Thursday, October 11, 2018

らあめん満家 (Mitsuruya in Okubo)

らあめん満家


Here's one that you, the foreigner visiting this page, may not be so into. But for your local Japanese guy or gal, it might be their new favorite.


I'm not talking about the regular, shoyu ramen. Mitsuruya's shoyu ramen is classic.


What I'm referring to is the frothy mixture behind the counter.


What looks like scrambled eggs is actually natto, the slimy, viscous result of fermented soy beans. It's a staple of Japanese cuisine, and completely strange to those who have never had it.



Like I said, the standard shoyu is classic.


And here is the natto version.


It's a tsukemen, so dip the noodles into the slimy, slightly stinky, very frothy soup. Some people (myself included) think that natto has a texture like snail slime. Some people can't stand the taste, which is a little like dirty socks. Other people just love every aspect of it.


It is very healthy stuff. Enjoy.