Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Amanojaku (Nara-ken, Nara-shi)

麺屋あまのじゃく(本店)
めんやあまのじゃく
Menya Amanojaku (Honten)

Shio-tonkotsu ramen: 18 / 20

Miso ramen: 17 / 20

When I was looking for lunch for an alternative to Mitsuba around (see my former post), I had noticed this restaurant with its remarkably high critics, but it was unfortunately closed for lunch. No problem at all: when I came back from Nara with my friend after Yamayaki, we decided to stop there and try their various tonkotsu dishes. After more than 30 minutes waiting (this restaurant is popular, and it was Saturday evening!), I ordered the shio tonkotsu, and my friend the miso tonkotsu.


Broth: Wow! An assari tonkotsu, intense in taste but light in texture, very milky – exactly the kind of tonkotsu I love. You know, someting from the Ippudo/Ishimanji family (rather than classical Hakata style) – but this one beat them! Seriously, it may be the best tonkotsu ramen of this style I ever had. I just regret it was slightly too salty.

Noodles: A bit too soft to my tatste.

Meat: A delicious slice of crumbly meat, braised and with the right amount of fat – again, the kind of chashu I love!

Toppings: A few menma, soft but with some hard fibers and a classical taste – not the best menma I’ve had, I must say, and kind of the letdown of this otherwise awesome bowl. You can also help yourself with some seasonings of all kinds - dried garlic flakes, ginger, different kind of sauce... there was more choice than in a good Hakata ramen shop!


The miso ramen of my friend had the same broth (although mine had a little bit of some juice sprinkled onto the broth – maybe the shio tare that for one would not be mixed in the soup?), and some added miso – it gave an interesting twist, which I would recommend to miso fan; but as for me, I preferred the tonkotsu-shio.

So, very briefly: this is the best tonkotsu broth I had in Kansai, and possibly anywhere else. A new favorite, too bad it is so much out of the way.

More info on ramendb.

Other reviews: The Semishigure

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