Original Mazesoba at Menya Kokoro ($12)!
Menya Kokoro (麺屋こころ) Original Mazesoba — thick noodles topped with savoury minced pork, raw egg yolk, garlic chives, scallions, nori and dried fish powder. $12.
Tried Menya Kokoro (麺屋こころ) — the original mazesoba specialist from Tokyo. Went for their signature bowl, $12. 😋
What was on the bowl ($12):
- A bed of thick chewy egg noodles at the base, hidden under a pile of toppings.
- Centre piece: a raw egg yolk dotted with cracked black pepper sitting on top of a generous pile of savoury minced pork seasoned with their signature dark sauce.
- Surrounding the centre: chopped garlic chives (green), shredded white scallion (negi) with chopped garlic, chopped nori seaweed and a small mound of roasted dried fish powder (katsuobushi-niboshi) for the umami.
- A small dish of pickled ginger on the side.
Mix everything together vigorously — that’s the maze (混ぜ = mix) part of mazesoba. The yolk + minced pork + dried fish powder + noodles combined into a thick savoury coating that clung to each strand. Save some plain rice for the bottom (oimeshi 追い飯) to soak up the remaining sauce.
Total: $12. Restaurant pricing for the proper mazesoba experience.
Overall: 4.4 / 5. Mazesoba is all about the mix — and Menya Kokoro nails the umami balance. Noodles were properly thick and chewy. The dried fish powder was the secret weapon. Will be back. 😍👍🏼
