![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.hyogoajet.net\/hyogotimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/170.jpg\" "\\"170\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nSomewhat disappointed that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d be unable to dine in such a pun-derful environment, I turned the corner and happened upon \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e5\u0090\u2030\u00e3\u0081\u00a3\u00e3\u0081\u00a1\u00e3\u201a\u0192\u00e3\u201a\u201c\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Yocchan), a small establishment with a giant sign out front, replete with lovely pictures of their tsukemen. I ventured inside and found myriad pictures of the proprietor posing with pro wrestlers, wrestling masks, and lots and lots of posters featuring hulking Japanese men with silly names. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got a wrestling themed yakiniku place in Asago as well, and as a former Hulkamaniac, I found the d\u00c3\u00a9cor amusing and relaxing.<\/p>\n
I parked at the high counter and perused the menu. I ordered the spicy pork miso tsukemen, large, with their daily rice bowl (only 100 yen!). The noodles, pork, bamboo, and nori come out on a large straw-like basket, with the fire-red soup in tow. Springy, chewy, and cool, the noodles scream tsukemen and fill your nostrils with a faint egg odor when eaten. Dipped into their unfortunately-not-hot-enough soup, the result is a delightful combination of spice and garlic, with the soup warming the noodles to a comfortable temperature. I say the soup was not hot enough because with an oomori order of noodles (300 grams at this particular restaurant), a great deal of heat is sucked out of the soup with every dip. The last 1\/4 or so of my noodles were unfortunately eaten at a somewhat less than ideal heat, and I actually ran out of soup before I finished my noodles. That was certainly a first.<\/p>\n