Tokyo Ramen Report: Yoshimaru
From my perspective, locality has been a huge key to a lot of food businesses & retailers in the last 10 years or so, in the fully matured economy of small country Japan.
I believe the theory is adaptable to the Ramen market as well, where enthusiasts continue their quest for their next favorite or ultimate bowl.
Today, I'm gonna show you a piece of flavor from Hakata, Fukuoka Pref, the great producer of ramen junkies tied up to the local style Hakata Ramen.
Ramen & Sides
Yoshimaru Ramen, relatively new noodle chain based in Tokyo, features Hakata style ramen known for its super-thin straight noodles & thick tonkotsu pork broth.
At the Ningyocho location I went to the other day, huge advantage for foreigners is their wide variety of side dishes.
In fact, you don't necessarily have to order a bowl of ramen to enjoy dining here. Though I didn't have enough space in my stomach, some fried stuff looked damn good!
Tonkotsu × Seaweed
This is what I ordered, Seaweed Ramen,￥900. I know your reaction to this, almost saying gross, right?
However, we Japanese have used some different types of seaweed to give a hint of saltiness to our cuisine.
This one is probably a type of seaweed grows on the surface of rocks by the sea. (And of course dried & processed)
Don't be intimidated. It's not so salty & comfortably matched up with the pork bone broth you're about to sip.
Wow, this soup is silky and smooth. Compared with Iekei, the most popular ramen soup style recently, this might be felt a bit thicker, but comfortable to sip!
Identity Of Hakata Style
As I suggested earlier, this super thin noodles are the identity of Hakata style, rarely found at non-Hakata style shops.
Whether you like it or not could be totally subjective, though this has been my favorite for years.
Oh, and noodle refill is available at the cost of just ￥100! Request how firmly / softly you want the noodles to be finished.
Only Downside
The only point I was not so happy with this bowl was the two slices of cha-siu, which was not so juicy nor thick enough.
Taking the price of ￥900 into consideration, they should be a bit more generous, aren't they?
But overall, this bowl and probably other dishes here are totally worth the price & travelling. Their multiple locations across Tokyo make your visit easy & time-efficient.
Thanks for reading.
Yoshimaru Ramen
(English)
*Locations included
Produced & Posted
By 3e-Tokyo Project