[Above pic "borrowed" from here]
Jangara Kyushu Ramen is a well-known chain specializing in the Kyushu-style, and the shop in Harajuku is probably the most popular of them all- so of course I wanted to take my guests here for an authentic Tokyo-feel... although after having gone, I would say it's more like an authentic Harajuku-feel, meaning very lively, vibrant and colorful. There was a line (as expected) and we waited for about 15 minuets in it before we were ushered to the upstairs restaurant only to continue waiting in another line for another 15 minuets; waiting in lines is just part of the Tokyo ramen culture- it's best to just except it early on.
So what makes Kyushu ramen different from other styles? Well it's made with a lite but very oily shiro (white) tonkotsu (pork bone) broth which provides a very rich, buttery flavor. The noodles are on the thin side and are cooked to be firm rather than soft and chewy (don't worry- there's still a "chew" to them!). This dish's signature however is the pork! Unlike most ramen, where the focus is on the broth or noodles, here the pork garners most of the attention and with good cause, as there's allot of it, and it's fatty! In every bowl two styles of pork are dished- chashu and slow-stewed buta kakuni; as if the noodles weren't filling enough already- the pork is just simply overload!
Jangara is good ramen no doubt- but it's not the best, not by a long-shot. What it provides is a foreigner-friendly place to get your feet wet; they have an English menu, it's a crowded place, located in an entertaining area, and dishes are of good quality & quantity- so it's a good base on which to judge future ramen outings in Tokyo.
[Above pic "borrowed" from here]
So what makes Kyushu ramen different from other styles? Well it's made with a lite but very oily shiro (white) tonkotsu (pork bone) broth which provides a very rich, buttery flavor. The noodles are on the thin side and are cooked to be firm rather than soft and chewy (don't worry- there's still a "chew" to them!). This dish's signature however is the pork! Unlike most ramen, where the focus is on the broth or noodles, here the pork garners most of the attention and with good cause, as there's allot of it, and it's fatty! In every bowl two styles of pork are dished- chashu and slow-stewed buta kakuni; as if the noodles weren't filling enough already- the pork is just simply overload!
Jangara is good ramen no doubt- but it's not the best, not by a long-shot. What it provides is a foreigner-friendly place to get your feet wet; they have an English menu, it's a crowded place, located in an entertaining area, and dishes are of good quality & quantity- so it's a good base on which to judge future ramen outings in Tokyo.
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