I had lunch in Hiro-o for the first time the other day. Hiro-o is the station next to Ebisu. I think it's a little-known city for foreigners. Ebisu and Shibuya are so conspicuous that the surrounding stations don't get much attention.
Coming to Hiro-o for the first time, I found it to be more lively than I expected. I thought it would be a little quieter, but there were a lot of people at the restaurant. It's not as crowded as Shibuya.
At first, I wasn't sure which restaurant to go to. Even though I came to Hiroo, I don't want to go to a chain store. As I walked straight down the street, a delicious-looking restaurant called Mokumoku caught my eye.
There were so many people inside that I hesitated for a moment to change to another restaurant, but the fact that it was crowded is proof of popular. After waiting for 1-2 minutes, I was called to the counter seat.
At the counter, there was Taiwanese Shaoxing wine and beer. When I saw those drinks, I realized that this was a Taiwanese-style restaurant. The bearded chef looked Taiwanese, and the waiter looked Japanese.
At first, I was curious about the bowl of rice called Mokumokudon, which had three types of meat on it. However, I decided to order the most recommended dish, the Dandan noodles.
I've heard that Taiwanese dandan noodles are much tastier than Japan's. Taiwan is a country that is particular about certain types of cuisine. When I took a sip of the Dandan noodles soup, I found it to be moderately spicy and sour. I was surprised because it was my first time having a sour soup.
Is this really Taiwanese-style dandan noodles? However, after drinking several sips of the soup, you will no longer notice the sour taste. The soup was so perfect that I could have drank it all the way to the end. Of course, both the noodles and the toppings on top are absolutely delicious. There are multinational restaurants in Japan from various countries, but I think Taiwan stands out among them.
By the way, this restaurant only accepts cash payments during the day, and you can also use credit cards in the evening. Just in case, make sure to bring cash.
Incidentally, the restaurant next to Mokumoku was also thriving, so I think I'll give it a try next time.
As a result of going to Hiro-o this time, I thought it would be interesting to explore new areas. We usually tend to go to the classic cities like Shibuya and Shinjuku, but it gets boring if it's the same area every time. If you dare to go to a town with little presence, you might find your favorite restaurant.
Tokyo has a well-developed infrastructure, so no matter which station you get off at, there's a restaurant. There are also vending machines, convenience stores, and banks all over the place. This is Japan's strength that developing countries lack. So if you are a foreigner, don't be afraid of adventure.
※Mokumoku place