暖暮 博多中洲店 - Danbo, Fukuoka

ラーメン - Ramen

   A trip to Fukuoka wouldn't be complete without trying some Hakata ramen. Actually eating at a yatai, one of the many food stalls that dot the city in the evening, would be first on the list, but it's definitely a close race - at least for a ramen nerd. I could have done some more research but ended up going with something nearby when I was on the way out of town. Danbo was a pretty stinky place; the pork bones cooking will do that, but it goes out of your mind when the ramen comes - which thankfully does not smell.

   I just went for the standard ramen which comes another little bowl for you to get your kaedama, a second helping of noodles to help you finish your soup off. I'm not sure if it is a deliberate attempt to get you to buy more but Hakata-style ramen places always tend to be a little light on the noodles, or it could be due to their thinness. 

   Pretty good overall. It was a little on the spicy side so I would just go with the standard one rather than their spicy one. I only went here, but you're spoiled for choice in this city.

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桂花 本店 - Keika, Kumamoto

桂花ラーメン - Keika Ramen

    A few days in Kumamoto meant a sampling of the local take on ramen would be in order and a quick bit of googling led us to the Keika honten. I can't quite remember if they mentioned in the window they had been there since 1957 or 57 years, but as of 2014 it's the same thing so we're in luck. Keika also has a few shops in Tokyo, but there is nothing like the real thing. Or so they say...

   It felt like a bit of a 1950s diner inside and seemed to be a haven for those wishing to eat alone. Unfortunately it's another place where I'm wondering how close what they're serving up now is to the original recipe. Fifty-seven years is a long time for things to change and the part-timers there didn't seem to be the master craftsmen of a famous ramen shop. Either way it wasn't a bad bowl and the garlic oil mixed in with the tonkotsu soup was pretty yummy. 

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東京タンメン トナリ - Tonari, Ueno

ジャージャータンメン - Jya Jya Tanmen
From the photographs you can see that it was quite a while ago that we were here. It was Tonari's special summer dish, jya jya tanmen. A few veggies and some thick, chewy noodles topped with a spicy sauce.

Not completely sure on the origins but I'm guessing it's an adaptation of a Chinese dish. We're all on the internet here so I'm sure we can find out. Anyway, you mix it together like so...

After that you're free to enjoy as much as you like.

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中華そば 青葉 - Aoba, Kita Senju

中華そば - Chuuka Soba

 
   I'd heard a few good things about Aoba so it had been on the list for a while. However, I wasn't really planning on heading over to the honten in Nakano and hadn't been out that way for a while, so I figured I'd make do with the branch in Kita Senju. They can't be that different, right?

  Wrong? I don't know - I still haven't been to the honten. But I've gotta say that it was pretty disappointing for a well-known chain. Very soft and doughy noodles left the strongest impression - and it wasn't a good one. I wonder how much the quality varies when these famous stores begin to open new branches and the master hands the reins over to someone else.

  Soup was good though...

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ラーメン屋 トイ ・ ボックス - Toy Box, Minowa

味玉醤油ラーメン - Shoyu Ramen w/ Egg

  Yet another in the series of places-that-I've-eaten-at-before series. And this one is one the possibly more well-known new-ish shops. It used to be Ando, but as we know, the ramen world can be fickle and restaurants generally have a short lifespan. Luckily for the residents of Minowa, they got a hyped shop so they can join lines where they used to be able to come as they pleased, without the soup running out for the day.

   It was actually quite a while ago that I ate here so I can't quite remember it too well. A couple of different varieties of chashu was certainly a plus, and it was easy to see that the master takes a lot of care in how he prepares each bowl, measuring the oil and having a quick taste of each one to make sure the combinations are right. 

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ちょんまげ 九十九ラーメン - Chonmage Tsukumo, IIdabashi

元祖チーズラーメン - Cheese Ramen

    Here's another quick one I don't remember too much about, but the idea of a cheese and miso ramen is too good not to mention, no matter how many times you end up mentioning it. I actually spent a lot of time in Iidabashi in 2013 but didn't spend a lot of time seeking out the local ramen shops since I had an hour to spare from 12PM - Which is the exact time every single office worker is seemingly on their lunch break! I got here at 11:50 on this particular day.

   Every time I see it, my mouth waters. But for some reason it didn't do it for me like it did at the branch in Ebisu. Don't let this turn you off it. I'm sure if I was after another hefty helping of cheese I would indulge.

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麺屋鶴若 - Tsuruwaka, Minowa

背脂中華そば - Seabura Chuka Soba

   All good things must come to an end, as they say, so it's sad to see that the ramen shop that got me through my first winter in Tokyo, Takumiya, is no longer with us. Of course, with all the subsequent ramen that I've eaten, it's safe to say that it wasn't actually that good. Luckily the premises was set up in a such a way that another ramen shop was the obvious choice to be the next tenant. I'm not sure if these holes in the counter were there before, nor their purpose.

    Tsuruwaka is the relatively new kid on the block - actually I'm not quite sure how new as I went there months ago, and it has been there at least a year - but nevertheless, it is now a different places for the residents of Minowa to get their ramen fix.

   There it is! Honestly, I don't remember a lot about this bowl aside from the fact that it wasn't very memorable. Does that count?! It was quite good and definitely an improvement on what used to be available here, but it seemed to be lacking in originality. Not the worst by any stretch, but lacking something that made it unique.

   Obviously I didn't have any problems finishing it though.

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