Ramen @ Menya Gaga, Imaizumi, Fukuoka

 

If home is where the heart is, then Fukuoka is where ramen is. Well, sort of I guess. And since this is the birthplace of tonkotsu, they take ramen seriously. And of course, it would be remiss not to have some porky goodness once in a while. During a sojourn to my usual watering hole after work, I stumbled upon Menya Gaga. In all honesty, I knew of this place for sometime but somehow never had the push to try this for myself. And since I am passing by why not have a go? I was pretty hungry at the same time. 

Le menu

This place only sell only one type of ramen, which is the classic creamy tonkotsu. However, that is not the only familiar thing. Especially when you can choose your thickness, the option for chilli powder, and wood ear mushrooms. Reminds me of a super inflated and over exposed chain. Sounds familiar? Well it is because the people behind Gaga has learnt the original recipe of that chain but kept the original spirit of what makes ramen great. As such, unlike said chain, the food here is pretty good. 

What beauty

Standing at a paltry 1090 yen, I got myself a bowl with the main trimmings. That included eggs, spring onions, charshu and aforementioned chilli powder. What a great deal. Despite that low pricetag, the bowl packs a punch. The soup had that creamy porky quality that makes tonkotsu special. However, it was not heavy and the texture reminded me of soy milk. That balance made it very easy to take down while still being a rich and punchy broth. Speaking of punch, that chilli powder added a spicy profile that was actually quite surprising. I definitely enjoyed it as it provided a smoky flavour and a kick that you do not get in these type of ramen. Although I do think this may be a bit of a hard case for local Japanese. Still, this was very nice. 

Golden strands of amazing. 

The noodles were simple but still rather enjoyable. It has a nice al dente texture to it but still had the right integrity to absorb to soup and become pretty flavourful themselves. The noodles have a bread-like taste to it which is quite nutty and deep. Slurping was an absolute breeze and everything just went down so easily. Just make sure you try not to stain your shirt. For the avoidance of doubt, I got the regular thickness. 

A spoonful of sunset

The egg, charshu and green onions round out the dish. The charshu was expertly braised and had a nice meaty bite to it while being tender. The eggs were also spot on although the yolk can be a bit more salty. And the green onions added some extra bite and freshness. Simple things on their own but when all combined it becomes something quite special. 

No better endorsement. 

But one thing I like about this bowl is not one particular element. Rather, it is a combination of simple things done very well. Each element then stacks on one after another, rounding out the experience. Once all of them come together, the end result turns out to be something very special. And 

How is this so cheap? And so good? 

However, that was not the only thing I got as I got a serving of gyoza. 460 yen for 6 pieces? What a steal this was. Despite that modest price, these dumplings were also as good as the noodles, if not better! The skin had a crunchy crust to it, and the porky filling had so much going on. The meat was stuffed alongside more green onions and had a meatball-like quality to it. The crunchy skin combined with the supple core was a combination that makes a great gyoza, well, great. 

Check out the golden toads. Adorable! 

In addition to the food being pretty affordable, the shop itself was surprisingly sophisticated. With a minimalist design but with a bamboo garden in the center, it has a nice touch of class that you do not get from ramen shops. Especially a shop within this price range. Rest assured that I am coming here again. So if you would like to drop by for a bowl before my eventual revisit, then the address is as follows:

〒810-0021 Fukuoka, Chuo Ward, Imaizumi, 2 Chome−5−6 1Ｆ-B

Front of the house.