[Cooking Essay] I ate the collaborative tonkotsu ramen from Koenji's Kenta—stinky, thin, and delicious—at Ramen Kagetsu Arashi. It was exactly 89 percent. And I've fallen into the world of Yohei Takayama!
While watching YouTube, a promotion for Ramen Kagetsu popped up. I don't usually watch those kinds of videos, but the name 'Hakata Ramen Kenta' caught my eye and I couldn't look away.
Hakata Ramen Kenta is a famous shop in my neighborhood. It's only open for lunch, but there's always an outrageous line. I've been there a few times, and it's what you'd call 'an acquired taste,' so I'm surprised every single time.
For one thing, there's a bucket near the entrance, and there's a rule that customers have to dump their own leftover soup. After the ticket machine broke, they switched to a pricing system I'd never heard of: 1,000 yen flat for unlimited noodle refills. Sometimes the owner just disappears while working the shop alone. It's just completely free-spirited.
When you see it, everyone is completely bewildered. I'm always bewildered, too. In this day and age, it's rare to find a shop with such a high difficulty level.
Even so, why do so many people visit during those short business hours? The answer is simple. The deliciousness of the tonkotsu ramen is bizarre!
First, it's stinky. It's unusually stinky. At first glance, that sounds like an insult, but it's not. Because the shop itself calls it 'extreme smell.'
And it's thin. You might wonder what that means, but just like people say 'thin curry' in contrast to a rich color, I think that's probably what it's like. In fact, it's quite translucent.
It's stinky yet thin, so it makes your brain glitch. You wouldn't think that combination would work. But it does, and once you take a bite, it's so delicious it blows your mind, so there's nothing you can do about it.
Back when there was a ticket machine, I used to put 100 yen on the table every time I ordered a refill. After the machine broke, I wondered what to do, so I watched the people around me and saw men and women of all ages ordering refills without paying.
That's how I learned about the unlimited refills just by reading the room. I timidly raised my hand and...
'Refill, firm please!'
I remember saying that out loud. In the end, I got two refills. The thin noodles have a rich wheat aroma that makes it impossible to stop. Of course, I end up feeling miserable later and regretting it, though.
Rumor has it you can even bring in rice balls or drinks. But I haven't been able to confirm it, so I haven't tried it yet. Still, there's an atmosphere that makes you feel like that might be okay at this shop.
It's located a little ways north after getting off at Koenji Station. It's doing its deep thing in a deep part of a deep town.
That such a 'deep of the deeps' would collaborate with a 'major of the majors' like Ramen Kagetsu Arashi! No matter how you look at it, it was nothing but a shock.
However, when I watched the video and saw regulars like Oki Porsche and Yohei Takayama appearing as if it were the most natural thing in the world, I felt relieved. It was so very Koenji, haha.
And to think that these heavyweights of subculture checked the flavor, made improvement after improvement, and that a realistic quality of 89% reproduction would be sold nationwide is just amazing!
Even though the real thing is nearby, I really wanted to taste that 89%. So, I went to the Ramen Kagetsu Arashi nearest to Kenta.
The banners were up!
The posters were hanging!
I was curious about the yaki-ramen, but I couldn't pass up the 89% (which was mosaicked for some reason), so after much deliberation, I went with the regular ramen.
However, even the regular ramen had a special specification, and to my surprise, they were even selling an unlimited refill version at a chain store!
I should probably go for the unlimited refills. But I'd only be able to manage two, and when I compared the total price, I figured the regular one would be fine...
After chickening out, I went with the regular ramen and added a deluxe topping set. I really wanted the spicy takana, after all.
Well then, here it is.
The visuals are amazing! This looks promising.
With a pounding heart and excitement, I first took a sip of the soup.
...Yeah. ...Yeah. It's properly smelly and thin.
Next, the noodles.
Slurp! ...Yeah. ...Yeah. I see.
It was indeed an 89% reproduction lol
They probably make the soup in a central kitchen, but I was genuinely impressed that they could produce this flavor. The original is definitely better, but since waiting in that line is a hassle, 89% seems like it would be satisfying enough for everyday use.
By the way, if you're going to get refills, it might be better to go with the unlimited option. If you order refills individually, you can't pay with cash, and it was a pain to have to go to the ticket machine at the entrance every time. Especially when it's crowded, the soup gets cold, so it would have been worth paying a little extra.
Also, the in-store broadcast was crazy and I loved it lol
With the song 'Sekai de Ichiban Suki dayone' by DJ Mariage & Mary Smith playing in the background, the owner, Kenta-san, was showing off a beautiful voice like an FM radio personality. I listened to it a few times on loop, and it's strangely addictive.
Judging by the music video, it's Yohei Takayama, and this guy is really interesting. I've been keeping an eye on him for a while. I wonder if he's the next generation's Miura Jun.
Finally, I'll introduce a few of Yohei Takayama's compelling videos before I put down my pen. Everyone, please enjoy the world of Yohei Takayama while eating 89% Ramen Kenta at Ramen Kagetsu Arashi.
If Kenta and Yohei Takayama are there, then that place is already Koenji!
It's so deep lol
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