Before moving to Japan, my only experience with ramen was the disgusting instant-noodle fare of my college days. However, Fukuoka is famous for its delicious pork broth ramen. I'm fortunate to live near Sanki, a truly scrumptious ramen restaurant where the staff are extremely welcoming and prompt, each bite of the tender yet chewy noodles explodes your taste buds, and every table has its own ice water jug with lemon slices to wash down the spicy flavor of the broth.
The bowl of ramen below features garlic pork broth with two thin, melt-in-your-mouth slices of pork (and I don't even like pork), strips of seaweed, a heap of fresh green onions, pickled ginger, and a liberal dash of gomashio (a seasoning of toasted ground sesame seeds and salt). The pickled eggs on the side are wondrously creamy, and once I dunk them in the broth for a minute they become even more succulent.
Also, Sanki serves delicious gyoza as a side.
But spicy pickles are my absolute favorite side dish (you can find them in heavy clay jars on the side of the table). I can barely tolerate anything spicy, but these moderately spicy pickles are so addictive I usually eat two helpings!
Of course, this means I need to down lots of refreshing, lemon-flavored water as I am a spice wimp!
Ordering the ramen is fun, too. You order outside the restaurant from a little vending machine that spits out tickets that you then give to the waiter.
To sum up, if you ever get the chance, visit Sanki for some scrumptious ramen! In February, I will do a Food for Thought entry on my favorite curry restaurant, Doma Doma.
