A note on the words: tonkotsu is the milky broth boiled from pork bones that Hakata — the old name for central Fukuoka — is known for. Miso is fermented soybean paste, and chashu is the sliced braised pork on top.
Table of Contents hide
Hakata Tenjin, Ikebukuro East Exit on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Drinkers, thank you for waiting. It is Hangover Meshi time.
Having drunk quite enough already — shall we do one more, shall we go for ramen? — in that spirit we arrived at Hakata Tenjin by the east exit of Ikebukuro. You do want it now and then, do you not: Hakata ramen. Hakata Tenjin gives the impression of being in every entertainment district. A friend to the drinker.
Ramen starts at 650 yen, and you can add wood-ear mushroom, chashu, nori and so on as toppings. While I was deliberating, I found that there is a miso ramen. Tonkotsu miso ramen sounds good. And there also seems to be a spicy miso ramen on the menu.
This is the one.
Now then — it is after drinking, but here we go.
Oh! Miso ramen. The colour of the broth is not the colour of tonkotsu. What is this? Perhaps it is not simply miso dissolved into a pork-bone broth?
A mouthful, and there is the mellow richness of tonkotsu with the sweetness and swell of miso laid over it — gentler on the palate than I expected. Ah, this feels like Hakata Tenjin’s signature tonkotsu married to miso. No hard edges, creamy, a broth with depth that goes down easily. Mild Hakata tonkotsu with the savour of miso added squarely on top. Good.
The spicy paste comes separately in a small dish. First I try it without.
The noodles are the thin, straight Hakata kind, and go down lightly as you slurp. The chashu is moist, the wood-ear mushroom has a crisp bite, and plenty of green onion gives a fresh note. Even as it is, this is a thoroughly good bowl.
Now for the main event. Partway through, I begin dissolving in the spicy paste from the side dish. Let us put it all in at once. In it goes. A mouthful: good. The richness of miso with the heat and fragrance of chilli added on top makes for a punchier flavour. It is properly hot, and very satisfying.
And then the grated garlic from the table, piled on now that the moment has come. That works too. The sweetness and scent of garlic dissolve into the broth, and the body and the punch go up another notch. Even the sense of transgression tastes good. Tomorrow can be forgotten for now.
Ah, that is good.
I do not need a second helping of noodles after that. Thoroughly satisfied.
The next day the smell of garlic was still very much with me, and I thought this might be a problem, so emergency measures were taken. After a while it settled down to a level nobody would notice, but I did have to spend the day in a mask. Ramen eaten after drinking does take the limiter off, and that is part of why it is irresistible.
The smell is a worry, but the experience is unquestionably the best.
May you meet something good to eat today too.
Hakata Tenjin, Ikebukuro East Exit (ramen / Ikebukuro Station, Higashi-Ikebukuro Station, Higashi-Ikebukuro-yonchome Station)
Tabelog evening rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
