It's a good 15 minute walk from my office to this Japanese gem, so for those of you who work near Town Hall and the George St cinemas, I'm envious. Situated in an arcade on George Street between Bathurst and Liverpool Streets, Menya Mappen is a haven for soba and udon lovers.
The concept is this. Pick your noodle - soba or udon. Choose how you take it, whether hot or cold, dry, in soup or in "sauce", and what toppings you would like on it, such as a half boiled egg (ontama) or tuna. Then help yourself to the selection of tempura and other fried goodies. For the healthy, pick from an assortment of small tubs of vegetables in the fridge. Then pay, grab a cup of water, and eat.
I had the bukkake soba (bukkake means "in sauce", but don't google it unless you're ready for a shock), with a skewer of fish cakes and a small tub of mountain vegetables. The noodles had a nice consistency to them. The fish cake was satisfying and not too greasy, and the mountain vegetables - well, I wish there was a bit more of it.
There are many other options on offer - personally I like the takoyaki octupus balls and the vegetable kakiage tempura. So this is a place you can keep coming back to without having to repeat meals. And being able to "build your own meal" makes this a good option if you're not too hungry, and don't want to pay for a huge portion that you can't finish.
Menya Mappen is at 537-551 George St.
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