Recommended bowl: Farm to Table

Open since December 2016, Mensho has become the focal point of master Shono Tomoharu's budding ramen empire. The concept here is 'Farm to Bowl,' and adjacent to the dining area behind glass one can see a noodle-making room, where fresh wheat is ground into flour, blended, pounded and sliced into fresh noodles. All of the bowls here are sophisticated and well thought-out. Both ramen and tsukemen are available, with umami-rich clear soups, fresh house-made noodles and premium toppings. The shio ramen contains a light, clear soup that is 100% ocean based, and topped with karasumi (salted mullet roe) and scallops encrusted in charcoal blackened negi, ma-kombu and Okinawan sea salt. The karasumi is meant to be dipped in with the noodles, while the scallop is meant to be put into the soup to release the flavors of the crust. The tsukemen on the menu contains a medium-strength shoyu soup made from ducks sourced in Iwate prefecture. The noodles in the tsukemen are exquisite — you can taste the freshly ground wheat in every bite. Less