Ramen @ Meikyou Shimizu, DEITOS, JR Hakata City, Fukuoka

 

It was a sad day when I found out one of my favourite dumpling shops , Wagon Deco, has decided to call it a day. However, all is not lost as the people that replaced them are absolutely incredible. Which is where Meikyou Shimizu (明鏡志水) comes in. It was kind of funny that I went to Wagon Deco because I was bored of ramen. And now, a ramen shop has taken over the premises. World going full circle it seems. 

A new establishment!

Well, in any event, I am always game for a fancy bowl of noodles. And this place is really fancy. The whole place has a natural wooden feel, with dim hues from the lighting and the menu was handwritten. It was, unfortunately, a bit hard to read as it looked more like calligraphy rather than standard writing. So for my first visit, I just had the standard bowl of shio ramen. 

Golden!

Despite being the basic standard shio bowl, this was actually really good. The soup is a chicken-based clear soup. It was crisp, clear, and refreshing, with hints of the natural chicken sweetness you might expect. It was incredibly light, a contrast to the thick and heavy tonkotsu Fukuoka is famed for. The topping of steam chicken is a bit of a bland choice, but I respect that. A full-on braised charshu may temper the light and harmonious flavours in this bowl. 

Shiny

The noodles were pretty sweet too, and that is not an expression. There was a tinge of sweetness in them. Most likely due to the high quality of the flour that was used to make it. It has an al dente quality to it and was just a joy to slurp. 

Look at the velvety strands. 

The overall balance of this bowl is really special. And it has a refined quality to it. But that is not just the bowl, but the price too. It stood for a modest 850 yen. To me, this was a steal as it has an exquisite quality to it with a sense of refinement. This is not some hearty and punchy bowl, but rather a velvety comfort with some sense of refreshment. 

The dark prince

Well, the standard shio is not the only thing that they had. For another visit, I ordered the shoyu version with extra toppings. This stood for a hefty 1200 yen, although do note that if you are just opting for the shoyu soup, the price would not change.

Still clear as the ocean, albeit a bit darker.

 The soup this time is more hearty, with that smoky and caramel-like aftertaste you get from a high-quality soy sauce infusion. This was more punchy than the previous bowl and I would love this if there was a blizzard outside. 

Chunky

The extra toppings consist of charshu and a seasoned egg. The charshu was really good and added a good amount of variety. It was definitely tougher than the chicken that came with it, but still pretty tender. And it was very flavourful, probably braised with a lot of care and attention. It was as punchy as the soy-infused soup. However, it was not overpowering and complimented the overall bowl. I think it will work with the shio base as well.

Like a setting sun.

The egg that I has was great as well. It was lightly seasoned, so some fans of noodles may not find it to be their liking. However, seeing that the bowls here are meant to be more subtle and harmonious, I think this was a good choice. And the yolk looked like a setting sun. What more can you ask for?

No better endorsement. Period

Again, it was a shame that Wagon Deco closed down. But in its place is a new ramen joint that I would probably do several visits. The noodles here are soft and comforting, but that comfort speaks in loud volumes. So if you would like to give Meikyou Shimizu a go, then the address is as follows: 

〒812-0012 Fukuoka, Hakata Ward, Hakataekichuogai, 1−1 Hakata DEITOS 1階

Another shot of the front. Lucky I left before the crowd started to build up.