded special.
A rich style where the seaside depth of squid innards and niboshi live together. It was once discontinued, and revived over roughly a year.
They say the name comes from “using niboshi like crazy.” There is little harshness, and umami comes to the fore.
A light style with the scent of truffle.
Another bowl with the scent of truffle.
The price increase for extra toppings is the same across all five styles: soft-boiled egg +170 yen / 5 nori sheets +170 yen / chashu +350 yen / gutakusan tokusei (loaded special) +690 yen. For the squid-niboshi loaded special, it comes to 1,850 yen.
One More Move for the Shime
All of these are additional items only for customers who order ramen. They cannot be purchased alone.
One portion of noodles with diced chashu, chopped onion, niboshi oil, soy kaeshi, and niboshi powder. First as an aemen, and about halfway through, into the soup.
White rice with arare rice crackers, shredded nori, and grated wasabi. Drop it into the leftover soup to enjoy ochazuke-style.
Sweet-and-savory simmered asari clams with egg. They say it was originally a staff meal for employees that was made into an official item.
Other Noodles
In addition, there is a “Limited” slot, and the contents change daily.
Toppings
It is nice to see this lined up on the ticket machine at a ramen shop.
Drinks
* From the ticket machine at the time of my visit in September 2026. Prices include tax, and items are subject to change. Payment is cash only (there is a change machine next to the ticket machine). Please check at the storefront for the latest information.
Menya Nemuru (Ramen / Hongo-sanchome Station, Kasuga Station, Suidobashi Station)
Tabelog dinner rating ★★★★☆ 4.0
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
