Malatang is a hot topic these days. I've also come to see special features of magazines such as "Malatang is booming after tapioca." Recently, the exchange between former AKB48 Haruna Kojima and Rino Sashihara on Twitter has also attracted attention.

え、わたしもまっったくおなじこと思ってます

— 指原 莉乃 (@345__chan) 2019年6月21日

I ate such Malatang at Shin-Okubo's "Top Malatang". Yeah, this is delicious. Maybe it will be popular?

■ By the way, what is Malatang?

Malatang is "soup vermicelli" if you explain it roughly. It is a menu that contains noodles such as vermicelli in a soup with ma (silchuan pepper) and ra (chili pepper).

The feature is that it is calorie-modest because it contains vermicelli. You can choose the ingredients yourself, so you can have plenty of vegetables. And the painful (!) Is mentioned. In this way, it's a menu that contains all the elements that women like.

■ How to order?

The making of the Malatang shop is something that Japanese people are not familiar with. As soon as you enter, you will see something like a supermarket refrigerated showcase, which will make people who have never experienced it before.


However, all Malatang stores are made in the same way, so if you get the hang of it at one store, you should be able to order smoothly at any store after that. Don't be discouraged here, let's take a step forward.


When you enter the store, grab a bowl (or a basket depending on the store) near the entrance and put the ingredients you want to eat in it. Most shops have a system where you can choose from three types, but you can choose as many as you like for an additional fee. If you want to make Malatang that looks good on Instagram, you should add a lot of green ones.

■ Let's have it cooked

After choosing, give the bowl to the clerk and ask for cooking. At this time, you can choose the spiciness of the soup. The spiciness of "Malatang" is from 0 to 5. You can also specify 0.5 in small increments.

■ Let's eat

The 0.5 spicy malatang is beautifully colored and reasonably spicy. Is the characteristic of this shop that vermicelli is thicker than you can imagine? It is much thicker and chewy than the "Soup Vermicelli" noodles you buy at supermarkets and convenience stores. Since it cannot be swallowed without chewing, it may stimulate the satiety center.


For those who are accustomed to spicy foods, 0.5 spicy food may not be enough. In such a case, let's add flavor with the seasoning placed on the table. At first, you may make a mistake (!), But it is the real pleasure of Malatang to gradually explore your taste, including the choice of spiciness.


By the way, if you select 0 spicy and change the noodles to Chinese noodles, it will be almost normal ramen. This is recommended for people who say, "I'm not good at spicy food, but I was forced to bring it to my friend!" It's not spicy at all, the soup is delicious, and you can enjoy ingredients such as fried tofu that are not included in ordinary ramen.

■ I don't know, fun

The Malatang store is confusing for the first time. Depending on the store, you may not be able to speak Japanese and you may be thrilled, but on the other hand, you can enjoy the fun of traveling to a country you do not know.

There are stores in Shibuya as well as Shin-Okubo, which is full of tapioca drink shops. The place is deep and difficult to find, but why not stop by even after watching a live concert around TSUTAYA O-EAST?