Breakfast Exploration | Rokurinsha's Morning Tsukemen: 'Rich, Yet Light' Was True

The first 'unusual breakfast' I ever had

Since I started my breakfast exploration on note, I've occasionally found myself thinking. What was the first slightly unusual breakfast I ever ate?

What came to mind was the morning tsukemen at Rokurinsha. I encountered it over 10 years ago when my workplace was near Tokyo Station. I was surprised at first that you could eat tsukemen in the morning, and after that, I stopped by several times on mornings when I wanted to start my day off right. It's not quite grand enough to call it my roots, but one of the starting points for my breakfast exploration probably lies back then.

So, I decided to go back after a long time. Since it was a day I had to go into the office, I decided to walk from Tokyo Station to Kanda instead of my usual Ueno route. It was a day of extreme heat, so I was grateful for the shorter distance.

'Rich, yet light'

An A-frame sign for morning tsukemen was out in front of the Rokurinsha shop. 'Rich, yet light morning tsukemen.' It also says, 'A Tokyo morning staple.' It's a limited service from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM.

At 8:33 AM, I stepped through the noren curtain.

Standing in front of the ticket machine, I noticed that the menu had grown. I remember that over 10 years ago, there was only one item: the morning tsukemen. Now there are four types: morning tsukemen, seasoned egg morning tsukemen, morning raw shichimi tsukemen, and special morning tsukemen.

I chose the special morning tsukemen (regular size, 1,090 yen). I sometimes felt a bit unsatisfied with the standard morning tsukemen back then. I had the impression that both the richness of the soup and the toppings were toned down for the morning. Since I had come all this way after such a long time, I wanted to eat something with substantial toppings.

When I took my seat and handed over my ticket, I was asked if I needed a paper apron. Since it was morning before work, I gratefully accepted.

Special morning tsukemen served in 2 minutes

I barely waited after taking my seat. It felt like 2 minutes. In the time before heading to work, this speed is appreciated.

The extra-thick noodles were served on a black plate, with a seasoned egg on the side. The bowl with the blue pattern contained the dipping sauce, with chashu pork, shredded pork, nori seaweed, narutomaki fish cake, bamboo shoots, and green onions floating in it.

Rokurinsha's noodles were just as I remembered. They were glossy, extra-thick noodles with a solid weight when lifted with chopsticks. The nostalgic feeling of, 'Am I really eating this in the morning?' came back to me.

The inside of the soup was lively

I scooped up some dipping sauce with a ladle. It was a brownish soup with a blend of seafood and pork bone broth. When I put it in my mouth, the aroma of the seafood really stood out. However, the aftertaste was clean and not heavy on my morning stomach.

The words on the sign, 'Rich, yet light,' made perfect sense to me. It felt a bit different from the impression I had over 10 years ago that 'maybe it's toned down because it's morning.' My memory is hazy, so I can't say for sure, but perhaps the way the dipping sauce is finished has changed.

Thanks to choosing the special version, the toppings were also lively. With the addition of chashu, shredded pork, and a seasoned egg, the satisfaction as a breakfast was quite different. For someone like me who only knew the simple morning tsukemen of that time, it was a rather pleasant change.

There was a family who seemed to be tourists from overseas, and they were eating the morning tsukemen just like me. It's a bit fun to think that people from both Japan and abroad choose Ramen Street for breakfast at Tokyo Station.

On a sweltering morning, from Tokyo Station to Kanda

After finishing my meal, I walked from Tokyo Station toward my office in Kanda. The heat was relentless once I stepped outside, but on days when I've had a solid breakfast, my mindset feels a little different.

Rokurinsha is part of the same Matsufuji Foods group as Jinenjo, which I ate at the other day. I was curious about the connection between the chains when I ate there, but this time, it felt like I had returned to the beginning. Over the past decade or more, the menu and the soup have changed, and I have changed too, but the act of 'eating tsukemen in the morning' remains unchanged.

As I walked through Ramen Street, I noticed several other shops open in the morning. It looks like I'll be coming back here again for my breakfast explorations.

• Shop Name: Rokurinsha Tokyo Ramen Street Branch

• Genre: Tsukemen

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

• Address: Tokyo Ramen Street, Tokyo Station Ichibangai B1F, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

• Business Hours: Morning 7:30–9:45 (L.O. 9:30) / Regular 10:00–23:00 (L.O. 22:30)

• Order: Special Morning Tsukemen (Regular) 1,090 yen (tax included)

• Noodle Portion: Regular 250g / Large 375g / Extra Large 500g

• Morning Tsukemen Menu: Morning Tsukemen (790 yen) / Seasoned Egg Morning Tsukemen (940 yen) / Morning Raw Shichimi Tsukemen (940 yen) / Special Morning Tsukemen (1,090 yen)

• Official Website: https://rokurinsha.com/

• Store Information: https://shop.mtfj.co.jp/stores/61

• Notes: Morning Tsukemen is a Tokyo Ramen Street exclusive menu. Morning service began in January 2010.

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