A familiar fried noodle dish thought of mostly as a summer festival and school trip staple, the humble yakisoba is usually dismissed as junk food – and we'd be inclined to agree. That's why the recently opened Mutenka Yakisoba Bar Celona caught our attention: you see, the boys behind this place are claiming to offer an upscale, refined, even healthy version of the much-maligned, MSG-heavy carb classic. We ventured out to Shirokane in search of the truth behind the noodle nerds' lofty promises.
Arriving at lunchtime, we were faced with only one choice – a regular (¥950) or large size (¥1,050) version of Celona's signature Mutenka Yakisoba, completely additive-free and made with ingredients fit for the scores of posh restaurants found around nearby Shirokane-Takanawa Station. Take the noodles for example: made from scratch with Hokkaido flour and boiled before frying, these shiny and firm specimens boast a crisp outer layer while remaining chewy on the inside.
The familiar Worcestershire-style sauce is all-natural, too, made with a blend of local apples, onions, garlic, tuna, seaweed broth and chicken broth with a hint of tomato. The lightness of the sauce makes our hearty pile of noodles go down without a hitch, while the trio of fresh cabbage, 'avocado pork' (erm, pigs raised exclusively on avocados) and fried egg that accompanies the noodles is tasty as well. We're beginning to think fancied-up yakisoba might not be such a crazy idea after all.
If customisation is your thing, go crazy with the vinegared ginger – a welcome substitute for the industrially dyed pickled ginger usually served as a yakisoba side – or the super-spicy 'special sauce', or consider adding some wagyu tendons or bean sprouts on top. And we haven't even mentioned the best part: all servings are cooked on the hotplate right in front of you, just like at a proper teppanyaki joint.
Visit in the evening to find a lengthy menu of appetisers and teppanyaki options, including wagyu cuts (from ¥2,592 for 150g), a competent Fruit Tomato and Mozzarella Salad (¥1,296) and an excellent Seasonal Vegetable Caponata (¥626) made with eggplant, zucchini, celery, pepper and pine nuts marinated in olive oil. If you're ordering wine, consider opting for the Cow Tongue Katsu Curry or the Wagyu Meatball.
Still not convinced? Take a seat at the counter and prepare to have your noodly prejudices reversed.
Full details for Mutenka Yakisoba Bar Celona are here.
