Ankake yakisoba, or stir-fried noodles, veg, meat and seafood drenched in a thick and starchy clear sauce (an), is a beloved staple of chuka, the down-to-earth fusion deliciousness that is Japanised Chinese food. While the dish can be found on the menu of pretty much every chuka eatery in Tokyo, you’ll want to check out Tokyo Station’s Nangoku Syuka for one of the best takes on ankake yakisoba anywhere in the city.
At this yakisoba-focused offshoot of the Harajuku restaurant of the same name, the an is served separately in a clay pot, from which you can pour it over the crispy deep-fried noodles little by little, thereby avoiding a soggy mess on your plate at the end. And the sauce sure merits such special treatment: loaded with shrimp, squid, pork, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, Chinese cabbage and more, the restaurant’s signature an is an aromatic, moreish concoction that’ll warm you up to the core.
Experienced ankake yakisoba fans may want to explore the quirky selection of alternative sauces, including one featuring seasonal Western vegetables and thick chunks of bacon.