Road trip to Kagoshima!
Well, not really a road trip per se. I had work in Kagoshima on a Saturday, and work in neighboring Miyazaki on Sunday. Though the work load is light, the travel between hotels is quite far, leaving little in the way of free time. So I cam a day early, and ate a couple bowls of ramen.
Sanpei is one of the area's famous shops. While most shops in Kagoshima serve up budget bowls that I personally think are a bit underwhelming, Sanpei goes all in with a homemade miso base.
Black miso.
According to locl lore, this part of Japan created black miso. It's a blend of a few different Kyushu countryside misos, and has the benefit of being made without all the oil that miso ramen usually has.
Like other "black" bowls (Taiki in Toyama comes to mind), the taste is intense and spiked with black pepper.
Not too intense for me, but it might not be for you. In case you can't tell from the photos, the pork is a thick stewed block of deliciousness.
Official site here.
