I am the type who never orders Tonkotsu ramen 'barikata' (extra firm)

I worked part-time at Ippudo during the COVID era.

It wasn't that there was no work at all, but it had decreased, so
I thought I might as well take a part-time job since I had the spare time.

I even thought that maybe I'd like to run a restaurant someday,
or perhaps even try running a ramen shop, which I love.

After actually working there, I reached the conclusion that running a ramen shop is difficult, though...

Regardless, thanks to working at Ippudo,
my knowledge about the ramen I love increased overwhelmingly.
I still think that was a very good experience.

Not limited to Ippudo, Hakata Tonkotsu ramen
does not have the concept of a large serving, but leads to fullness in the form of 'kaedama' (noodle refills).

Originally, there was a street stall culture,
and because they aimed for ramen that could be served quickly
to satisfy workers during their short breaks,
the Hakata Tonkotsu noodle and refill culture seems to have been born.

Therefore, they use straight thin noodles, but
because noodles that can be served quickly are extremely thin,
they have the characteristic of getting soggy easily,
so many customers order them firm.
Speaking from my experience working at Ippudo,
I think 'firm' accounts for 60% of the total.

By the way, for those who don't know, I will write down the noodle firmness and boiling times.

・Harigane (wire)... 5-10 seconds. This is the extreme of noodle firmness at general shops!
　(At Ippudo, it's really about 5 seconds)
・Barikata (very firm)... 10-15 seconds. Feels like quite a bit of the core remains.
・Kata (firm)... 15-20 seconds. This is 'firm'. Feels like a little bit of the core remains.
　Like Italian al dente.
・Futsu (normal)... 20-30 seconds. Boiled through to the core.
・Yawa (soft)... 30-60 seconds. Completely boiled through. A little soft.
・Bariyawa (zundare) (very soft)... 60-100 seconds. Completely loses its chewiness,
　feels like nyumen (thin wheat noodles).

This range is general, but
perhaps Hakata people are unusually impatient, as there are even faster ways to boil them.

・Harigane... 3-5 seconds. Almost a lump of flour. Sometimes people order this.
・Yuge-toshi (steam-pass)... 1-3 seconds. Really just exposing it to steam, or for an instant,
　just dipping it in hot water. I don't understand the point of people ordering this.
・Nama (raw)... 0-1 seconds. Really the same as raw noodles. Even if you put it in hot water for 1 second, raw is raw.
　Crazy. Try biting into raw Marutai stick ramen! It's the same as that.

So, it's understandable that many people order it 'firm' by default.
You can also be convinced if you say it's the same feeling as pasta al dente.

Because of all this, Hakata Tonkotsu
has noodle boiling times like this,
so the service is seriously super fast.

Even at Ippudo, the operation was to make it
within 1 minute even if the noodle firmness was normal after receiving the order.

When an order comes in, take out the bowl that was warmed in hot water,
put back fat, special soy sauce, and original umami seasoning into the bowl,
and pour in a fixed amount of soup.
At the same time, grill the chashu (the Kameari branch of Ippudo would further sear the handmade chashu with a grill before serving), and boil the noodles.
Take them out at the preferred noodle firmness, put them in the bowl, arrange the noodle lines,
and once you put on the chashu, green onions, and wood ear mushrooms (and any other toppings if there are any), it's complete.
It really doesn't even take a minute.
What I learned is that ramen waiting time = only the noodle boiling time.

Of course, the preparation of the tonkotsu soup and other ingredients
takes an incredible amount of time,
but the speed at the time of serving is insane.

While wandering around Omiya, I discovered a Hakata Tonkotsu shop.

And so, I remembered Ippudo.

Tonkotsu shops, like 'Jangara' or 'Bario',
often have a pork smell drifting out before you even enter the shop,
making me hesitate to enter, but
there was absolutely none of that unpleasant smell from this shop.
It had been a while since I'd had tonkotsu, and the lack of that smell piqued my interest,
so I thought, 'Oh, shall I go in?'
and I went through the noren curtain.

The ticket machine is a display type.
Thinking it looked a bit like Ippudo's Shiromaru,
I tapped the button.

Hyappo Ramen Hyappo Ramen @ Omiya

There were special ones, but
I ordered the ramen that bore the shop's name, even though it was the normal one.

As expected, you can order the noodle firmness.
Of course, they had harigane too.

So, I ordered it 'regular' without hesitation.

That's right. Even for Hakata tonkotsu, I don't like it firm,

regular is what I like best.

Look, wheat is definitely more delicious when it's boiled properly.

You like it with a hard center?

WHAT?

Are you crazy!?

Whether it's udon or pasta, you don't need a hard center.
Cook it through properly!
If anything, I'm even fine with it soft.

When it arrived, it really looked like Ippudo's Shiromaru.

Light tonkotsu!
Mmm, delicious!

This deliciousness I haven't had in a while.
As expected, this kind of tonkotsu is great.

And the noodles are great too!
Even though they are thin noodles, they aren't snappy, but have a slightly chewy, high-hydration texture.

Plus, there are seasonings on the table, and you can add green onions for free.
Alright, I'll add some green onions!

It's even better with extra green onions!
If you add garlic, it's insanely delicious!

This kind of refreshing tonkotsu is really great.
It would probably be great as a finish to a night of drinking.
If I have the chance, I'd love to come here for a late-night bowl.