Kaminari

If you can’t decide between meat and prawn, Kaminari’s special Chinese soba lets you try both in one bowl. The menu lists slices of chashu, a seasoned egg, meat wontons and prawn wontons, making it an appealing choice when you want a generous topping of ingredients. One diner who ordered the special bowl described tasting both kinds of wonton and said the prawn filling had a pronounced prawn flavour. Another comment noted that the large wrappers made them satisfyingly substantial. Rather than treating the wontons as a small accompaniment to the broth and noodles, this is a bowl for comparing the two varieties.

The wontons may take centre stage, but the Chinese soba beneath them has its own character. The menu describes a three-stage soup: a base made with pork, chicken and other ingredients is combined with dried ingredients, then enriched with another layer of dried ingredients. A diner who tried the special Chinese soba gave specific praise to its deeply savoury seafood flavour and moderately chewy, medium-thin straight noodles. The restaurant says it makes its wontons by hand, starting with the minced-meat filling for the meat version and crushing the prawn for the prawn version. The chashu is made with Mie Prefecture Sakura pork seasoned with a special dipping sauce, while the menma bamboo shoots are house-made and seasoned with dashi. Knowing a little about the ingredients and preparation can make the details in the bowl more noticeable.

For a first taste of the broth, choose the regular Chinese soba (980 yen); for both kinds of wonton, there is a mixed wonton noodle bowl (1,330 yen). The special Chinese soba costs 1,360 yen and includes a seasoned egg and chashu. Prices and contents are based on the menu listing, so check when you visit. If you’re in the mood for something different, options include Japanese-style tantan noodles (1,100 yen) and brothless meat soba (1,000 yen). The tantan menu also has versions topped with a seasoned egg or meat and prawn wontons.

To make the meal more substantial, the menu recommends its nikumeshi rice bowl with Chinese soba. It is topped with diced chashu and spring onion seasoned with a special sauce. There are also wontons served on a plate to have as a snack, along with bottled and craft beer. That leaves room for anything from a simple noodle lunch to an evening meal with a side dish and a drink. Kaminari is in Nagai Higashi and is often open for both lunch and dinner; Thursdays are lunch-only, and Mondays are closed. The restaurant does not take reservations and accepts cash only, so check the opening hours and payment details before an evening visit.