Tokyo Tanmen Tonari (東京タンメン トナリ) specializes in delicious and affordable tanmen. Tanmen is essentially a vegetable ramen. Tonari believes their tanmen helps everyone get the recommended daily vegetable intake of 350 grams.
Tanmen – Vegetable Ramen?
Tonari uses salt seasoning that’s combined with chicken and pork bone stock. For this reason, tanmen is somewhat similar in taste to salt (shio) ramen.
While tanmen is not completely vegetarian, it is less meaty with the lighter broth and mountain of vegetables. These vegetables are the star of the show, especially at Tonari.
Tonari’s Take on Tanmen
Like most tanmen, Tonari’s vegetables have a singed taste, thanks to being stir-fried. The crunchy vegetables stand out (namely cabbage and bean sprouts) most. There are also micro bits of chewy squid tentacles (geso) but they don’t take over the flavors. The ginger on the side also adds a welcome sweetness.
While still close to shio ramen, the broth at Tonari is slightly creamier. This is likely from more intense boiling of the chicken and pork bones.
Affordable and Several Branches in Tokyo
Tonari’s flagship branch is in Kiba. But their most popular branch is near Tokyo station.
Tokyo Station Branch
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Kiba Branch
The pricing at Tonari is as follows:
Tanmen: ¥730
Tanmen with gyoza: ¥880
Tanmen with fried chicken: ¥880
Tanmen with gyoza and fried chicken: ¥890
Miso Tanmen: ¥850
Super Spicy Tanmen: ¥850
Tanmen – Tsukemen Style: ¥850
Their gyoza are wonderful. The wraps are fried just right, with a proper ratio of meat and veggies on the inside.
In summary, for a vegetable heavy tanmen that packs a punch, try Tonari!
Tokyo Station Branch:
Kiba Branch: