Here we are for another week of Wanderfood Wednesday kindly hosted by Wanderlust and Lipstick. My apologies for being a wee bit late. I am still trying to catch up on what seems to be my entire life since returning from my summer travels.
My first introduction to Ramen was in Korea. My initial reaction was “why is this stuff so popular?”. You see in Korea Ramen comes from a package. The noodles are heated and then the hottest spices available are thrown on top. Not my idea of fine dining.
However, I did know that Ramen is very popular in Japan and I was determined to try it and hopefully like the “REAL STUFF”.
I had read a bit about “Hakata” Ramen, which is famous in Fukuoka. This Ramen has a unique milky broth, which (so I read) is the result of boiling pork bones. That is not what I tried my first night in Fukuoka. I think having eight Ramen restaurants to choose from overwhelmed me and I actually forgot that I was looking for a specific kind. I found these eight ramen restaurants at Raumen Stadium on the 5th Floor of Canal City in downtown Fukuoka. They seemed to selling every kind of Ramen known to man!
The Japanese are so visual when it come to food. I loved it! Unlike many places, not knowing the language did not impede my foodie experiences in anyway. Each of the eight Ramen restaurants wanted my business, and the wait staff very politely hustled me for it. I finally chose this dish. Now I know it’s not Hakata Ramen, but I’m not sure what kind it is. I asked the wait staff, but wasn’t able to translate the Japanese into English. If anyone can tell from the photos, please let me know. I will say it was delicious. Vegetarians will probably not be awed by the photos.
Then it was off to the vending machine to pay my 990 Yen.
Into the restaurant to wait. Japanese restaurants welcome single diners. You either sit at the bar or share a small table with other diners. Unlike the West, it’s common to share a table. I’m thinking that’s probably to do with so many people ans so little space. Drinking water is free, and all you can drink. The place was spotlessly clean.
After a short wait …..
I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical of the pork. I’m not much of a meat eater and this looked a little too “fatty” for my liking. I was pleasantly surprised that it was very flavorful without being greasy. The broth was rich and tasty, and all of the different tastes..egg, green onion, kim, noodle… blended together very nicely. I was hooked!
At 990 Yen (approximately $11.75) I thought it was good value. Definitely a meal that wouldn’t stretch the wallet of most budget travelers.
Finally, there’s a store where you can purchase (or look at) everything and anything that has to do with this delicious noodle dish.
Here’s the website Raumen Stadium. Although it’s in Japanese, it will give you a nice overview of all the restaurants.
All tweets, stumbles, comments are most appreciated.
You can find more foodie stories at Wanderlust and Lipstick.
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