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Akihabara: Richly Scallop-Infused Tsukemen at Hotate Biyori (ほたて日和)

Tokyo

Hotate Biyori (ほたて日和) is the second shop opened by Menya 33 in Jinbocho. Established in 2022, it has quickly become one of the most popular tsukemen spots in the area. “Hotate” means scallop, and true to its name, their soup is richly infused with scallop essence.

They provide a waiting sheet in front of the shop where you can register your name and receive your estimated entry time from the staff. This means you don’t have to wait in line and can spend the time elsewhere, like exploring Akihabara’s many excellent ramen shops.

The waiting sheet is available starting at 10:00 a.m. When we visited, our scheduled time was 12:30 p.m. The shop only has counter seating.

You buy your meal ticket after being told to enter. The ticket vending machine is located just inside the door. The menu features tsukemen and ramen.

Their signature dish is tsukemen, loaded with scallop extract! You can choose between soy sauce or salt-based soup. I opted for the salt version. The “Special” tsukemen includes extras like roasted pork, roasted chicken, a kombu-marinated egg, and two wontons in the soup. Everything was beautifully presented, and the roasted pork and chicken were exceptional.

Special tsukemen with salt soup (特製の昆布水つけ麺 塩) 1400 yen

The noodles are served in kombu-sui, a flavorful mixture of kombu (seaweed) and water. It has a slightly sticky texture derived from the kombu and is delicious even on its own. In fact, this tsukemen is fantastic even without dipping it into the soup.

The tsukemen is accompanied by four seasonings to enhance the flavor: scallop carpaccio, wasabi, dried bonito salt, and truffle oil with dill. They recommend starting with the scallop carpaccio. I followed the order of mild to strong flavors: salt, wasabi, dill, and finally truffle oil. The truffle oil was particularly delightful.

After enjoying the noodles, I dipped them into the soup, which contained two scallops and wontons. Surprisingly, the scallop flavor was not overpowering; instead, it harmonized beautifully with chicken, bonito, and kombu extracts. The soup was mild yet flavorful, making it easy to enjoy without requiring additional soup-wari (diluted soup for finishing).

That said, their soup-wari is worth trying. They offer a special soup stock each month. During our visit, the stock was made from shijimi clams, oysters, and flying fish.

First, I tasted the soup stock on its own—it was perfectly balanced. Then, I poured it into the remaining tsukemen soup, elevating the flavor to a whole new level.

About

Name Hotate Biyori (Tokyo Style Noodles ほたて日和)
Open Lunch, Dinner
Reservation Unavailable
Credit card Unavailable
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