A note on the words: dandan noodles (tantanmen) are a Sichuan-origin noodle dish served here in a spiced broth, topped with spiced minced pork, bean sprouts and green beans. Hoiko-ro (twice-cooked pork) is a classic Chinese dish of simmered then stir-fried sliced pork belly with cabbage and sweet-savory miso, which the author originally came hoping to order. Chintan refers to a clear Chinese soup stock. Mapo noodles are ramen topped with spicy mapo tofu, while gomoku indicates a dish with a colorful mix of assorted ingredients.
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Akasaka Hanten Palace Side Building on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. Akasaka Hanten… Yes, that wonderful restaurant where you could get terribly delicious hoiko-ro, twice-cooked pork, in Akasaka. Sadly, it closed down. I had given up thinking I would never get to eat that again, but then I realized: while the main shop is gone, isn’t there still a branch over in Takebashi?! As soon as that dawned on me, I decided to go right away. The place is in the basement of the Palace Side Building, right by Takebashi Station.
*Note added September 2026: The location that closed was the Akasaka main shop (August 28, 2020), and this Palace Side Building shop in Takebashi is open for business. Hours are Monday to Friday 11:00–22:00, Saturday 11:00–20:00, closed Sundays and public holidays. Please check in-store or official sources for the latest business hours.
Oh! It really is here!
That red lettering on a white background brings back memories.
Looking good. There was a smaller version of this outside the Akasaka shop too.
Stepping inside, the tables and chairs are the same ones from the old Akasaka shop.
Dandan noodles — 1,200 yen
Mapo noodles — 1,100 yen
Akasaka ramen — 1,000 yen
Pork and bell pepper yakisoba — 1,100 yen
Gomoku fried rice — 1,000 yen
Gomoku ankake yakisoba — 1,100 yen
Oh no, there is no hoiko-ro on the lunch menu!
Well then, I thought dandan noodles would be fine, and just as I was about to order, there was a staff member I used to see all the time at the Akasaka shop!
We chatted a little, and they told me, “We have hoiko-ro in the evening!” along with confirming that they were indeed at the Akasaka shop (it was not just my imagination). Wow, now I pretty much have to come back at night, don’t I.
Now, since dandan noodles are the house specialty here, that is what I ordered, but the rate at which people were ordering dandan noodles was incredible.
To the point where it felt like almost everyone was having them, ha. Even a group of seven or eight office workers sitting at a round table had all ordered dandan noodles.
Well now, that certainly raises expectations a bit.
Here come the dandan noodles!
The bowl is filled right to the brim with soup, ha.
The toppings are bean sprouts, green beans and spiced minced-pork miso — fairly orthodox ingredients.
Taking a sip of the soup: yes, delicious.
The soup is good. I wonder if it is the chintan, the clear stock, that makes it so nice? Clear and yet deeply flavored.
And it has quite a sharp, spicy kick. The saltiness is not too strong, making it an elegant soup that goes down very easily.
Yet that distinct, sharp spice gives it real punch.
The noodles are thicker than usual for dandan noodles.
They are boiled a bit on the soft side, so personally I would have preferred them slightly firmer.
Still, because the soup is so good, it holds its own against these thick noodles.
By the way, here is the maitake mushroom and pork stir-fry.
Actually, this one had an elegant flavor that captured the feel of the old Akasaka Hanten even better. I had a bite, and it was terribly delicious!
And so, the much-talked-about dandan noodles were certainly delicious. If you could get the noodles cooked firm, it would probably be the absolute best.
Though at lunchtime it is packed, so that might be tough. For fans of the old Akasaka Hanten, coming here and ordering one of the set meals might actually be the better recommendation.
In any case, just finding out that hoiko-ro is available in the evening was worth the trip on its own. I definitely want to come back!
Akasaka Hanten Palace Side Building (Chinese / Takebashi Station, Jimbocho Station, Kudanshita Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.4
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
