（４５９） Ｒａｍｅｎ ｔｏｐｐｅｄ ｗｉｔｈ Ｍｏｎｔ Ｂｌａｎｃ Ｃａｋｅ
文字数 3,276文字
According to the household budget survey released by the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on February 6, 2024, in terms of per-household spending on Chinese noodles in prefectural capital cities, in 2023, Yamagata City ranked first in Japan, followed by Niigata City in second place, and Sendai City in third. Additionally, Mito City in Ibaraki Prefecture is ranked 13th.
Tsukuba City, where I live, is not the prefectural capital city, so it is not included in the ranking, but it is a competitive area for ramen shops.
Teppen (天辺) Dash Company, which opened “Ramen＆Tsukemen Ryujinmen'' in Sakuragawa City (桜川市), Ibaraki Prefecture, has opened its second shop “Tsukemen＆Ramen Katsuryu (活龍)'' in Chikuho (筑穂), Tsukuba City.
Katsuryu is a popular ramen shop chain that has won first place at the Tokyo Ramen Show twice in the past. Besides the main shop in Chikuho, they directly manage shops on Ibadaimae, Mito Yonezawa, Rest Stop (道の駅)Kasama, Kokakudo, and Makabeya. They also have 13 shops separated by "norenwake (暖簾分け)". People say they are "the most eaten tsukemen restaurant in Ibaraki.''
★"Norenwake" is a concept in Japan that refers to a servant opening a shop with permission from his master's shop. It got its name because it allowed the use of curtains with the same or similar name as the owner's shop, and it was popular during the Edo period.
Well, the selling points of the Rest Stop Kasama are “chestnuts” and “Mont Blanc cake”.
In chapter 295, I introduced the Mont Blanc cake at Kasama Rest Stop.
At the Katsuryu ramen shop there, they sell the original menu, "Kasama Chestnut and Sesame Tantan Noodles."
Looking at the comments of those who ate it, one wrote, "It looks like normal tantan noodles, but when I slurp the soup, I can smell the faint taste of chestnuts.''
Recently, Katsuryu has upgraded its original menu by increasing the amount of chestnuts used, and has started selling "Pure Mont Blanc Luxury Tantan Noodles(純モンブラン贅沢タンタン麺)''. It uses 120g (7 chestnuts) of Kasama chestnuts. So, we went to try the noodle.
Kitayama Park, near the Rest Stop Kasama, has Shin Pond(新池) and Swan Lake(白鳥湖).
Shin Pond is a pond where skunk cabbage grows, which I introduced in chapter 293.
The website says about Swan Lake, "It is a scenic spot that has been selected as one of Ibaraki Prefecture's top 100 sightseeing spots, and it offers beautiful scenery throughout the four seasons, including fresh greenery and autumn leaves. There is a promenade about 2 km long around the lake." So, we went to see some swans at Swan Lake, too.
To our disappointment, a woman we met there said that there used to be swans at Shin Pond and Swan Lake, but recently there were no swans. So we went to “Futatsuike” nearby, but unfortunately there were no swans there, either.
① This is "Pure Mont Blanc Cake Luxurious Tantan Noodles". The Mont Blanc cake looks like noodles.
② I'm tasting "Pure Mont Blanc Cake Luxury Tantan Noodles".
③ This is Swan Lake. There are no swans here.
④ I'm looking for swans.
⑤ I came to "Futatsuike'', but there are no swans, either.
⑥ Some ducks are flying.
Tsukuba City, where I live, is not the prefectural capital city, so it is not included in the ranking, but it is a competitive area for ramen shops.
Teppen (天辺) Dash Company, which opened “Ramen＆Tsukemen Ryujinmen'' in Sakuragawa City (桜川市), Ibaraki Prefecture, has opened its second shop “Tsukemen＆Ramen Katsuryu (活龍)'' in Chikuho (筑穂), Tsukuba City.
Katsuryu is a popular ramen shop chain that has won first place at the Tokyo Ramen Show twice in the past. Besides the main shop in Chikuho, they directly manage shops on Ibadaimae, Mito Yonezawa, Rest Stop (道の駅)Kasama, Kokakudo, and Makabeya. They also have 13 shops separated by "norenwake (暖簾分け)". People say they are "the most eaten tsukemen restaurant in Ibaraki.''
★"Norenwake" is a concept in Japan that refers to a servant opening a shop with permission from his master's shop. It got its name because it allowed the use of curtains with the same or similar name as the owner's shop, and it was popular during the Edo period.
Well, the selling points of the Rest Stop Kasama are “chestnuts” and “Mont Blanc cake”.
In chapter 295, I introduced the Mont Blanc cake at Kasama Rest Stop.
At the Katsuryu ramen shop there, they sell the original menu, "Kasama Chestnut and Sesame Tantan Noodles."
Looking at the comments of those who ate it, one wrote, "It looks like normal tantan noodles, but when I slurp the soup, I can smell the faint taste of chestnuts.''
Recently, Katsuryu has upgraded its original menu by increasing the amount of chestnuts used, and has started selling "Pure Mont Blanc Luxury Tantan Noodles(純モンブラン贅沢タンタン麺)''. It uses 120g (7 chestnuts) of Kasama chestnuts. So, we went to try the noodle.
Kitayama Park, near the Rest Stop Kasama, has Shin Pond(新池) and Swan Lake(白鳥湖).
Shin Pond is a pond where skunk cabbage grows, which I introduced in chapter 293.
The website says about Swan Lake, "It is a scenic spot that has been selected as one of Ibaraki Prefecture's top 100 sightseeing spots, and it offers beautiful scenery throughout the four seasons, including fresh greenery and autumn leaves. There is a promenade about 2 km long around the lake." So, we went to see some swans at Swan Lake, too.
To our disappointment, a woman we met there said that there used to be swans at Shin Pond and Swan Lake, but recently there were no swans. So we went to “Futatsuike” nearby, but unfortunately there were no swans there, either.
① This is "Pure Mont Blanc Cake Luxurious Tantan Noodles". The Mont Blanc cake looks like noodles.
② I'm tasting "Pure Mont Blanc Cake Luxury Tantan Noodles".
③ This is Swan Lake. There are no swans here.
④ I'm looking for swans.
⑤ I came to "Futatsuike'', but there are no swans, either.
⑥ Some ducks are flying.
