Xiang Chi Dan Dan Mien - A must visit for those who like it hot!

 Ramen -VS- Tan Tan Men

One cannot talk about Ramen anymore without mentioning its spicier cousin, Tan Tan Men. Most ramen shops have one or more kinds on the menu nowadays, so I felt it necessary to sample one of the most popular tan tan men shops in Nagoya, Xiang Chi Dan Dan Mien. I have been frequenting this shop for many years now. It has expanded into a local chain with half-a-dozen branches around Nagoya.

Like this one in Sakae Underground Shopping Center.

They offer several variants of "Dan Dan Mien" or as we say in the ramen community "Tan Tan Men". You can have yours with or without soup base, with ramen-style thin noodles or with kishimen-style wide noodles.

I like mine without soup and with the kishimen-style noodles. Yes, I am wearing a bib.

As you see in the photo above, they give the diner a bib and expect you to really "slurp" when you're chowing down. People usually order one of two basic types:

#1 Tan Tan Men with Soup

The soup tastes strongly of sesame but still shows a bit of saltiness along with the togarashi pepper spiciness the dish is known for. The thin noodles which are served with this choice are not too soft and match the tantan soup quite nicely. The toppings are simple, just some meat with spices, herbs and bok choy. That and a LOT of pepper-infused sesame oil. It's not too busy, and it really lets the sesame flavor take center stage. That's it below, in the black bowl.

Which one to choose?

#2 Tan Tan Men w/out Soup

The white bowl above shows the no soup option. If you really want to "punch yourself in the mouth" with flavor, the tan tan men w/out soup is the way to go. No soup. No watering anything down. Just 100% pure sesame, herbs, spice, meat and heat! This is for people who eat lit matches and wash them down with kerosene. The noodles also pull out all the stops. These kishimen-style noodles are much heavier than standard ramen-style ones. I quite like them. This is one of my favorite noodle dishes anywhere, even if it is a departure from what one might think of as classical ramen.

 All things considered...

I like this place a lot. I can heartily recommend it for anyone who enjoys the spicier side of the ramen menu. However, if spicy dishes aren't your cup of tea, you might not enjoy the fare here as it is focused around a capsaicin-rich spice palette. Likewise, if a bigger, heavier noodle turns you off, you may want to stick to the tan tan men with soup, as it has more "ramen-style" noodles. If you'd like to check it out for yourself, visit this shop in Sakae or, you can find other branches at their website here.

Happy Ramen...er..I mean Tan Tan Mening!