中華そば 〇丈
ちゅうかそば まるじょう
Chuuka Soba Maru Jou
Small chuka soba: 15 / 20
(中華そば - 小)
I had been to Maru Joe about one year ago, but this was before I started taking my notes. It has a very high rating on ramendb, which I thought at the time was a bit exaggerated. I decided to give it another try, now that I had a few more shoyu ramen under my belt; also, Ben from Friends in Ramen had told me that this was a representative of Takaida-kei, and I wanted to discover more about this style. I was very happy to see that it was possible to order their chuka soba in a small portion, which was exactly what I needed after those slightly-too-ramen-intense last days. Arriving at 2:15 pm on a saturday, I had to wait 45 minutes before being served! Finally, here comes my bowl.
Broth: A dark shoyu, relatively similar to Kinguemon (which is not surprising, since both are Takaidai-kei). Compared to the latest shoyu I had, it had a much more meaty and herbal taste and was sprinkled with some pepper. Somehow, the experience was slightly closer to a European soup - but only slightly. Very umami, very good.
Noodles: The classical shoyu-ramen noodles, straight and a bit thick and yellowish. They were less firm than at Gunjo the day before, though.
Meat: A couple of thin slices of chashu that were just OK - I wish the fat would have been more melting.
Toppings: A few rectangular, crunchy and mild menma.
So, this was a good and well-crafted bowl, but I keep my original opinion: I think it is slightly overrated. But I generally prefer shoyu ramen with some additional taste - for example the niboshi I had at Katoya, or the sweet gyokai I had at Gunjo. As for Takaida-kei, Kinguemon was better in my memory (it had a stronger taste of dark shoyu), although I should try it again some day to be sure. But anyway, Maru Joe is a safe bet if you want some good local shoyu, in case you don't mind waiting (I noticed that shortly before the closing time at 3:00 pm, people could enter without queueing). And I definitely want to come back to try their "Maru Joe soba", a Wakayama-style bowl.
More info on ramendb.
Other reviews: Friends in Ramen, Take a bow
ちゅうかそば まるじょう
Chuuka Soba Maru Jou
Small chuka soba: 15 / 20
(中華そば - 小)
I had been to Maru Joe about one year ago, but this was before I started taking my notes. It has a very high rating on ramendb, which I thought at the time was a bit exaggerated. I decided to give it another try, now that I had a few more shoyu ramen under my belt; also, Ben from Friends in Ramen had told me that this was a representative of Takaida-kei, and I wanted to discover more about this style. I was very happy to see that it was possible to order their chuka soba in a small portion, which was exactly what I needed after those slightly-too-ramen-intense last days. Arriving at 2:15 pm on a saturday, I had to wait 45 minutes before being served! Finally, here comes my bowl.
Broth: A dark shoyu, relatively similar to Kinguemon (which is not surprising, since both are Takaidai-kei). Compared to the latest shoyu I had, it had a much more meaty and herbal taste and was sprinkled with some pepper. Somehow, the experience was slightly closer to a European soup - but only slightly. Very umami, very good.
Noodles: The classical shoyu-ramen noodles, straight and a bit thick and yellowish. They were less firm than at Gunjo the day before, though.
Meat: A couple of thin slices of chashu that were just OK - I wish the fat would have been more melting.
Toppings: A few rectangular, crunchy and mild menma.
So, this was a good and well-crafted bowl, but I keep my original opinion: I think it is slightly overrated. But I generally prefer shoyu ramen with some additional taste - for example the niboshi I had at Katoya, or the sweet gyokai I had at Gunjo. As for Takaida-kei, Kinguemon was better in my memory (it had a stronger taste of dark shoyu), although I should try it again some day to be sure. But anyway, Maru Joe is a safe bet if you want some good local shoyu, in case you don't mind waiting (I noticed that shortly before the closing time at 3:00 pm, people could enter without queueing). And I definitely want to come back to try their "Maru Joe soba", a Wakayama-style bowl.
More info on ramendb.
Other reviews: Friends in Ramen, Take a bow
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