Hakata Nagahama Ramen Kenta (中洲屋台長浜ラーメン初代 健太 東京高円寺本店 ): Best Hakata Ramen in Tokyo?; Koenji, Tokyo

Newcomer to the 2021 Tabelog Top 100 Hyakumeiten list is Ramen Kenta, a surprising Tokyo based Hakata ramen shop that has been garnering rave reviews since re-opening his shop back in March of 2021. The location was formerly a Fukuoka style Izakaya of sort, a local watering hole the nearby residents would frequent on their way home from work. An occasional bowl of Hakata style ramen would be served late at night and after getting some love from his customers for the bowl, the Master decided to shift his focus solely on ramen, closing down his Izakaya, and moving to Fukuoka to train under some of the best Hakata Ramen Masters there. Ramen Kenta wasn’t even open for a year when it was selected as a Tabelog Hyakumeiten which speaks volumes to the dedication and hard work the Master puts in, day in, day out. The shop now requires hour long queues, but is definitely worth it to try what I consider my favorite Hakata style ramen in Tokyo.

Shop is located about a 7ish minute walk from Koenji station and will require you to follow some small side streets so have your Google Maps handy when you make your way here. Warning, the shop is extremely dingy so don’t be alarmed when you arrive at this pretty haphazard shop. A line starts in the back wall of the shop and loops around outside so just make your way to the back when you arrive. No ticket machine here so you’ll have to make your order to the runner/master when you take your seat. Thankfully the menu, listed on the back splash guard, is quite simple so I’ll translate it for you here. Starting with the right is Ramen for 750 yen, extra Negi green onions for 100 yen, Kaedama extra noodles for 100 yen, half size Kaedama extra noodles for 50 yen, and Oitu-ru (will explain later, get it for now) for 50 yen. My order for the day was Ramen with Oitu-ru and added some Kaedama extra noodles later.

Admittedly, I’m making some bold claims ranking this as my favorite Hakata style ramen in Tokyo, but I might even take it a step further and say this is the best I’ve had outside of Fukuoka….it’s that good. Plating style has a lot of Tokyo influence. Haphazard, but still slightly organized. A generous ladle of creamy pork bone soup go in, followed by the thin, snappy Hakata style noodles. Basic toppings include a thin slice of pork chashu, half a hard boiled egg, a spoonful of negi green onions, and a sheet of nori dried seaweed…all very traditional to Nagahama/Hakata style tonkotsu ramen.

But what makes this bowl so special is this soup. Tons of pork bones go in to this overnight simmer, boiling down for hours to get the right flavor and consistency. I love how it’s not overly steeped, so you’re not gonna get that overboiled, intense, white tonkotsu stock. Rather, you get the tonkotsu that is true to Hakata/Nagahama style where the impactful flavors of the pork trumps everything else. I wouldn’t necessarily call it creamy, but it’s definitely emulsified and has a nice body to it that soothes your soul with every sip. From the Hakata ramen masters I’ve spoken to, the key to great tonkotsu soup is the stock pot. Almost like a well seasoned wok, an old stock pot will transfer the residual flavors of all the soup that has been steeped in it before. Those years of flavors seep in to the current stock and give it a flavor new stock pots just can’t replicate. With that said, Ramen Kenta supposedly brought their stock pot up from the shop he trained at in Fukuoka, giving it the special touch that reminds ramen heads of the authentic flavors of the south.

Have to say, noodles felt super authentic as well and I love these snappy strands which paired perfectly with the soup. I wouldn’t say it’s particularly difficult to execute the noodles since there are very competent noodle manufacturers that have experience with this style, but I thought the pairing with the soup was really on point and made the dish in my opinion. Portion size is a bit more generous than the typical bowl in Fukuoka, but I still felt the need to order an extra Kaedama after I finished. Very nice of them to offer both a full size and half size Kaedama extra noodles so I definitely recommend at least grabbing a half for the authentic Hakata experience.

In terms of toppings, I would say the Oitu-ru is the highlight of Kenta as you rarely see this in Tokyo. It’s essentially a long thin wonton wrapper that is cooked as if it were noodles. It soaks up the soup way better than the noodles since it has a bit higher water content and the wider shape allows for maximum flavor coverage making it taste incredible after sitting in the delicious soup. At the table is some kikurage wood ear mushrooms that you can add to your liking. I quite like the crunch it adds to the bowl so I usually add a spoonful in mid way through my meal for a bit of a texture contrast. Ground sesame seeds and pickled ginger is also available if you want some extra flavor, but if it’s your first time, I honestly would recommend just having it as is so you can really appreciate the bowl for what it is. If you do end up making a visit, let me know over on my instagram @ramenguidejapan!