Xīn Lái Xuān - 長井市

I stopped by Nagai for shopping and visited this restaurant for the first time in 6 or 7 years. While the station and streets have changed, this shop remains the same as it used to be. The large serving of Chuka soba for 750 yen was delicious after a long time. The noodles were homemade and had a chewy texture with a slightly different udon-like feel. This is one of the unique features of this shop. The soup had a simple soy sauce flavor with a gentle and comforting taste, not too overpowering. And let's not forget about the horse meat char siu! Although there is also pork char siu, ramen with horse meat char siu is unique to Nagai. This is perfect as a side dish with sake. Takeout is also available. It was delicious! Next time, I want to try Marukyu Chuka soba shop in Ikago, Nagai City.

I was intrigued by the Chuka Soba priced at 650 yen with a large serving for an additional 100 yen. The restaurant's exterior definitely exudes a sense of history, which made me hesitate to visit at first. Upon entering, I noticed a temperature measuring camera and hand sanitizer at the entrance, which was a bit unexpected but added to the charm. The interior was also steeped in history, giving off a vibe of stepping back in time. It was spacious with only two pairs of what seemed like regular customers during my visit on a weekday afternoon. Orders were taken directly by staff, as opposed to a ticket vending machine. The menu was extensive, with a note indicating that the noodles were homemade. I ordered the Chuka Soba, which came with straight noodles between medium and thin that were smooth and slurp-worthy. Contrary to my expectations, the soup was light, refreshing, and gentle in flavor. The dish included a mix of horse and pork Char Siu slices, both with a good texture and not overly rich in flavor. It was delicious. The restaurant also offers takeout options, and the staff were friendly and welcoming. Overall, it was a truly enjoyable dining experience.

I visited this restaurant for the first time and fell in love with the homemade noodles, so I definitely want to go back. I had the extra-large portion of horse meat chashu ramen. When it comes to horse meat ramen, it is often saltier, but this one was no exception. The sharp saltiness in a good way complemented the light soup perfectly. It's a bit salty so it might be a love-it-or-hate-it situation, but I personally am a fan of this flavor when it comes to horse meat ramen. I found out after ordering that they can also serve a regular ramen with half pork chashu and half horse meat chashu. It's a fair deal. The chewy texture and the crunchy yet tender part of the horse meat chashu provided a satisfying bite full of flavor. The homemade noodles that I was looking forward to were surprisingly impressive. They were thick like Inaniwa udon, soft, with a slightly sticky surface from the gluten. But when you eat them, they are smooth and chewy. The taste and aroma are definitely authentic Chinese noodles. I got hooked on the unique texture of the ramen. I definitely want to go back. And one last thing, the bamboo shoots (menma) were unexpectedly delicious. I now understand why many people order the menma ramen.

冷たい馬肉チャーシュー麺を頂きました。他の方が麺柔らかいとレビューされていたので、麺硬めでお願いしました。 美味しかったですが、もっと冷たいと更に美味しいと思います。

仕事で当地を訪れた際にランチ利用。冷やどんを食す。700円也。山形の内陸地で有名と言うか所謂ソウルフード的な冷やしラーメン的な物。冷やし中華ではないです。個人的に山形県南東エリアに親戚が多い事もあり、子供の頃によく食べた記憶があります。 さてこちらの冷やどん、麺は中細のモチモチした食感で冷麺的な弾力感。煮干しの効いた醤油スープながら冷たいというより常温なのでキレ感とか、味の強さは感じ無いです。具材はバサッとしてるものの味しっかりのチャーシュー、かなり多めのメンマ。メンマは味付け薄めで柔らかめ。刻んだ海苔、長ネギ、紅ショウガ。 14時近くとランチタイムを外しての訪問の為か、先客はゼロで後客1名。その方は冷やどんの大盛を頼んでいました。 そもそも個人的に冷たい麺料理を好みとしないので、これが好きか？と問われるならば、否と言う回答になるも、美味しくないか？と問われれば美味しいと答えるでしょう。独特ですが、ウン、これはこれでアリなんでしょうと。 麺もスープも具材も結構な量ですので、コスパはすこぶる良いです。が、特別、好みでは無い食べ物の場合、このコスパをある意味、いいとは言い切れず…。 取って付けたではない、生粋の街中華、今風に言うなら絵に描いたようなノスラー店。お店の雰囲気、店員さんの応対ともにすこぶる感じ良いです。 旅先でのちょっとしたタイムスリップ感と言う非日常を味わえる、と言うだけでも行く価値あり！