Neonora
Today, I took a break to get a physical examination, and the tests went smoothly! Once you're over 30, you start to notice some not-so-great things about your health... From tomorrow, I'll start taking better care of myself... But for today, I'm going to drink! (Contrary to what I felt at lunch after the physical examination...) I had my physical examination at Yamao Hospital, so I decided to explore the Nishishin area... I visited this restaurant for the first time in over 10 years! It was a place where my senior colleague from my part-time job used to take me after work because he liked the ramen here! Back in my student days, I admired the idea of going out for drinks after work... I was always happy when my senior said, "Let's stop by." I passed by the restaurant for the first time in a while, and memories from back then came flooding back... I was glad to see that the restaurant was still there! I decided to pay a visit after so long! The exterior looks the same as it did back then, but the interior seems to have been upgraded... It looks quite stylish now! There is a variety of liquor displayed above the kitchen... I wonder if they renovated the place? The restaurant has 8 counter seats, and 4 tables in the dining area. I looked at the menu and ordered something that caught my eye before heading home! - Skewers: Chicken skin (120 yen), Miso chicken thigh (180 yen), Pork belly (140 yen), Chicken meat (140 yen) - Grilled dumplings (550 yen) - Kirin Classic Lager, small bottle (590 yen) The skewers were cooked using steam convection instead of charcoal, which might make the oil drain off well and result in a refreshing taste! The skewers arrived at my seat in less than 10 minutes! The chicken skin had a chewy texture, and the soy-based sauce made it go well with alcohol! The Miso chicken thigh had a crispy texture, and the miso flavor and aroma were great! The pork belly and chicken meat had just the right amount of salt and were consistently delicious! Next up was the dumplings! They were larger than the usual size found in Hakata, with homemade wrappers! The chewy texture of the wrapper and the filling made of leeks, cabbage, ginger, and plenty of vegetables! The flavor was light and refreshing! With 6 large pieces, they filled me up more than I expected... For the final dish, I ordered the one I came here for in the first place! - Healthy Salt Ramen (580 yen) The name of the ramen is perfect for right after a physical examination! The restaurant uses pure domestically produced natural sea salt, made from seawater as the only ingredient and simmered slowly in a flat pot to retain the minerals of the sea salt... They then simmer pork bones and vegetables for a long time, remove the oil, and reduce the salt content while bringing out the richness, creaminess, and umami flavor! While I was transcribing the explanation, the Healthy Salt Ramen was ready! The toppings included only chashu pork and green onions, keeping it simple! Yes, that's it! It hasn't changed at all from back then! I started by trying the soup, which the restaurant emphasizes... It was thick and had a gentle pork bone base flavor! The balance between the saltiness and the umami of the pork bones was just right... It wasn't too strong, probably because the vegetables were fresh... It had a clear pork bone taste, making it very easy to eat! The thin straight noodles were cooked perfectly soft! The salt-seasoned pork belly chashu was light and flavorful! The overall light flavor made it perfect for a meal like this! It was a ramen that brought back nostalgic feelings after a long time! I haven't tried their popular Daruma ramen, so next time, I'll go with a few friends... It would be fun to go with the group we used to go with back then!