Chuuka Soba Manchiken (中華そば 満鶏軒) is a ramen shop that opened in April of 2018. The owner also operates a main shop, Madai Ramen Mengyo, just across the street. However this “branch” specializing in noodles with duck, has taken over. I am not a fan of noodles, but I was attracted by this establishment after reading a very good review here.
The visit
I went to the restaurant on an evening during my December 2019 trip to Tokyo.
The shop is located at the corner of an intersection, with a very visible store-front marked by a seabream.
As customary for ramen shop, the process involved buying a ticket of my chosen dish from a vending machine. The signs were only in Japanese, but I knew what to order and I recognized the right ticket through the price.
I sat at the counter and handed my ticket.
My choice was for their abura soba with duck, egg, and a sizable piece of foie gras. Abura soba is a dish in which the noodles are placed on a bed of condensed soup and oil. All the ingredients in the bowl were full of flavor dominated by the duck oils. The seared foie gras was excellent and the duck meat was even better, with big, thick, juicy slices. Spring onions and grated radish completed the dish. I would have just wanted a tiny bit more of soup on the bottom.
At the end of the meal I handed the bowl back and I left. It was not a busy evening, but I have read reports of queues, especially when the chef proposes seasonal items. It opens at 11am (closed on Mondays).
The check
This was their most expensive dish priced 1,200 yen (11 USD). On the machine the price was modified with a pencil… it used to be 1,100. But still worth every penny.
Where in Tokyo:
2 Chome-5-3 Kotobashi, Sumida City.
In Japanese: 〒130-0022 東京都墨田区江東橋２丁目５−3.