Moon0417
On June 20, 2022 (Monday), the night before last, I finished work in Fukuoka and visited this restaurant for the first time. This is a long-established Hakata ramen shop celebrating its 70th anniversary. It is said that they originated the familiar "Hakata tonkotsu" name and the style of topping with wood ear mushrooms. The main store is the "Nishijin store," but this time I visited this place, which I often heard good reviews about. I arrived at 7:36 PM, and about 30% of the seats in the restaurant were occupied. I ordered the "chashu ramen" and, after waiting for about 5 minutes, the long-awaited ramen arrived. The pork bone soup, lightly emulsified, was poured all the way to the edge of the bowl, and on top of the thin noodles were chashu, wood ear mushrooms, and chopped green onions. Although they used to have a food stall in Nagahama, the noodles here are noticeably thicker compared to the typical Nagahama ramen. First, I tried the soup, which had a mild and smooth saltiness, along with a light and odorless pork bone broth flavor that spread in my mouth. The broth seemed to be made only from pork bones, without an excess of oil or collagen, and only the umami of the bone marrow was skillfully integrated. The seasoning was clear and easy to understand, adding depth without being overpowering, subtly enhancing the monotonous umami of the pork bone broth. Although it is a classic firm chashu, I felt satisfied with the well-balanced flavor. Next, I tried the noodles, which were boiled slightly firm with a low hydration ratio, providing a moderate chewiness and a distinct wheat flavor. The thin noodles were lightly intertwined with the watery soup, enhancing the wheat sweetness with a hint of saltiness and pork bone umami. When I tried the chashu, which seemed to be made from pork leg meat, it was thinly sliced with irregular thickness. However, being a chashu made from pork bone broth, the meat was dry and most of the umami seemed to have leaked into the broth. In conclusion, although I personally enjoyed the flavor, those who prefer rich tonkotsu broth might find it lacking. The way they lift the noodles with a special flat strainer and the low oil content in the soup gave me a strong impression of the old Kurume or Saga ramen. If I have the chance, I would like to visit the main store "Nishijin store" or the only branch in Tokyo, the "Nihonbashi store." Thank you for the meal.