Tan Tan Men @ Daimyo Chin Chin, Akasaka, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka.

If you like a lot of heat in your bowl, then this is for you! And if you are into Szechuan style dishes, this will be up your alley as well. Tucked at the side streets of Fukuoka city, lies a silent dragon of the local ramen scene. Then again, most ramen shops are located in such places so go figure.  

Rustic feel

Daimyo Chin Chin is one such ramen spot. Contrary to the usual tonkotsu ramen that is the staple in this part of Japan, this raman establishment focuses on a variation called "tan tan men". It should be noted that tan tan men in Japan is much different that the original Chinese counterpart of chilli noodles. It uses a broth to channel its flavour, rather than chilli and oil paste from its Chinese counterparts. 

Top left. 

As it was my first time coming here, the usual modus operandi is that if the place uses a ticketing machine (which is the usual staple for ramen shops, although there are some exceptions), I selected the top left button. It is usually the shop's best recommendation, and for Chin Chin it was their Matanmen (麻担麺) variation. Although a rough translation would mean mapo style tan tan men, this was essentially their all in bowl. 

Fire!

The broth was very similar to a mapo tofu sauce. It was tingly, spicy and had robust flavours. The usage of Szechuan peppercorns was very evident and it had that floral and dense flavour that only Szechuan style cuisine has. It was so true to the fact that there is even tofu in this bowl. I guess there is a first for everything! Ramen is seen as a free-for-all dish in any event. 

Delicate

The noodles were pretty standard fare egg noodles. Not too bad, but nothing to shout about. The egg however, was spectacularly done. It had a salty and sweet yolk, but still runny. There are no other toppings to note for though. 

Ah.....

As the broth is already loaded with so many ingredients, I think this is justified. It has bean sprouts, minced meat, spring onions and tofu. So many different items and such varied textures and flavours.  I need to make a special mention on the tofu. It is basic silken tofu, but it gives a great contrast in terms of texture. The buoyant and soft texture gave this dish an extra dimension. Pretty cool if you ask me. 

If you like to amplify your meal, by all means!

Overall, this is a noteworthy noodle shop which has a bit of zing to their wares. If you are into spicy noodles, then this is a good place to consider visiting. If that tickles your fancy, then the address is as follows:

〒810-0042 Fukuoka, Chuo Ward, Akasaka, 1 Chome−7−27 102大稲マンション 1階

Front of the house.

PS; do note that chin chin in Japanese means the thing between a guy's legs. So please bear that in mind in the event you are asking for directions.