A note on the words: tantanmen is a spiced noodle dish rooted in Sichuan dan dan noodles, served here in both soupless and broth styles with varying heat levels. Huajiao is tongue-numbing Sichuan pepper scattered across the noodles, rayu is chili oil pooled at the bottom of the bowl, and zhacai is pickled mustard stem adding savory crunch. Cilantro is offered as an optional topping, and onsen tamago is a soft slow-poached egg that mellows the fierce heat when broken in. Mabo men is ramen topped with spicy mapo tofu.
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Gokujou Tantanmen Kouya Minatomirai Tokyu Square ten on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. Now then, heading back to Minato Mirai again; this time my errands wrapped up before lunchtime, and having eaten over at Queen’s Square the other day, I shifted over to the restaurant floor in Tokyu Square. There were plenty of places to eat, leaving me spoiled for choice. Steering clear of chains I already knew, this time I decided to try a specialty tantanmen shop called “Gokujou Tantanmen Kouya” — a tantanmen specialty shop?!
It was slightly off peak lunchtime so I was lucky enough to walk right in without waiting; it was not very crowded.
Oni tantanmen — 1,000 yen
Aooni tantanmen — 1,000 yen
Mala soupless tantanmen — 1,000 yen
Nisshiki soupless tantanmen — 1,000 yen
Hime tantanmen — 1,000 yen
Fierce-sounding names like Oni (demon) and Aooni (blue demon) line the menu, ha.
Outside it was still full-blown summer and way too hot, so worrying that the soup kind might leave me drenched in sweat, I opted for the Mala soupless tantanmen. Following the recommendations right there on the menu, I also added extra cilantro and an onsen tamago! They really know how to lay out a menu.
Boom! The soupless tantanmen.
A generous dusting of huajiao (Sichuan pepper) sits on top, looking mouthwatering. The toppings are scallions, peanuts, chili peppers, huajiao, and zhacai.
Giving it a vigorous, thorough mix, the red rayu (chili oil) pooled underneath blends right in, making it look even spicier.
First, a bite without adding the cilantro or the egg.
Oof, spicy! But within that fiery heat there is savory depth, and I think it might well be delicious. It is very spicy and packs real punch.
Adding the cilantro and egg after that softens the spice a touch.
It makes it easier to eat, so anyone not fond of heat might do well to add them? Or rather, if you cannot handle spice, adding them may only be a stopgap, so perhaps you ought to simply choose the Hime tantanmen instead ^^
So while it was a spot I just wandered into on a whim, I was glad to have had a properly spicy bowl of tantanmen for the first time in a while. Looking into it afterwards, it seems Kouya has quite a few locations around, and if I spot one again I would gladly drop in! Maybe mabo men next time.
Gokujou Tantanmen Kouya Minatomirai Tokyu Square ten (Tantanmen / Minatomirai Station, Bashamichi Station, Sakuragicho Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.3
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
