Ganso Nagahamaya

It is no exaggeration to say that Ganso Nagahamaya (a.k.a. Gannaga) is the holy land of Fukuoka’s tonkotsu ramen, with its store right in front of the Nagahama Fresh Fish Market. All of these features that are now familiar in Fukuoka’s tonkotsu ramen, such as the ultra-thin noodles created to serve ramen to market workers as quickly as possible and the Kaedama, which allows customers to order additional noodles only, all originated at this ramen shop.

The shop started as a food stall in 1952 and has been in business for 72 years this year… During that time, there have been some hard times, such as the split with Ganso Ramen Nagahama-ke, but it still boasts outstanding name recognition as the original Nagahama ramen store, and is a popular store that attracts many customers every day. I was deeply moved to be able to visit such a legendary restaurant. One day when I was in Hakata on business, I walked from Tenjin, the hotel where I was staying, to the Ganso Nagahamaya around 8:00 in the morning. I wonder what the original Nagahama Ramen, which is famous nationwide, tastes like? I’m really looking forward to it…

Even with a storefront, it still has the atmosphere of a food stall… Ganso Nagahamaya is a restaurant like this

Ganso Nagahamaya used to operate in two separate stores, the main store and a branch, but in 2010, both stores were merged and reopened at the current location. It has a magnificent appearance that reminds one of a rather large ramen store, so you can probably find the store easily if you come to the neighborhood…

Before entering the restaurant, customers purchase a meal ticket from the ticket vending machine located in the front of the store. The food menu consists of only one choice like this: ramen (550 yen including tax). The rest of the menu consists of Kaedama (Noodle refill, 150 yen including tax), Kaeniku (Meat refill, 100 yen including tax), and alcohol, a lineup that is sure to be a hit with drinkers.

Upon entering the restaurant, there were four tables with seating for up to five people. The tables and chairs are simple ones that can be moved or removed, and if you take them all away, the seating area becomes a truly empty space. It was kind of like a restaurant that was indoors but still retained the atmosphere of a food stall…. Of course, all the tables are shared. The building is new and beautiful, but there is a sense of nostalgia for the Showa period.

This is what local Fukuoka residents do! Let us explain the rules for customization when ordering at Ganso Nagahamaya!

At Ganso Nagahamaya, we can ask the waiter to customize our ramen when we hand over our meal ticket (free of charge, of course). The customizable items are “amount of oil,” “noodle hardness,” “amount of green onions,” and “amount of meat,” each of which can be…

• Amount of oil: From the highest to the lowest, Beta>Choi Beta>Normal>Nashi
• Noodle hardness: from hardest to softest, Nama (crunchy)>Kata>Normal>Yawa
• Leek amount: From most to least, Negi mori > Negi oome > Normal > Negi nashi
• Amount of meat: From most to least, Normal>Nashi

Above is a list of words that can be used together. These words are combined to order, for example, “Nashi Kata Negi oome (meaning no oil, hard noodles, and more green onions)” (if you don’t say anything, the order is all normal). The terminology is a little different from other restaurants, for example, “Balikata,” which has become famous nationwide, is now “nama,” so you may need to be a little careful there. Well, it is still understood even if you order as “Balikata”…

One more thing about how to order “Kaedama”. When ordering a second helping of noodles, it is a rule to add “tama” to the “hardness of the noodles” above. For example, “Kata-tama” means “hard-boiled noodles”. Like some Jiro-inspired ramen restaurants, you will not get angry with the waiter if you miss a call, but we travelers would like to be able to order smartly, wouldn’t we?

I tried the original Nagahamaya’s “Beta Nama,” which is now nationally famous through the Internet! So, how was it?

This time, I ordered “Beta Nama” at Ganso Nagahamaya, a ramen that has become famous nationwide via the Internet. It only took a minute or two after ordering, and the bowl of ramen arrived in no time at all…

The oil is connected along the edge of the bowl to form a circle. The amount of oil in this ramen is as expected… This may be a food that can cause a terrible situation if you eat it when you have an upset stomach.

In fact, when I sipped the soup, especially the first sip, it was extremely oily, but the soup itself tasted quite light. It has a light pork bone flavor and a light saltiness. There is no pork bone smell at all, which people who dislike pork bones hate. As long as the amount of oil is adjusted, the flavor is acceptable not only for the marketeers, but also for us ordinary people as breakfast.

On the other hand, the noodles I ordered were, in a word, “raw. They were not “hard,” but “raw. The noodles have a chewy texture when they are freshly boiled. I honestly don’t like it, but I can understand why it is popular among those who like sharp things together with the “stickiness” of the oil.

The toppings include several thin slices of red meat. It really can be eaten in a perishable manner, so it is not hard at all to come here to eat it as breakfast. Since the extra meat is only 100 yen, you can even have a second helping of meat in the morning if you want. Even if you add 3 extra portions of meat, you will still get your change back in 1000 yen bills…

To be honest, the “Beta Nama” was not my favorite, but the ramen itself at the Ganso Nagahamaya was very easy to eat and “as good as can be”. It is not flashy, but it has a light flavor that can be accepted by anyone, a wide variety of customization possibilities, and a price tag of only 550 yen per bowl nowadays. It is no wonder that the shop has been in business for over 70 years….

How about a morning ramen before going to Nagahama Fresh Fish Market? To get to Ganso Nagahamaya, walk 11 minutes from the nearest station, Akasaka Station on the Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line.

As the ramen at Ganso Nagahamaya is perfect for morning ramen like this, I recommend that foodie travelers who want to enjoy Fukuoka’s gourmet food visit the restaurant in the morning hours. That way, you can go to different restaurants for lunch and dinner, and make the most of your limited time. This will be the best morning for you, especially if you like to spend the morning at the fish market. The Nagahama Fresh Fish Market opens late, at 8:00 a.m., so you can use it as a morning rah-rah before that….

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…