Ramen @ Marukatsu, Nishi Ward, Fukuoka

 

Back on the noodle trail guys! It is kind of amazing, that I have been frequenting this shop for an almost weekly basis but never got into writing about it. It is time to right this wrong and do it justice. And here, I present to you Marukatsu. 

Best seat in the house. 

This simple ramen place is located somewhere in the suburbs of Motooka, so it is a bit out there and hard to get to. However, this did not stop a lot of ramen lovers. Their car park is usually full in the weekends and sometimes weekdays too. I am pretty fortunate that I live near this noodle haunt so having good ramen is not that hard to find for me. 

Joy in a bowl. 

Let us get straight to the point. This is a good ramen spot. It is not the perfect one, but it does things pretty well. You get your standard tonkotsu, as we are in Fukuoka after all. You can have it as the basic bowl with some spring onions and charshu slices. The soup is silky smooth and the noodles were firm to the bite but still had a special softness to it. 

Red hot night. 

Normal tonkotsu too boring for you? You can up the ante by asking for additional flavours such as chilli oil or dark garlic oil. Both are pretty good. You can choose your own noodle thickness as well. For me, it is the medium one. Do note that the soup itself is a little salty for my taste, but it may be right just for you. 

Calm before the storm. 

If you are not a soup loving kind of person, then do not fret, as they have a special called the mazemaze kara men, which translates as spicy mixed noodles. It is a variation to the Nagoya style mazemen, but with a bit more heat. 

The storm that approached. 

Liberal amounts of Szechuan pepper is added into the sauce base and minced meat and spring onions are also added for more texture and flavour. A half boiled egg is added in to add some liquid and thus creating a sauce once you mix everything together. The noodles are also quite different too, as they are incredibly thick, almost similar to udon. Still, it makes sense as it can withstand the vigorous mixing that will soon follow. 

Front of the house. Literally, you feel like you are entering someone's house. 

This establishment is an ultra basic, true to home, classic ramen shop that I will frequent as long I am living in this part of Fukuoka. The noodles are cheap, as they range from 550 yen to 800-ish depending on toppings and add ons, while at the same time, packing a lot of flavour. It should be noted that the mazemen cos 720 yen. A simple recommendation which just makes so much sense. However, do note they only open for lunch (11 am to 5pm) and they rest on Thursdays.  So if somehow you end up in this part of the country, why not come over for a good bowl? The address is as follows:

633-1 Motooka, Nishi Ward, Fukuoka, 819-0385