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Even the great senior ate it! "Merci" in pursuit of the same taste for 67 years

Just a minute's walk from Waseda Station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line, the famous restaurant "Merci" is one that any Waseda student or Alumnus would have heard of at least once. It has been located in the same place in Waseda for 67 years.

Truly the godfather of the Waseda food world. It is also famous for having been visited by Tamori, Toru Hashimoto, and Masato Sakai, and the scene of many Waseda students flocking to the restaurant to get a taste of "Merci" has not changed since the old days.

However, at the end of June 2024, shocking news spread throughout the Waseda area. The store would close temporarily due to a lack of staff. The sudden closure left many people feeling the loss of "Merci," and it came as a great shock to some, but about three and a half months later, on October 8th, it made its long-awaited comeback. The owner, Kobayashi, told us, "The response was greater than we expected, and many Waseda students and regulars came to visit us right after we reopened."

Left: A showcase to the left of the entrance. The beckoning cat is cute.
Right: The entrance. When it's busy, there's a line all around the store.

When you open the door next to the showcase lined with food replicas, you'll be drawn into a nostalgic atmosphere. There are about 30 seats in total. We visited in the evening when there were few people around, but customers kept coming in one after another. The menu includes Chinese dishes such as ramen and tanmen, as well as Western dishes such as omelet rice and pork rice. This is a remnant of the time when the restaurant first opened as a coffee shop, and apparently they also served spaghetti, sandwiches, and shaved ice at the time.

*For more details, please see "Neither Merci nor the Sanpin are 'eternal'! Traditional Wasemeals that we don't want to disappear" (published in October 2018).

Inside the restaurant. In addition to the menu, maps of the Waseda area are hung on the walls.

This time, I ordered the standard ramen, fried rice, and omelet rice.

The first dish we tried was the most popular ramen. The toppings were simple, with roasted pork fillet, corn, bean sprouts, and bamboo shoots, but one bite and the umami flavor of soy sauce fills your mouth, making it a satisfying bowl of ramen. The thick, chewy, straight noodles are well mixed with the rich soup, and the mellow aroma of dried sardines wafts through your nose.

"Ramen" 600 yen

It's a taste that feels somehow nostalgic, but can only be found here. According to Kobayashi, "We've been making it the same way since the restaurant first opened." It's no wonder they've been serving up the stomachs of Waseda University students for so many years.

The noodles are chewy yet smooth, making them an irresistible combination with the texture of the bean sprouts and corn.

After this flavorful ramen, next we have fried rice. The contrast between the toppings of thinly fried egg, snow peas, kamaboko and rice is beautiful. When you take a bite of the rice, which has been fried at high temperature, the fragrant yet moist grains of rice dissolve in your mouth. The black pepper gives it a strong kick, making it perfect for when you want to recharge your energy. It also comes with soup, so if you alternate between eating it with rice, you'll be able to finish it all without getting bored.

"Fried rice" 650 yen

Finally, we had omurice, a new staple at local Chinese restaurants. The egg in Merci's omurice is thin and firm. The rice, beautifully wrapped in a smooth egg on an oval-shaped silver plate, is not the usual chicken rice but pork rice. The pork rice, with some burnt bits here and there, has a strong salty taste, which goes perfectly with the sour tomato ketchup on the egg. It's a delicious dish that's different from the omurice you get at Western restaurants. I also like that it's served with shredded cabbage.

"Omurice" 750 yen

It's not a special dish, but it's nice to have it when you can casually enjoy it during your busy days. This dining experience will undoubtedly become a memorable part of your student life, and a part of your our home for heart and will. Please try the traditional taste that symbolizes Wasemeshi.

店舗情報
【店名】メルシー
【住所】東京都新宿区馬場下町63
【TEL】03-3202-4980
【営業時間】火～土　11:00〜15:00、16:00〜19:00（ラストオーダー14:30、19:00）
【定休日】月・日・祝日
【公式通販】早稲田メルシー通販公式　GENSHO

*All prices in the article include tax.