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If the stacks of newsletters in kanji by the door don't signal authenticity to you, you'll be convinced by the Japanese conversations piping around you: This Japanese noodle house is bona fide. At lunch there's a steady stream of businesspeople; in the evenings, theater- and museum-goers move in. There are few embellishments—just some hanging carvings. People are here not for style but for substance: Most popular is the signature Menchanko soup, with a golden-brown broth, and briny with the flavors of benito and seaweed. Beneath the surface is a nest of ramen noodles deftly cooked to an almost springy consistency—you'll hear slurping sounds as regulars expertly suck them down. Pink head-on shrimp, milky tofu cubes, and crisp, pale-green cabbage add texture and color on top. A puffy triangle of soy milk skin acts like a thin, delicate sponge; put it in your mouth and it gushes with broth. For broth with a stronger flavor, order the sesame or curry variants. If you're craving something you can chew, the rice balls make a good appetizer. Wrapped in dark-green nori seaweed, they crackle as you pick them up and take a bite. The salmon and bonito fillings are both satisfyingly salty, while the mustard greens version has a palate-waking tang. — Jennifer Paull

Menchanko, $10; rice balls, $2