Menkichi めん吉 柏駅店

Great tonkotsu broth, generous portions

Menkichi is a regional chain ramen shop with four locations in Kashiwa and Matsudo cities. To satisfy my craving for tsukemen, I dropped by the location on Asahi Dori, the west side of Kashiwa Station. I ordered the miso tonkotsu tsukemen from the talking ticket vending machine. The machine is cash only. The chef asked me about my preferences. You can ask for omori, extra noodles, hard or soft, or for the chef to go heavier or lighter on the seasoning and tonkotsu broth. I only asked for katame, firm noodles. The bowl is beautifully presented, and the broth sticks to your ribs. Menkichi's recipe delivers great umami without being too heavy or overly fatty. I'm glad I didn't order omori as the regular portion was plenty. The shop opens at 11 a.m. and closes just before midnight.