WHAT WE ATE
- Lemon Tonkotsu Ramen – 85/100, Nagasaki
- Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen – 75/100, Nagasaki
Menya Always in Nagasaki is a hidden gem for ramen lovers! Imagine a rich, creamy tonkotsu broth with a zesty twist of lemon, topped with fresh green onion—sounds intriguing, right? Their lemon tonkotsu ramen is a must-try, blending savory and refreshing notes perfectly. If you’re up for something different, their tsukemen is also a hit, with noodles you dip into a luscious, flavorful broth. The place is cozy and bustling, making every visit feel like a ramen adventure. Don’t miss out on this unique ramen experience!
Lemon Tonkotsu Ramen: 85/100
Noodle: 30/35
The noodles are thin and straight with a firm texture. The dense noodles come in five different levels of firmness to choose from—ranging from very soft to very hard. We ordered “hard” for this ramen, and it was served closer to “normal” compared to the average majority. The mouthfeel of the noodles, despite the varying firmness, is still great. The noodles are snappy and leave a clean bite, with a nice subtle earthy taste.
Soup: 30/35
The soup base is the same rich Tonkotsu as the other ramen, with some additional touches of lemon and variance in the tare. The broth is savory, sweet, and has the characteristic creaminess found in classic Tonkotsu. The unique spin here is the gradual lemon taste that keeps seeping into the soup as your meal goes along, bringing about a refreshing citrus zest—not too much, just enough not to overpower the meal. There’s also a very subtle black pepper undertone that gives a gentle nudge to the palate. Overall, the soup is the star here, as it remains rich yet refreshing until the last drop.
Meat: 15/20
The chashu consists of two thin but large slices of pork. The light marination and delicate cooking result in a pleasant pinkish hue on the meat. The texture is firm but juicy, with some parts more tender than others. The flavor of the pork and the sweetness of the meat itself are brought out well.
Topping: 10/10
The other toppings include some pleasantly acrid green onions and, most importantly, the lemon slices. We also ordered an extra topping of marinated egg, which we felt would be better left out, as the taste of the egg doesn’t pair well with the soup. The egg is quite salty and has a distinctive caramel-like taste. The mirin taste is also quite pronounced, which overall feels like taking a step back when eating the egg with this ramen.
Tonkotsu Ramen (Spicy): 75/100
Noodle: 30/35
The same noodles are used here as in the other Tonkotsu ramen variants. The noodles are thin and straight with a firm texture, coming in five different levels of firmness to choose from—ranging from very soft to very hard. We ordered “soft” for this ramen, and it was served closer to “very soft” compared to the average majority. The mouthfeel of the noodles, despite the varying firmness, is still great. The soft noodles remain snappy and leave a clean bite despite having a noticeably more bloated appearance.
Soup: 25/35
The same base Tonkotsu broth is used here. The broth is savory, sweet, and has the characteristic creaminess found in classic Tonkotsu. The spicy version has a small scoop of chili added, which gives it an additional layer of spiciness and a kick and burn at the end of each sip. The chili has a distinctively woody element to it, resulting in a subtly earthy and woody undertone once mixed in.
Meat: 15/20
The same meat is used here as in the other Tonkotsu variants. The chashu consists of two thin but large slices of pork. The light marination and delicate cooking result in a pleasant pinkish hue on the meat. The texture is firm but juicy, with some parts more tender than others. The flavor of the pork and the sweetness of the meat itself are brought out well.
Topping: 5/10
Other toppings are quite standard for classic Tonkotsu—green onion and black fungus. The toppings are minimal but adequate, adding a bit of crunch and freshness to the dish.
DISCLAIMER
One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Find out more about our palettes and how we evaluate our ramen here. 😉
