01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
The fresh, thick-noodle champon is a good place to start at Menshogun. One diner recalls a bowl topped with cabbage, bean sprouts, wood ear mushrooms, spring onions and kamaboko fish cake, with the cloudy broth clinging to the thick noodles. Another praised the chewy noodles and the varied textures of the toppings, as well as the relatively light-tasting pork-bone broth. Their comments suggest a generous bowl worth enjoying down to the last spoonful. The menu lists authentic Nagasaki champon at ¥1,150, with a mini size at ¥1,050. Choose the full-size bowl when thick noodles are the main event, or the mini if you want room for other dishes.
The ramen comes in three styles, all made with thin noodles: white, black and yellow. The white ramen has a tonkotsu broth, the black is tonkotsu with soy sauce, and the yellow combines tonkotsu and miso. Each offers a distinct alternative to champon. With a soft-boiled seasoned egg, the bowls are listed at ¥950; without one, they cost ¥900. One diner says they have returned for the black ramen several times, making it a tempting choice for anyone drawn to tonkotsu-soy-sauce flavour.
For something to share alongside the noodles, gyoza come in portions of 6 for ¥400; shiso gyoza, made without garlic, come in portions of 6 for ¥450. One pair of diners shared champon and gyoza, an easy way to add a side when eating with company. Rice dishes include kimchi and chashu pork rice topped with a thin omelette, takana and chashu pork rice, and mini fried rice. Some diners also add red pickled ginger or grated garlic to their champon, for a little extra customisation.
The restaurant is open from 18 until 4 the following day, except on Tuesdays. Those hours make it an option for a late dinner or a bowl after drinks.
