Meeting everyone’s favorite ‘Cock is a good opportunity to explore rare neighborhoods. I mean, Kudanshita is rare for me, and he doesn’t go out to lunch. For some reason Ikaruga wasn’t doing maze-soba today, and I decided to boycott out of protest. As if all the other people in line cared. And on a back street several blocks farther north, there it was, a clean and new Hakata-style ramen place.
The funny thing about Hakata ramen is that they can serve it practically before you get a chance to sit down and look around. I always get ‘tough’ noodles, and the girl working the pot (wow!) boiled them for all of 10 seconds. Since they’re thin, they come out perfect. I love everything about Hakata ramen, and this was a good bowl. Although from the nasty stink of boiling bones in the shop, you could tell it would be.
OK, now that we’ve got noodles, let’s take a look around. What’s up, ma peeps!
One of the best things about Hakata ramen is the interactivity. I like to eat some of the noodles, then pump up the soup by piling in the spicy pickles (sorta like kale) that should be in a jar on the counter (and call bullshit on any place that asks you to pay for them). After finishing the first batch of noodles, throw in some garlic – which these guys give you whole and fresh
and call for your replacement ball of noodles. Props to these guys for giving you extra onions on top (and these are onions imported from Hakata) and serving out of Indian curry dishes, even if they charge you Y150 for the noodles.
03-3263-1023