Tenkaippin, Support Lunch!!
They say that "Tenkaippin" locations are closing one after another.
I first noticed it around the end of July.
When I tried to go into the Shibuya "Ten-Ichi",
to my surprise, it had become a shop called "Gofukuken".
What!?
When I looked into it, it seems that management has become difficult due to rising labor and raw material costs,
and intensifying competition in the ramen industry.
Ten stores in the Tokyo metropolitan area closed simultaneously on June 30, 2025.
Sob...
"Tenkaippin" is a one-of-a-kind type of ramen, so
where am I supposed to satisfy this craving!?
As a Ten-Ichi fan, this is extremely painful.
However, come to think of it, I had been concerned that Ten-Ichi's prices
had gone up significantly.
When I was a college student, I could eat it for around 600 yen, but now it's 940 yen.
My friend also said they stopped going after the price hikes.
That price increase isn't just for ramen,
but for restaurants in general, so I think it's an unavoidable reality,
and in the end, rather than having them close down like this,
I'd rather they raise the prices even more if it means they can keep going.
I had business in Okachimachi, so I thought I'd stop by the Ueno Ameyoko branch while I was at it.
I'll support them by eating there so the shop can continue!
Therefore,today is a support lunch!!
I enter the shop and sit at the counter.
Since the Kotteri MAX appeared, I've only been eating the MAX, so
today I'll go with the normal Kotteri.
Since it's a support lunch, I'll go for a higher-priced set meal.
I'm torn between karaage or gyoza, and decide on gyoza.
Service Set Meal Tenkaippin @ Okachimachi
The half fried rice hasn't arrived yet, so I start eating the gyoza and Kotteri ramen.
First, the Kotteri soup I love.
Hmm, the usual thick chicken paitan.
I've been eating only the MAX lately, so it even feels a bit lighter.
Even so, Ten-Ichi's soup is often called a sauce or gravy,
so it clings to the noodles and is delicious as always.
Ever since I first ate this, I've been hooked on this addictive quality.
I also eat the winged gyoza.
Yeah, it's normal!
It feels a bit lacking in punch (maybe it's because of the Kotteri soup).
They have a set with white rice for this too.
That might be a better match.
And then, the half fried rice arrives.
The half fried rice is also a bit mild in flavor.
However, precisely because it's mild, it goes well with the Kotteri.
Also, it's quite good when mixed with pickled ginger.
There is such a thing as pickled ginger fried rice in the world,
so it's only natural that they go well together.
It's also delicious to dip the fried rice in the soup,
but when I think about it carefully, I felt like it wasn't much different
from white rice and soup.
The punch of the soup is just overwhelming.
So, in the end, I ate until I was full.
Calorie overload.
No, no, today is a support meal, so I'll forgive myself.
I used to think that even this wasn't nearly enough when I was younger.
It seems that for me now, just the ramen by itself is fine.
By the way, the service set meal is 1,580 yen.
I feel like it used to be under 1,000 yen back in the day...
After all... it has gotten quite expensive, hasn't it??
No, no, I still want them to keep going, so this isn't expensive at all!!