From San Fran to Shinjuku, Check Out This Frothy Green Matcha Ramen

In Japan, Matcha Goes Well with Red Bean, Mochi, and... Ramen?

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  Join us on our journey by making your own pilgrimage to the Mensho in Shinjuku Mylord. It's pretty easy, since the mall is literally connected to Shinjuku Station.

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  This is the place! The large signs outside of the restaurant, advertising their current seasonal specialties, are ubiquitous in Japan... but the rest of the decoration really shows off the variety of influences at work here. This is no Tokyo hole-in-the-wall or Hakata noodle shack.

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  And here it is, the long-awaited matcha ramen. The foamy green of the broth would look right at home in a Japanese tea ceremony, but something about the meat and egg on top might tell you that this is no regular cup of green tea.
  
  The official name of the product is "matcha paitan ramen" (抹茶白湯ラーメン), which means the tea is mixed into a rich "paitan" chicken broth before being topped with chashu pork belly. If you actually hate the flavor of green tea and just find the color appealing, we recommend you get someone else to order it for your pictures - there's some real matcha flavor to the broth! After you drain the last drop of broth from the bowl, the aftertaste might just leave you thinking you finished a cup of strong green tea. At 980 yen, this bowl of ramen makes for a fairly reasonable lunch, if you're looking for a punch of flavor.

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  Another popular item we had to try was the ultra-luxe bowl of A5 grade wagyu beef ramen (A5黒毛和牛醤油らぁめん). That's right, that huge slice of rare beef covering the entire bowl is the highest grade of Japanese Black beef. The meat practically melts in your mouth! Just thinking about it, it's hard not to hop on a train to Shinjuku right now. You can treat yourself just a little for dinner (they only sell this from 5pm), and sample this Japanese delicacy for 1,950 yen.

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  The JAPANKURU team had some varying opinions on the green tea ramen, thanks to its strong matcha flavor, but in the end it did leave us all feeling refreshed and ready to see more of Shinjuku. Since ramen can be a heavy meal, slurping up a bowl of noodles and still feeling a little healthy was a nice treat.

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  With all the different bowls on the menu, it was hard not to order every single one when we went. Maybe next time! If you visit mensho, or Shinjuku at large, we'd love to hear about your experience on twitter, instagram, and facebook!
  
  If you want to get some more shopping done while you're in the Shinjuku Mylord shopping center, there are some fun places to check for souvenirs! Or you could tour some more of our favorite stops in Shinjuku, including the outrageous Robot Restaurant.