JPN: Ganso Hakata Mentaiju (元祖博多めんたい重)
Choose your favourite: 'mentaiko' soup, rice or noodle?
Fukuoka, Japan is well-known for mentaiko (lit. pollock roe), which actually originated from South Korea. Ganso Hakata Mentaiju is a renowned restaurant serving high quality mentaiko with incredible freshness, so my BFFs and I decided to have lunch there.
Before being ushered to your seat, you'll be asked to take a small wooden plaque corresponding to your desired level of spiciness for your mentaiko order.
Fukuoka, Japan is well-known for mentaiko (lit. pollock roe), which actually originated from South Korea. Ganso Hakata Mentaiju is a renowned restaurant serving high quality mentaiko with incredible freshness, so my BFFs and I decided to have lunch there.
Before being ushered to your seat, you'll be asked to take a small wooden plaque corresponding to your desired level of spiciness for your mentaiko order.
Hanmensui Set ¥3,380 (~S$42.20)
Taste: 8/10
The
dish is written as 飯麺吸セット on the menu. The set comprises a rice dish, a noodle dish and a cup of soup.
It's advisable that you to try tasting the top layer of the soup first before digging into the bottom part of the cup. The chicken broth was deliciously hearty, mixing well with the flavours of the homemade tofu and mentaiko. Provided on a separate container was a small dollop of mentaiko to make the soup even more robust.
Mentai Soup (Set Menu)
Taste: 8.5/10
It's advisable that you to try tasting the top layer of the soup first before digging into the bottom part of the cup. The chicken broth was deliciously hearty, mixing well with the flavours of the homemade tofu and mentaiko. Provided on a separate container was a small dollop of mentaiko to make the soup even more robust.
Mentaiju (Set Menu)
Taste: 8/10
Supposedly the star of the restaurant, the rice dish featuring a kelp-wrapped mentaiko 'sausage' on a bed of steaming hot rice garnished with seaweed was tasty, but I wouldn't say it was spectacular.
The mentaiko was undoubtedly rich in taste, though I wouldn't eat it without rice as it could grow rather salty on the tongue. The dark sauce (not shown) was delectably sweet and salty, but it also added to the overall saltiness level of the dish. Pika's advice: I had my mentaiko raw, but you can choose to have it grilled.
Mentai Nikomi Tsukemen (Set Menu)
Taste: 8.5/10
The tsukemen (Japanese noodle dish eaten by dipping the noodle strands into a broth) fared better in my opinion. From the photo, I'm sure you can imagine how thick and rich that slow-cooked broth was. I really enjoyed the chewy thick noodle strands dipped into that bowl of heaven that wasn't overly salty.
Special Clear Soup (Set Menu)
Taste: 9/10
Served alongside the tsukemen was a sizeable vacuum pot full of clear soup that could be poured into the leftover broth for you to savour it to the last drop. However, I'd prefer to drink the soup on its own as it was really aromatic and sweet, thanks to the fresh prawns used in the making.
Nishi Nakasu Ryotei Pudding ¥680 (~S$8.50)
Taste: 9/10
The
dessert is written as 西中洲料亭プリン on the menu, which has apparently attracted a number of celebrities who keep coming back for more. I could understand why after taking my first spoonful of the velvety pudding topped with caramel jelly with its intense sweet and bitter taste.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 8.5/10
Ambience: 8.5/10
Service: 8.5/10
Overall: 8.5/10
That was a fulfilling lunch for sure, though I must say I'm still taking a break from mentaiko stuff at the point of writing after having it for quite a number of days in Kyushu last December.
Ganso Hakata Mentaiju
(元祖博多めんたい重)
6-15 Nishinakasu
Chuo, Fukuoka
Japan
(Daily: 7.00am - 10.30pm)
*Prices quoted are subject to 10% VAT.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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