Greetings once again, faithful readers!
i write today in a thankful mood. why, you might ask? i shall tell you. i write this just having returned from what may be the greatest dining experience in all of Kyushu. i speak of the Solid Gold Ramen eatery, run by Mr Charisma (footnote: these are obviously not the correct names. i simply lack the Japanese skill to understand the Kanji on the sign).
to find Solid Gold Ramen, walk towards the mountains from Nakatsu Station, on the right of the road. look for a small, unassuming storefront illuminated by the characteristic red lanterns. to enter this dining heaven is to recieve a cheery greeting in jovial Japanese, along with a rapid-fire conversation that may well overwealm ones Nigongo lexicon (especially if you are like me).
"Niniku ramen, onegai shimas" ("may i have Garlic Ramen, please") you say in a cheery voice, warmed by this enthusiastic welcome.
what follows is the kind of cooking that can only be developed through years of practice. several large cloves of garlic are crushed beneath a wooden mallet and dropped into a wok so well-seasoned it gleams with a shiny, jet-black finish, where they are swiftly fried until brown and tender, all the while filling the air with a mouth-watering aroma. a ladle of milky broth is added in a deft gesture, along with quick yet careful measurings of spices. the broth, complete, is poured into the waiting bowl.
a handful of noodles, with a careless grace, is dropped into a vast pot of ever-boiling water and left for just the right amount of time to attain perfection. strained in a seive and beaten with long Hashi (that no mere water might dilute the flavourful broth) the noodles are placed in the bowl. beansprouts, dried seaweed and two (always two) pieces of shaved pork are added last, a full stop to the culinary paragraph.
you slurp the noodles, safe in the knowledge that this is quite accepted in Japan, indeed, it is held by some to improve the flavour of the broth. the mix of spice, sweet-pungent garlic and a slight element of fish taste from the seaweed combine in the mouth so present an experience that can only be described with the word ALIVE. this is the food of life. it is real, in a way that so much food in this prepackaged world is not. the taste lingers long after you have paid and left, the cheerful farewell of Mr Charisma following you as you set forth once again, fortified and healthy.
keep your filet mignion, your sushi and your escargot. i seek food that screams ALIVE! keep your gazpacho, your risotto and your fugu. not for me is fast food, leaden in the gut and depressing to the soul. "My love is otherwise". others may take their cultured foods, elegant morsels on a vast white plate, but i want something more.
i'll be filling soul and body both at Solid Gold Ramen.
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