Tsukemen @ Gantsuke, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka

 

Being a part of Japan more famed for the creamy tonkotsu, tsukemen is a slightly distant cousin that can be a bit illusive. However, with some poking around you can find good tsukemen dipping noodles around these parts. And during one day of wandering around at night, I found a new spot that deserves the attention. 

Welcome!

Tsukemen Senmon  Gantsuke (つけ麺専門 がんつけ) or just Gantsuke in short, is a tsukemen haunt that is located in the underbelly of the Tenjin area. It should be noted that they only open at night, starting at 6.00pm which makes dining here a little inconvenient. Additionally, as the infamous flagship outlet of the legendary Shin Shin is just within the same street, it may have gone unnoticed due to this humble place being overshadowed by such a reputation of Shin Shin. 

Majestic.

Still, that does not mean that the food here is not good. On the contrary. It was actually amazing. Being the first time, I just ordered its base bowl of their classic tsukemen, which stood at 1000 yen. There are other varieties like the one with black garlic oil and chilli oil. They did catch my attention, but I think trying the version without the frills would be the best for the first time around. The noodles took a bit longer to cook, as the strands are much thicker. In fact, there are also signs stating that they may need 10 minutes to prepare. Then again, good things come to those who wait. And the goods things came in hard. The noodles and broth that came look relatively simple but still inviting. After one slurp, I was absolutely hooked.

Witness the thickness...

The broth felt like a thick gravy loaded with pork and anchovy goodness. It was intense, thick, deep, and gravely satisfying. There was a slight smokiness to it too, seeing that it was topped with a helpful of anchovy shavings. With such a powerful broth, the noodles need to be quite sturdy. Luckily, they were thick, chewy and had a slightly pliable texture. You can taste the nutty flavour of the wheat that made the noodles and gave off a very earthy aroma too. The combination of the broth and noodles really complemented each other well, making this a sublime experience. 

There is actual fish inside!

However, if you want to customize your eating experience, there are condiments to try. I strongly recommend adding chopped garlic and onion into the mix as it gives such an amazing aroma that amplifies everything. They also provide anchovy oil too, but I felt the seafood flavour is sufficient as it is. 

Chunky.

Being so thick, you may not realise there were actually hidden treasures in the broth. Coming in the for of braised pork, those meaty chunks were just outstanding. The pork was able to absorb all the flavour from that liquid gold. And having the fat still intact made this meaty piece incredibly sinful. There were also marinated bamboo shoots that were pretty good too. Although They were slightly overpowering. Still, quite enjoyable.  In addition, the shop provides its patrons with clear broth to dilute the intense tsukemen dipping broth to make it easier to take down. Once it is transformed into a soup, the dipping broth becomes something much lighter and easier to take down. 

Another angle. You can't miss it. 

Not long after, I demolished everything and left the shop satisfied. Rest assured I will visit this again to try the other varieties. So if you are looking for a noodle place that is slightly different or you just need some noodles by midnight, then Gantsuke is the place to be. And if this as caught your attention, then the address is as follows:

〒810-0001 Fukuoka, Chuo Ward, Tenjin, 3 Chome−5−22 Oakvilla Tenjin Purasutorowa , Floor 1