Sweating in the food court with Konosu 'Jinenjo's' Mala Tsukemen

A name I noticed at the food court that had caught my interest

I spotted a sign with a name I had been curious about for a while at the food court.

Jinenjo.

I had heard it was part of the Rokurinsha chain and had wanted to try it sometime. A 'Konosu' lantern was hanging above the sign.

Drawn in by 'The spiciness and numbing sensation are addictive!'

Looking at the menu, they have a full range of options: tsukemen, chuka soba, and hiyakake.

Among them, the POP for 'Mala Tsukemen' caught my eye. It was a limited-time offer. The phrase 'The spiciness and numbing sensation are addictive!' stood out. Usually, I would start with the standard tsukemen, but that day, I decided on the mala.

Red soup and thick noodles

On the tray were two bowls with blue patterns.

The soup looked visibly red. Minced meat and green onions floated on the surface, and a layer of oil hinted at the heat to come. The noodle bowl was piled high with thick noodles, lightly dusted with chili powder.

The dashi for diluting the soup is provided in a self-serve pot, and you pour it into a paper cup yourself. I thought this was a clever touch unique to a food court.

Come to think of it, bottles of ichimi and shichimi chili pepper were lined up at the pickup counter. It was like having the tabletop condiments of a dedicated tsukemen shop brought right to the food court.

Much spicier than I imagined

I dipped the noodles into the soup and took a bite.

The numbing sensation of Sichuan pepper and the heat of the chili peppers hit almost simultaneously. It was much spicier than I had imagined, and as I continued eating, sweat began to bead on my forehead.

It wasn't just the heat that stood out; the umami of the seafood and pork bone base remained. It was a strange sensation where I couldn't stop using my chopsticks even though it was spicy. It was also interesting how the nuances of the flavor changed every time I scooped up the minced meat from the bottom.

Perhaps due to the nature of it being a food court location, the impression might be different if I ate at the main shop. However, the thick noodles held up well against the spiciness of the soup, and I don't think this combination was bad at all.

Diluting the soup with a paper cup

After finishing the noodles, I poured the dashi from the paper cup into the remaining soup.

At most tsukemen shops, it's standard to ask for soup stock (soup-wari) over the counter, but here, the style was to pour it yourself from a pot into a paper cup. It's a rational approach typical of a food court, and I like how easy it is to adjust the strength at my own pace.

Adding the dashi broth rounded off the sharp edges of the spice just a little, making the outline of the seafood flavor behind it easier to discern. It was still spicy, but it reached a temperature where I could drink it as a soup.

Jinenjo is a brand under Matsufuji Foods, the same company behind Rokurinsha and Sharin, and its main store is a street-level shop in Konosu City. I've liked the Rokurinsha group for a while and knew the name, but this was my first time eating it in a food court.

I chose the limited-time Mala flavor this time, but I'm also curious about the cold-kake (chilled broth) on the menu. I think I'll come back again on a hot day.

Store Information

• Store Name: Jinenjo Food Court Branch

• Genre: Tsukemen / Chinese Soba

• Operator: Matsufuji Foods Co., Ltd. (Same group as Rokurinsha, Sharin, etc.)

• Ordered: Mala Tsukemen (Regular) 1,040 yen (tax included)

• Official Website: https://tsukemen-jinenjo.com/

• Notes: Mala Tsukemen is a limited-time menu item. The main store is in Konosu City, Saitama Prefecture.

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