How to enjoy Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto | Recommended arrangement of comedian Komiya from Sanshiro

Sanshiro’s Komiya first encounter with Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto

“My earliest memory of Nakamoto is that I never wanted to come back (laughs). I am not a fan of spicy food to begin with, but I thought I could handle it if it was a standard menu item, so I had the mouko tanmen (spicy noodles) on my first visit. It was so spicy that I could only finish half of it. To cover up the spiciness, I ordered a bowl of mabo tofu don (spicy tofu on rice) to go with it, but even that was too spicy. However, strangely enough, I found myself craving that spiciness a little while after I got home, and as I went back two or three times, I became more and more hooked on the place. Now I feel that other spicy ramen restaurants are not enough for me (laughs).”

Sanshiro’s Komiya has been a fan of Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto for more than 10 years. He has tried almost all of the standard menu items and visits the restaurant three times a week, even when he is busy.
“Whenever I come to Nakamoto, I decide what to eat based on how I feel physically that day and what I plan to do at work. It’s like a sauna where I can gauge my condition.”

Choose your ramen from the ticket machine located near the entrance. When doing so, do not forget to purchase tickets for any toppings you would like to add and beverages you would like to drink. There are paper aprons, toothpicks, and hair bands near the ticket vending machine, so take what you need to your seat. Ramen tends to splatter, so we recommend using a paper apron to avoid messing up your clothes.

Hokkyoku ramen and Komiya’s favorite toppings

“When I am feeling my best, I order the hokkyoku ramen. Nakamoto ranks spiciness level of each item on the menu 1 to 10 and this ramen is level 9. But the piping hot soup makes it spicier, so it is actually a 10.”
The regular hokkyoku ramen is a favorite among super-spicy lovers. Komiya likes to add toppings such as cheese, butter, spinach, and crushed garlic.
“This crushed garlic is one of the most popular toppings. It packs a punch, so I have to adjust the amount so that the smell doesn’t bother anyone because we are recording (laughs).”

“First, scatter all the toppings on top of the noodles. Dip the butter into the broth so it melts, and spread the cheese all over. It’s ready! That’s spicy (laughs). I always think it’s spicy, but it’s addictive. The butter and cheese help ease the spiciness.”

Adding rice to the soup

“When you are done with the noodles, fixings, and everything else, add rice. This is perfect for when you have a hangover because it sinks gently into your stomach (laughs). The butter and cheese mellow the soup nicely, making it easy going down. This time, I ordered a half bowl of rice but even the half order is astonishingly large so be careful when ordering!”

“I really like Nakamoto’s ramen, so I’m more excited now than with other food report locations (laughs).”

Hiyashi shoyu tanmen (chilled soy sauce tanmen noodles) and small portion soup (hiyashi miso (chilled miso soup))

“I would like Nakamoto beginners to try this hiyashi shoyu tanmen and small portion soup (hiyashi miso). Nakamoto is famous for its spicy ramen, but the quality of its non-spicy ramen alone is so high that it could open its own separate restaurant. The hiyashi shoyu tanmen is dipped in the hiyashi miso small portion soup, which is hotter than the hokkyoku ramen. Grunge’s Takuya Gomei, a comedian who is also a fan of Nakamoto’s ramen, gave me tips on how to enjoy this dish.”

“The noodles are dipped alternately in hiyashi shoyu and hiyashi miso soup. This way, you can experiment with the spiciness at your own pace and enjoy two different tastes at once. When dipping the noodles into the soup, I recommend dipping them completely into the soup so that they mix well. The veggies are so crispy and tasty!”

“Cough, cough, cough! It’s not that it’s spicy. It’s just that I get choked up when I take in too much at once (laughs). This is the true Nakamoto experience.”

Mouko tanmen half order and mouko donburi (spicy mouko fixings on rice) half order combo meal

“On days when I am not feeling well, I order the standard combo of mouko tanmen half order and mouko donburi half order. Usually, after eating the mouko tanmen, I add the remaining soup to the mouko donburi, and if I think I might be able to take it a little further, I add some small portion soup (hiyashi miso) and add a little more spiciness. I sometimes have stomach problems so on days when I have to record, I try to balance the spiciness of the bowl.”

“Also, I always drink milk before eating spicy food like when going to Nakamoto. It puts a film on my stomach to prevent it from getting irritated. But sometimes I end up with a stomach ache after drinking the milk which ruins the whole thing (laughs). My stomach is particularly weak. This is how far I’m willing to go to eat Nakamoto. If you have never been to Nakamoto, I hope you will get hooked on the taste using the eating methods I have described. Be a person who gets hooked!”

【Navigator】Komiya Hironobu（小宮浩信）

Komiya is comedian belonging to Maseki Geinosha. He and his partner Shuji Aida formed the duo Sanshiro in 2005, and he plays the tsukkomi (straight man). He has natural comedic abilities and has appeared in many variety shows.

* The published information is current as of February 2023. Prices and other details are subject to change.

【Advised by】Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto（蒙古タンメン中本）

Opened in 2000 by Makoto Shirane, the president of Nakamoto, this chain of restaurants established spicy and tasty ramen in Japan. Currently, there are locations mainly in the Kanto region, and the cup noodles that reproduce the taste of Nakamoto have many fans throughout Japan. Photography is courtesy of Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto’s Kami Itabashi Main Location.

text: MUTO Miki

photo: MAEDA Ryu

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• Ramen

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