Shouryu

The appeal of the tantanmen set, diners say, is that the soup still tempts you after the noodles are gone. Visitors describe a rich sesame flavour and gently seasoned broth, paired with springy curly noodles, meat miso, bean sprouts and finely chopped white spring onion. The spice is said to be mild, making this a good choice if you would rather enjoy the harmony of the soup and its toppings than seek out intense heat.

The set comes with mini fried rice. One diner described it as simply flavoured, with a generous amount of char siu. Enjoy it alongside the fried rice, or take your time over the soup; some diners have finished every last drop. It is a set that puts noodles centre stage while leaving room for fried rice too.

For lunch, the daily set meal with mini ramen is another option. On one visit, the main dish was chicken dressed in a sweet-and-sour sauce, accompanied by a curry-flavoured onion fritter, omelette and mini ramen. The sweet-and-sour chicken was easy to enjoy, the diner noted, without being too sharp or strongly seasoned. The daily dishes vary, but the combination of a rice-based meal, fried food and a small bowl of noodles suits a lunch when you want to try a bit of everything.

There are other noodle-and-rice combinations, including a Chinese-style rice bowl set listed with mini ramen. One diner who ordered the rice bowl with half a ramen bowl particularly liked the generous amount of vegetables in the rice bowl’s thick sauce, and enjoyed the ramen too. Choose the sesame flavour of tantanmen or the vegetable-filled sauce of the rice bowl: at Shouryu, lunch offers options whether you want noodles or rice to take the lead.