Toriden, the famous mizutaki (chicken hot pot) purveyor, has forayed into the tantanmen business after the rave reviews generated by the tantanmen lunch at its Yakuin shop. Using mizutaki stock as the base, the rich soup contains four kinds of chili peppers, original chili oil, and sesame paste. The aroma of sesame and the bite of the chilis combined with the underlying essence of chicken are a delight to the senses, especially the taste buds! Enjoyed as a whole, the dish is very well-balanced, with firm noodles, sweet chicken miso, a marinated soft-boiled egg, crunchy scallions, leeks and bean sprouts. The citrusy ponzu, yuzu-gosho (citrus pepper) and other condiments are all homemade, and the two-piece karaage (fried chicken) dish—one thigh and one breast—is also quite popular. (You can add it as set, too.) If you find yourself out and about near Hakata Station, you can stop by their shop inside Kitte Hakata.
Menu (tax incl.): Hakata tantanmen ¥890, soupless tantanmen ¥890, sesame chicken soba ¥890, fried chicken (2 pc.) ¥300, red hot chili chicken wing (2 pc.) ¥380, fried chicken cartilage ¥350, white rice ¥150, Hakata-style raw egg on rice ¥480
*Prices to change from Oct. 1, 2019 following tax increase
*Foreign language menu: English, Chinese, Korean / Credit cards accepted (Visa, Mastercard, DC, Diners, UnionPay) / Reservations not required / No smoking
Originally published in Fukuoka Now Magazine (fn229, Jan. 2018)
