This is probably the first time I’ve said this since I’ve been in Japan, but that was vile. I’ve lived here a couple years and travelled quite a bit, and had lots of different local dishes, but this was one I don’t think I could get used to.
We had been walking around and throughout the night we had been smelling a sort of old dirty sock smell, but had been chalking it up to sewer smell and not worrying about it. I finally wanted to stop in and try a local hakata tonkatsu ramen place that a local friend recommended to me. We walked in and were greeted by that same smell.
Everyone was great, we chatted with the cooks and ordered, figuring that maybe it was a smell outside the store and we just got unlucky that night.
After talking to them, they told me that they didn’t change out their broth? They seemed surprised I liked it? I didn’t think I understood correctly so I just kind of laughed it off, we ate our food and went on our way. I looked it up after and they really don’t change their broth. It’s just indefinitely cooking there.
I can still smell the smell in my nose and taste it in my throat. I can safely say this is not for me. Can anyone tell me what they like about this? I’ve never been a picky eater but man, this is something else entirely. It really smells like my socks from my old football days, and my wife keeps telling me it smells like rotten fish. Is it an acquired taste thing like durian?
by Narwal_Party