Kouryu Ramen—康龍拉麵

In the night of September, 2008, after visiting three customers within one day, I was trying finding something good to eat on the streets of Shinjuku. The night was not young, but people were lining up in front of this Kouryu Ramen, and poor A-Mao was in a dilemma as to whether to eat ramen—most of them were too salty for me—to refill my battery or to keep on search. Eventually, I gave ramen another chance.

在九月的某個晚上，結束了追趕跑跳碰客戶拜訪行程，饑餓的我在新宿街頭覓食遊蕩。猛然瞥見有家拉麵（康竜ラーメン）門口有群食客排隊，頓時苦惱了起來：真的好累好餓喔！這麼晚了，還有人排隊的店家，一定不會難吃，試試看啦；喂喂喂！上次來日本時不是跟自己說好，不再吃鹹死人不償命的拉麵嗎？吃或不吃、不吃或吃，竟弄得如此傷神。不過最後，疲憊的雙腿還是站在康龍店前、讓疲倦的雙手自販賣機購買餐券、好填飽撫慰疲乏的靈魂。

Very impressing customized service. By an order sheet, my noodles is not firm nor tender, the richness of tonkotsu soup is as light as possible, normally oily & spicy flavor would be a safe choice, and Hakata spring onion & chashu (roasted pork) are selected, of course. In addition to half boiled egg ordered additionally, from eight toppings, I picked karashi-takana, more spring onion, dried seaweed from the Ariake Sea, and kakuni (simmered pork).

呵呵……康龍拉麵還真是把「客製化」的服務精神發展到極緻咧！請參考照片，A-Mao首次的訂單是：麵條要既不軟又不硬、鹹度要好味卻淡到不會讓腎臟有負擔、豚骨湯頭要肥而不膩瘦而不柴、又幼又香的蔥花不要可真是暴殄天物、辣味適量夠提味就好、加上入味的多汁帶油叉燒。這種選擇權，恐怕連那些銀行家，也會斟酌好那麼一會吧？除了追加的糖心蛋，還能在其他七種物件中、挑出四種心頭好，畫一個圈：辛子高菜、更多的博多蔥花，有明海苔、還有扣肉雀屏中選。

About tasting ramen, the louder, the better. Strange from Japanese normal behavior, isn't it? Except for kakuni, anyway, each instrument was played so well that A-Mao has made an optimal option which only smart bankers can achieve. Next time, I will replace kakuni by menma (dried bamboo shoots).

欣喜卻又不安的等待中，週遭的人吃麵的聲音，真的是無敵大聲；啊日本人到底是怎樣？用聽覺來刺激強化味覺嗎？反正，總而言知、言而摠之、總之而言，這次總算是吃到合A-Moa胃口的拉麵了：糖心蛋的鹹香甘美，叫人幸福地起雞皮疙瘩；麵條是細細直直的，能滿滿地攜帶鮮味滿點的馥郁湯頭；有明海苔、辛子高菜與博多蔥花的各別馨香，讓吃麵與喝湯，多了好多好多的口感、以及嗅覺和味覺的變化；不過，跟軟嫩的叉燒一比，扣肉就沒個性地遜色了！【康龙拉面】

People-Mountain-People-Sea Shinjuku Station—人山人海的新宿駅