Hanekin麵屋·羽金
From the appearance of the storefront to the bamboo chairs and wooden tables inside, the restaurant has a Japanese dining style. However, the indoor vibe is quite different, with Western music playing, such as "21" by Gracie Abrams and "Slow It Down" by Benson Boone.
The air conditioning indoors is set to 16 degrees, so you won't sweat while enjoying hot ramen.
I ordered the "Secret Recipe • Aged Seafood and Black-Boned Chicken Dipping Noodles." The pork was soft and fresh, but the saltiness was slightly lacking. When I took a large piece and put it in my mouth, the texture was substantial. The seasoning of the chicken was quite good, with a slight bounce.
The dipping sauce was thin, which was somewhat disappointing compared to my expectations. The saltiness was decent, and you can add noodles once since the initial amount served is not much. The additional noodles had a better chewiness, likely because they were freshly cooked and immediately chilled.
For those used to stronger Japanese flavors, you might need to add some of the spicy miso and other sauces on the side.
Just judging the dipping noodles, the consistency of flavor and item expectations weren’t fully met, especially since most places have thicker dipping sauces and coarser noodles to better hold onto the sauce.
This place is clearly not just a ramen shop; its strengths might lie in other menu items, as internet reviews often recommend the fried chicken and pudding. If you also add a good cup of coffee, it would be more like a tea house (Japanese café) that got sidetracked by ramen.