Jufuku, Jiyugaoka: Legendary Bean-Sprout Noodles in Thick Sauce

Salut! It's Yoko, the food blogger.

The former chef at my favorite Italian restaurant, who makes me laugh with a new joke every time I visit, gave me a tip:

"The tanmen (vegetable noodle soup) at Jufuku in Jiyugaoka is delicious!"

If it comes from someone who makes the kind of food I love, it has to be good!
So I went to find out.

Jufuku, the Chinese restaurant in Jiyugaoka with the line

It was 12:47. It was a Saturday, but lunch was almost over, so it shouldn't be that crowded...

...There's a huge line!

What a popular place.
How have I not heard of it until now, when it's this popular?

The menu is posted outside the restaurant.

After 30 minutes of waiting and agonizing over what to order, I finally got inside!

There was barley tea on the counter.
It's self-serve and all you can drink. I was thirsty, so I was glad!

Next to it sat a wooden box cup labeled with the name of Hisako Manda, and there were autographed boards here and there on the walls.
I looked it up afterward, and apparently regulars include not only Ms. Manda but also Junji Takada and Sadaharu Oh.

The ankake moyashi soba that Junji Takada showed on Jonetsu Tairiku

Just three minutes after I sat down, the ankake moyashi soba (noodles with bean sprouts in a thick sauce) arrived!
They must have taken my order a few minutes before I came in, because that was fast!

By the way, this ankake moyashi soba was featured on the TV documentary show Jonetsu Tairiku on July 5, 2015, as the dish Junji Takada always orders when he comes to Jufuku.

Steam billows up. It's piping hot!

The sauce has sliced long onion, garlic chives, carrot, bean sprouts and pork belly, and the vegetables are cooked just right.
The bean sprouts in particular have a crunchy bite, and with the sauce this hot I wondered how they hadn't gone limp.

The noodles are thick and wavy, and they pick up the soy sauce-based soup and the thick sauce just right! The pepper is nicely strong, which is perfect.

Jufuku's handmade gyoza

Jufuku's handmade gyoza are ¥530 for five pieces.

The heat must be stronger at the edge, because I found one that was browned much more than the others.

A few had torn wrappers too, so I'd love it if they could adjust the cooking a little.

The wrapper is thin and clean to bite through. I'm guessing they use a higher proportion of soft wheat flour to keep it from being too chewy.

The size is just right, and I happily ate them along with the mains.

Packed with vegetables: Jufuku's tanmen

Next the tanmen arrived! It has a salt-flavored soup.

On top of the vegetables in the ankake moyashi soba, it has cabbage and wood ear mushrooms, so I'd recommend it if you're thinking, "I want to eat healthy today..."

It's piping hot again, and the vegetables are crunchy!

It's lighter than the ankake moyashi soba, and this one is delicious too...
The staff speak up whenever they bring out food, saying things like:

Staff: "Thanks for waiting!" (crisply)
Staff: "Sorry to have kept you waiting so long!" (crisply)

The service felt so fresh and pleasant, and I loved it.

Sometimes you come across a restaurant where the manager seems to be scolding the other staff,
and watching that is not very comfortable...

A place with kind staff like this, on the other hand, makes you want to come back.

I didn't have it today, but apparently the liver in their niralever (liver and garlic chives stir-fry) is bought fresh in big chunks from a specialist supplier,
then cut and cooked only after the order comes in...

Next time I'll try niralever with fried rice.
I'd like to try the green onion ramen too.

If you come to Jiyugaoka, please give it a try!

How to get to Jufuku (Jiyugaoka / Chinese)

A long-established neighborhood Chinese restaurant that opened in 1958, the same year Tokyo Tower opened.
Famous people such as Sadaharu Oh, Junji Takada and Hisako Manda have visited.
With smiling, fresh service and a clean interior, it's a very comfortable place to be.
Popular dishes are the ankake moyashi soba, fried rice and niralever.
The interior is mostly an L-shaped counter, with a semi-private room at the back that seats six.

It's crowded at lunchtime, so be prepared to wait about 30 minutes!

Jufuku
Hanei Building 1F, 2-6-15 Midorigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-0034
11:00-14:00, 17:00-21:00
Closed Sundays