I decided to go to an antenna store to get a taste of Hiroshima's delicious food right now. The Hiroshima Brand Shop TAU, located in Ginza, Tokyo, is a veritable cornucopia of Hiroshima sake, snacks, and sweets.

You can find it right outside Exit 6 of Ginza 1-chome on the Tokyo Metro Line, or by walking along Yanagidori Avenue from the Kyobashi exit of Yurakucho Station.


This area is home to antenna stores from various prefectures, all with a stylish atmosphere. The Hiroshima Brand Shop TAU has a storefront reminiscent of a high-end supermarket. However, once you step inside the store, you will find it is dyed in the hot Hiroshima colors.


The first floor is lined with food products, while the second floor is filled with alcoholic beverages. The first floor is lined with food and other items, while the second floor is filled with sake from Hiroshima City, Kure City, Higashi-Hiroshima City, and other areas in the prefecture.


But still, I was hungry. I looked for a place to eat and found four places: an Italian restaurant on the third floor that uses Hiroshima ingredients, an okonomiyaki restaurant on the second floor, and a Japanese restaurant on the basement floor that uses Hiroshima ingredients. It was hard to decide, but I decided to try King Ken's Ginza branch on the first floor, which serves Hiroshima-style soupless tanranmen noodles.

Hiroshima-style soup-less noodle soup for lunch

King Ken's soup-less noodle soup has a spicy flavor, and you can choose from 1, 2, 3, or 4 spices. If you do not like spicy food, just ask for zero spiciness. For the time being, I ordered the normal spiciness of 2. I also ordered the lunch set with rice and hot spring egg. The price was 680 yen (tax included).

From the moment I received the tray, the spices tickled my nose. It seems that the dish is sprinkled with a generous amount of huajiao, a kind of Japanese pepper. I thought it was a bit eccentric and put my chopsticks down, but the noodles were clumped together in a tight ball. Surprised, I looked around and saw a sign explaining that the noodles were to be mixed well. It seems that the noodles are to be mixed well before eating. I tried to hold back my desire to eat the noodles as quickly as possible and mixed them well with the meat sauce, sauce, and green onions, and they loosened mysteriously.

Then I took a bite. The taste of hwaseng (Chinese pepper) is not so pronounced when mixed with the other ingredients. On the other hand, the sesame flavor spreads like an ambush. The noodles are hard and flexible. Although I ordered a normal level of spiciness, my tongue tingled a little. On the table top, you can add hot pepper paste or hwasyo to your liking. You can also dip the noodles in hot spring egg to change the taste. After the bowl was empty, I tried the tantan rice and was completely satisfied with my meal.

Kure's sweet "lemonge

After lunch, the first thing I bought as a souvenir at the food corner on the first floor was a sweet from Kure City, called "Lemonge," which is an aroma-eating confection. It is a kind of lemon-flavored meringue made from egg whites, beet sugar, and Hiroshima lemons. It is priced at 421 yen.

When you taste it, you will find a smooth texture with a hint of sourness and sweetness, and a lemon aroma that disappears the moment you think it is gone. I couldn't resist trying several pieces just to make sure I was getting it right.

Kure's local sake "Chifuku" and snacks

On the other hand, when I went around the sake corner on the second floor, I noticed "Senpuku," a local sake from Kure. The ginjo-shu comes in an interesting cup called the "Mr. Kure Bakunin Cup. I remembered seeing the character "Mr. Kure" on the cup somewhere, which reminded me of a video that had previously become a hot topic on the Internet.


I remembered a video that had been talked about on the Internet. I felt a sense of familiarity with his sharp performance, and decided to purchase the cup. The price was 421 yen. In addition, I wanted some snacks, so I bought an additional "Lemo Can Hiroshima Oysters" on the first floor. It is priced at 540 yen.

I take a sip from Senpuku's cup of Mr. Wu's birthday. The first thing that touches my tongue is a fluffy sweetness that is very easy to drink. It is hard to believe that the alcohol content is 16.5 degrees. However, the spiciness in the aftertaste is typical of sake. I could drink a whole cup of this sake in one sitting.

Before it was empty, I opened a can of Lemo can Hiroshima oysters as a snack. As soon as I took off the lid, I could smell the oysters. The smell of the oysters is immediately apparent as soon as the lid is removed. Because they are marinated in olive oil, they look like instant ajillo. The lemon seems unassertive, but when you take the time to check it out, you will find that it is present. The umami of the oyster is well combined with the sourness and citrus flavor.


When I sipped the oysters with a cup of Senpuku's Kure Bakunin Cup, the rich seafood flavor was reset by the clean sake flavor, so I could alternate between sips and enjoy the oysters in a fresh way.

Before I knew it, the can of oysters was empty, but there was still some lemon-infused olive oil inside. I regret that I should have prepared a baguette or some other bread to dip them in. However, it served well enough as a snack.

As I closed my eyes with a cup in my hand, feeling tipsy, the image of Mr. Wu, who was performing a sharp dance, came to mind along with the bustling harbor scenery.

Feeling completely refreshed, I looked down at my loyalty card, which I had made on the spur of the moment, thinking that I would like to visit Hiroshima Brand Shop TAU again sometime in the future.


I also thought about how I would like to visit other places when the situation in Hiroshima calms down.