Fukuoka, Part VII: Ganso Nagahamaya’s Tonkotsu Ramen

We were at the driving range during a lazy afternoon when an elderly man started talking to us. He gave us some friendly advice as to where we should find Fukuoka’s best Tonkotsu Ramen. We had already tried Ichiran Ramen, but he insisted that Ichiran was nowhere near the best, that his personal favourite was Ganso Nagahamaya’s (元祖長浜屋) Tonkotsu Ramen.

To get there, there would be a few obstacles. He told us how there would be a handful of shops that will stake their claim as the “original” 長浜屋 so we had to seriously navigate our way to the precise shop that sold what he felt was the original. He didn’t even confirm it was original, he just told us that he felt that it would be the original. Perhaps no one knows for sure.

According to our friendly advisor and online reviews, the above is a duplicate, and so is the one below!

So off we went on our little search the next day. A ten minutes walk from Akasaka Station, we trudged down the street through the hot day (the first sunny one, in fact) and got to our alleged shop after some asking around.

Now this, this is the real deal.

It had this large sign outside indicating it was the original, and we ordered via the machine outside before stepping in, into the dining portion of the shop which faced the kitchen. The Ramen already tastes great when you learn that one bowl only costs 500¥, which is about S$5.50. Extra noodles and meat will cost more though, but more on that later.

The Ramen was being made with astonishing efficiency, and though we just handed the waiter the meal tickets, the ramen had reached our table even before we sat down. I’m not exaggerating, because over here they only serve one type of Tonkotsu ramen, and so they know exactly what you want, they only need to know how much. Talk about putting all your eggs into one basket!

Only one dish is served here.

So we tried the Ramen, which was different from the one we had at Ichiran for it was much more plain. It did not have the extravagant thickness, and the pork didn’t come in slices but was butchered to small bits. You might be thinking; so if it’s plain, does it mean it wasn’t as nice? You may very well be right, but taste is very subjective in such cases. I think this phenomenon had also been observed in Taiwan, where the locals also seemed to prefer more bland articles of food rather than dishes that were heavy in taste. Something about subtlety and moderation seems to be the deciding factor here.

The first round was really wholesome, and had us ordering a refill. Unfortunately the refill wasn’t as good, due to the fact that the extra meat they gave was extra salty and contaminated the entire soup, making the whole concoction excessively strong in the salt department. My brother couldn’t even finish the second bowl because of this.

The second serving had too much salt that the noodles were’t enough to mask any of it.

So in the end, I’d give this place one thumbs up. Great for less heavy eaters to just get the first bowl into your system. Do try this place if you guys have the time for a quick lunch!

Ganso Nagahamaya 元祖長浜屋

Opening Hours: Daily: 4am-2am

2 Chome-5-３８ Nagahama
Chuo Ward, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture 810-0072