Tried Gifu Tanmen for the First Time!

I stopped by Gifu Tanmen. Every time I pass this place, there’s always a line out front. And sure enough, on this day too, I joined a queue of about 20 people.

There’s only one type of ramen on the menu. The way it works is: pick your spice level (from 1 to 5), then choose your toppings.

Protein powder? Seriously…?

I think I waited about 30 minutes. Finally got a seat.

Here it is: Gifu Tanmen at spice level 3.

Strong garlic punch.

The flavor… honestly, I think I could recreate it at home using Marutai ramen. Boil cabbage and sliced pork first, then use that broth to cook the noodles as usual. Squeeze in a generous amount of garlic paste and add about a teaspoon of soy sauce. Top it off with a dollop of doubanjiang. I feel like that would get you pretty close. I’m still not sure why people line up for it though…

That’s all.

“You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food.” — Paul Prudhomme