WHAT WE ATE
- Tonkotsu Ramen – 70/100, Osaka
- Shio-Ton Ramen – 70/100, Osaka
Mankai is an Osaka ramen chain that specializes in Hakata style Tonkotsu ramen. Their signature Hakata-style ramen features a pork soup that’s meticulously boiled for 16 hours using premium domestic pork. The special “Kamiku Soy Sauce,” a unique blend of Hakata Shoyu, enhances the broth’s flavor. The noodles, imported directly from Hakata, are known for their lightness and crispy texture, adding a delightful contrast to the rich, savory soup.
Note: Honestly, I think their Shio-Ton has more character. While their signature Tonkotsu is good, it feels like it’s trying a bit too hard to replicate the best Hakata ramen by importing noodles and ingredients.
Tonkotsu Ramen – 70/100
Noodle: 35/35
The noodles are the classic thin and straight Hakata style. They were cooked to a perfect al dente, offering a firm, hard, snappy, and clean bite.
Soup: 25/35
The soup is milky and creamy with a savory body, featuring a nice nutty lingering sweetness reminiscent of white peanuts.
Meat: 5/20
The meat, however, is rather disappointing. The texture is tough, with chewy fats that are hard to break apart. The marination is also light, insufficient to completely mask the porkiness.
Topping: 5/10
The other toppings are classic Hakata Tonkotsu: black fungus, bean sprouts, and green onion. There’s nothing particularly special about them.
Overall, this Tonkotsu Ramen features perfectly cooked Hakata-style noodles with a firm, snappy bite and a creamy, savory soup with a nutty sweetness. However, the tough, poorly marinated meat and the standard toppings detract from the overall experience.
Shio-Ton Ramen – 70/100
Noodle: 35/35
The same classic thin and straight Hakata style noodles are used here. Cooked to a perfect al dente, they offer a firm, hard, snappy, and clean bite.
Soup: 30/35
The menu describes this as “Scallop Tonkotsu.” The soup starts with a milky, creamy sweetness, followed by a savory body and a subtle spicy undertone. The base broth is a clean-tasting Tonkotsu, smooth and creamy without heavy porkiness. The “Tare” is a blend of Shoyu and “Scallop oil,” creating a layered and mellow sweetness between the scallop and pork broth.
Meat: 5/20
The same meat is used here. Unfortunately, the texture is tough, with chewy fats that are hard to break apart. The marination is light, insufficient to completely mask the porkiness.
Topping: 0/10
The toppings include seaweed and some sweet onion slices, which hardly add any taste. The eggs are over-marinated and quite salty. Overall, the toppings hardly made any impact on the meal, either in taste or visual appeal.
Overall, this Shio-Ton Ramen features perfectly cooked Hakata-style noodles and a well-layered scallop-infused Tonkotsu soup. However, the tough, poorly marinated meat and lackluster toppings significantly detract from the overall experience.
DISCLAIMER
One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Find out more about our palettes and how we evaluate our ramen here. 😉
