Fūunji (風雲児)
When in Tokyo, you might notice that some of the most popular restaurants are those that are somewhat nondescript and almost hidden away in narrow alleyways or side streets. Fūunji is no different.
Tucked away a few blocks from the bustling Shinjuku Station, Fūunji prides themselves on their tsukemen, or dipping noodles. Around lunchtime, you’ll see a line of both hungry salarymen and tourists forming quickly, usually leading out the door and sometimes wrapping around the next building.
Founded in 2007 by Chef Miyake-san, Fūunji has not stopped in its daily queues, boasting lines that take anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour for a seat inside the small restaurant during lunch hours. Even inside the doors, customers wait patiently behind the diners for seats to open up. It took us about thirty minutes to get seated on the day we came.
Once inside however, you’ll notice that the ordering system is unlike most restaurants in North America. While American restaurants usually take your order after you get seated, a decent amount of Japanese eateries- including Fūunji- have you order ahead on a ticketed vending machine system. On the machine, you select which item you want, as well as any additional toppings and drinks, and it spits out a paper ticket to hand to the chef. Keep in mind though, that while some ticket machines at restaurants take card and/or transit cards such as Pasmo or Suica as payment (Fūunji included), not all do, and it is advised to carry cash on you in case. Not too long after ordering, we handed our ticket to the staff and they seated us on bar-style seats right in front of the small kitchen.
We opted for the special dipping noodles which cost ¥1,150 (around $7-8 USD) at the time. Although traditional ramen is served, most customers did not seem to go for this option and we saw others ordering the same thing that we did. Right before your order comes out, the staff asks if you want a medium or large portion of noodles. We chose the medium but it was still a giant portion, and the large would have been too much for most people to finish.
The special dipping noodles come with a plate of noodles and the dipping broth, which contains bamboo shoots, seaweed, a soft boiled egg, roasted pork, and a sprinkling of green onions. The presentation is simple yet appetizing, and the smell is rich and aromatic. Since you don’t drink this kind of broth, you grab a bite of noodles with your chopsticks and then dip them into the thickened broth before eating.
The broth has a rich, creamy taste that can best be described as deeply umami with hints of chicken, accompanied by a certain fishy-ness, but not in a bad way. Since the broth is made from chicken bones, various types of fish, and seaweed, this flavor profile makes for an incredibly delicious and unique pairing with the noodles. The noodles themselves are springy and light, and arguably some of the best quality noodles that I’ve tasted during my time in Tokyo. They are timed to perfection by the chefs, and they have the perfect amount of stretchiness without being too soggy, and are lightly-textured (if that makes any sense) with enough density to soak up the perfect amount of broth with each bite.
While drinks such as cola, beer, and oolong tea are offered, we observed that most diners at lunchtime chose to stick with iced water. We personally agree that this is the best option, as it helps to clear the thickness of the broth over the course of the meal. Even after walking around all day and feeling extremely hungry before coming in to eat, the medium size portion was perfect for us and we were left feeling stuffed. A delicious meal for only a few dollars is hard to come by, but Fūunji does it excellently without sacrificing on quality or portions. Whether you’re a salaryman (or woman) on a quick lunch break during the day, or a traveler coming in hungry after a morning of sightseeing, no trip to Shinjuku would be complete without making a quick stop at Fūunji.
