Hakata Tenjin is a popular ramen shop that’s been opening branches all over the city at a crazy pace lately. There seem to be more than a dozen of them already. It focuses on busy neighborhoods like Ikebukuro, Shinjuku and Shibuya, and competes on low prices and generous portions. I dropped in for a quick bite in Shibuya before catching the shuttle bus to ageHa. It was around 11 p.m., and the place was packed.
The sign
The atmosphere is noisy and open, roughly like this. Some people use it as an izakaya, too. Oddly enough, the part-timers working there are old men. Maybe because they come cheap..
The kimchi that comes as a topping on the kimchi ramen
This is 150 yen’s worth.. meh..
The 500-yen authentic Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen.
Well.. the broth is a bit thin. Feels like they watered it down quite a bit.. The flavor is fine, though. No off-tastes, and if you add a little of the spicy relish, the greasiness is almost gone.
Close-up of the noodles
Yep.. classic tonkotsu ramen noodles.
Kaedama
An extra serving of noodles is called kaedama. Being able to order kaedama is a hallmark of tonkotsu ramen. Here the kaedama is free, and that’s the biggest reason this shop is so popular. I’ve introduced a ramen shop with this kind of concept before, haven’t I..
They hand out cards like this in front of the shop..
But it’s free even without the card. Anytime.. every time.. That’s the whole concept of the place.
But now a ramen shop that copied this place has shown up.
This one charges 400 yen and gives you up to two free kaedama. I haven’t tried it, so I wonder how it is.. Rising prices have been getting a bit more noticeable lately. I think the popularity of places like these goes hand in hand with that trend.