Wednesday, January 26, 2011

頑者 (Ganja in Kawagoe)

頑者

20110126-DSC_4813

Work out in Saitama gave me an excuse to check out Mega Ganja in Kawagoe. But time was of the essence, as I was meeting one of my site followers with just enough time to eat and make my lesson.

20110126-DSC_4810

I wasn't in that much of a rush.

20110126-DSC_4811

So when we arrived at Mega Ganja, it was closed. Finding this place was quite an adventure, though I think it would be a bit easier with the massive line that I'm sure is prevalent during business hours. I quickly went to plan B. Ganja. Didn't you just say Ganja? No, I said Mega Ganja. I'll explain later, things are looking bad on the wristwatch.

20110126-DSC_4815

Ganja had, as expected, a massive line. They do things like the recently closed Rokurinsha. Empty every seat, then bring in the next 11 people. Only when they finish will the next batch of customers be allowed in. It's a bit slower than normal, but an interesting way to run a shop. We waited about a 45 minutes.

20110126-DSC_4817

The tsukemen is good, it's your standard tonkotsu gyokai style. A bit fishier than most, and not quite as thick. Definitely well made. I always say that there are too many of these types of shops, but up in countryside Saitama, this is probably the only shop for miles around.

20110126-DSC_4820

Ganja has actually been around for a while, but recently has really blown up. They took their success, evident with their inclusion at the Yokohama Raumen Museum, and opened a few other shops in Kawagoe. The one I really want to see is called Mega Ganja, a junk style stop with mounds of pork fat piled on top of your cheese noodles. You'll just have to wait!

Oh, I ate this bowl in record speed, ran to the station, caught an express train, ran to my lesson, and made it with 4 minutes to spare. Nice!


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Amazing ramen. The every time I've gone we wait about an hour outside. Staff came out & pre ordered; when we sat down the ramen was finished & presented. All of the components were at their best; making a bowl that was greater than the sum of it's parts. While Chefs are very busy, they were also friendly and appreciated our complements. I always stop by when i'm in Kawagoe.