One of my favorite ramen spots in the metro, Mitsuyado Sei-Men in Venice Piazza Mall reminds me so much of a memory I have of Tsukemen in Tsurimi, in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture.
To have a bowl of amazing goodness in this quiant ramen place in Tsurimi, you would need to fall in line, then pay using the vendo machine, which was entirely in Japanese. My cousin took this opportunity and ordered @greymonolith and I the 2nd largest servings while reminding us to make sure we eat everything so as not to offend the chef (who was formerly a professional sumo wrestler). If you haven't been to these ramen places, let me tell you, people eat really fast since there is a line of people waiting to buy their ramen, literally watching you eat. After a few small groups had already gone and my companions also left because they were done eating, I gave up on my large bowl of tsukemen.
When I left my seat and my bowl of tsukemen, I saw the two giggling outside telling me about the little prank and how they knew it was impossible for me to finish such a large serving. We still laugh about it to this day.
The ambiance and decor of Mitsuyado Sei-men is similar to that small ramen place and their tsukemen is also a bit similar too.
I have tried their food a few times but mostly ordering Tsukemen each time I visit. Recently my friend, Rica took us there for a despedida dinner. One time @greymonolith and I also ate there on a double date with @precise and @dreamiely.
My favorite in their menu is the Tan Tan Tsukemen which is spicy and best with a side of Aji-tama or boiled egg and Charsui or pork slices. You can have the soba cold or hot, opt for cold to maximkze the flavors of the broth or opt for hot to make sure your broth does not get cold too fast.
We have also tried their tempura and it was a nice addition to the usual bowl of ramen. You can also try their Set Menu options which combines the rice dishes with a bowl of ramen and a potato salad side dish.
A friend tried the cheese curry tsukemen and she loved the flavor of the cheese with the broth. Almost like pasta but with a little more than the usual. @greymonolith also tried the Karashi ramen which is mildly spicy but better when it comes to flavors of the broth when compared to nearby ramen restaurants.
Mitsuyado Sei-men, in my opinion, brings us tsukemen that hits close to home (Tsukemen home that is) when it comes to texture and broth. It's where I will keep having my Tsukemen fix until the time I go back to that ramen place in Tsurimi and finish their second largest ramen...
