らぁ麺 鳳仙花
Lighter fish as an ingredient in ramen has been all the rage these days, and Hosenka uses the elegant kinmedai as their choice of fish. 金目鯛 is splendid alfonsino in English, which probably doesn't help most people. If you live in Japan and enjoy fish, you are most likely a fan.
It is often served raw when in season at higher-end sushi shops. When cooked, the entire fish gets braised in soy sauce and mirin. It is a treat accentuated by the fish's golden orange color.
Don't expect your ramen to taste like your sushi or 煮物. Instead, it imparts a subtle ocean flavor into the broth. Have you had tai ramen before? Shops using tai snapper are much more common, and the two styles are quite similar.
This soup uses ara; leftover fish bones. While the kinmedai is the main, the rest is based on availability. Remember, fish is very seasonal in Japan, so you work with what you can get.
The eggs from a company called Maximum Koitamago are divine.
Apart from the excellent ramen, they do a kinmedai chazuke. Rice with a sliver of fish topped with left over soup.
An awesome shop in Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district. There are eight or nine ramen shops in half a square block here, so standing out can be a challenge. Hosenka stands out.
Those eggs though!
