OverviewStyle: Fukuoka-style Tonkotsu ramen
Overall rating: 9.4/10.0
Location: Fukuoka (Origin), Tokyo, and New York City
I used to work late night all the time in Tokyo (and by late, I'm talking midnight or sometimes 2-3am. It was crazy. I looked back and asked myself from time to time how I managed to pull that off on a daily basis. Anywho, my point is that when you work late, you need a midnight snack to keep you sane and/or awake, either way. So one day my colleagues and I decided we were going to take a break and eat something. One of my colleagues is a Brazilian guy who speaks fluent Japanese (crazy, right?). He's 31 years old and likes to play stuff animals with me in the office (yes my colleagues are very cool). He brought us to this ramen shop in a little corner off from Roppongi crossing. He was telling me that this was the best ramen shop in Japan, and I was like, "this is completely overrated". Apparently it wasn't, as I found out later that the owner of this store has won the ramen master title from the famous TV Champion game show, with the original Hakata style all the way from Fukuoka. The ramen is not the kind that would get you hooked on the first try, but it can grow on you. The sophistication of the broth's flavor and the soft, juicy chachu pork remind you that this is no ordinary ramen.
The Signature Bowl
The must try is no doubt the Akamaru ramen (photos above). The tonkotsu soup is boiled from pork bone simmered with Miso and Sake to give that complex flavorful taste. It is added with a trace of roasted sesame oil to give that fragrant smells spurring your appetite. ALWAYS order with boiled eggs and extra scallions. If you're like me, you will also put in a generous amount of fresh grinded sesame seed and crushed garlic to add texture to the soup. It is recommended that you eat it with one special signature condiment, the kimchi sprouts. The kimchi sprouts actually taste quite good I always snack (a lot) on it before my food comes. But lucky me (and lucky you too) it's all you can eat condiments here ;) The noodles are soft and springy, and I like its medium thickness. The "deluxe" chachu pork with a little bit of fat is soaked in a special tare (sauce) until it reaches the perfect softness and the sauce flavor is completely absorbed into the meat.
What else is on the menu
They also have quite a variety of other flavors, such as the shiromaru ramen, with the original Hakata style tonkotsu broth and hosomen noodles. The one pictured here is the karakamen, one of my favourites here. (I feel the torture writing this blog by the way lol, just so you guys know. It makes me hungry). The soup is the same original recipe tonkotsu base added with miso paste blended with various types of spices to bring out the flavor. It is strongly recommended to slowly dissolve the miso into the tonkotsu soup while letting the scallions or the sprouts to simmer in. Then when you put the scallions or the sprouts into your mouth, you will taste the excellent flavor of the broth slowly dissolving into your mouth. Absolutely ecstatic! They also have various nigiris (rice balls), fried rice, and fried gyoza. The fried gyoza here is mini, bite-size, which I thought was cute. The pork fillings inside were somewhat so-so though.
Price range
Ramen ranges from 800-1000, depending on your choice and toppings (a few hundred yen for each topping). Gyoza is about 500 yen (if I remember correctly).
Ratings
Noodle: 10.0/10.0
Hosomen type. Nice texture.
Soup: 10.0/10.0
I would give it an 11.0 out of 10.0 if I can. The flavor, the fragrant, the texture. Absolutely how I like it.
Toppings: 9.0/10.0
All the basic toppings are there and they did it right. But no special toppings or anything.
Side dishes: 8.0/10.0
Too few variety. The fried rice and the gyoza fillings are very so-so.
Condiments: 10.0/10.0
I love the kimchi beansprouts, self-service crushed garlic and grinded sesame.
Atmosphere: 9.0/10.0
Nice atmosphere with some tables apart from counter seats, a bit cramp though. What is funny is that their wallpapers are made with noodle spoons! Who knows where they get the idea from, but well, a little creativity in your life is always a good thing.
Service and staff: 9.0/10.0
Food is fast. Staff is friendly. They're not too whiny when you keep asking them to refill beansprouts, which is nice :)
Menu variety: 10.0/10.0
The ramen variety is quite diversed.
Location: 10.0/10.0
They have a few locations in Tokyo, many branches in Fukuoka, and a branch in NYC. Very convenient.
Value for money: 9.0/10.0
For something of this class, it's not going to be the cheapest around, but again, there's no close substitution to this.
Overall Rating: 9.4/10.0
Location and access
Store: Roppongi store
Address 4-9-11 Roppongi, Minatoku, Tokyo 106-0032
Access 3 min walk from Roppongi crossing. Take subway Hibiya line or Oedo line and exit to the crossing. The store is behind the Vodafone showroom.
Phone 03-5775-7561
Store hour 11.00am - 4.00am. Friday: 11.00am - 5.00am. Sunday: 11.00am - 1.00am
Store: Fukuoka main store
Address 1-13-14 Chuuo-ku, Fukuoka prefecture
Phone 092-771-0880
Store hour Weekdays and Sunday: 11.00am - midnight. Friday, Saturday, and public holidays: 11.00am - 2.00am
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