Welcome to Hell…Hell’s Dandan Noodles Tenryu in Kanagawa

We descend into Dandan’s inferno.

The choice between Heaven and Hell seems like an easy one, but when you think about it, Hell does have its charm and seems to have all the cool music. They just have harps up in Heaven, and who wants to listen to harp music for all eternity?

Now, Hell is making the case for having better food too, if Hell’s Dandan Noodles Tenryu (Jikoku No Dandanmen Tenryu) is any indication. It’s ramen attractive enough to lure our writer Takuya Inaba through the gates of Hell at their location in Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture, with their main restaurant being in Hiratsuka City.

He would have been lying if he said he wasn’t nervous about the level of pain Hell’s Dandan Noodles Tenryu appeared capable of dishing out. Right inside was the skeleton of some lost soul whose flesh was apparently torn asunder by the spiciness of this ramen.

Takuya perused the menu and was surprised by the wide range of spiciness offered, using terms like “beginner” and “professional,” along with some other non-spicy items. It was all very accommodating of Hell.

Since this was his first time, our writer decided to get a beginner’s bowl of Hell’s Dandan Noodles, at a spiciness rating of five, for 900 yen (US$6.24). He figured it was probably best not to take Hell too lightly.

The soup was very thick and rich with a sesame flavor that was delectable. Despite it being a “beginner” level ramen, it was still very spicy. However, it was more of an exquisite spiciness that highlighted the overall deliciousness of everything.

The flat-but-fat noodles were fantastic and blended perfectly with the thickness of the soup.

There was also a large pile of meat and miso piled on top, making this soup as hearty as any meal.

Takuya recommends ordering it with a side of rice porridge for an extra 150 yen.

By pouring it into the leftover broth, he could enjoy it all to the very last drop.

The ramen was so delicious that our writer polished it off in a few minutes. Although spicy, he would describe this more as Heaven than Hell. But upon realizing that, he was filled with regret…

Everyone else in the restaurant that day was eating a “professional” level soup with a spiciness rating of 30. That same bowl was pictured at the entrance and very likely the most popular item.

He knew that coming in, but just couldn’t bring himself to utter the word “30” and chickened out. But could he really give an accurate review of Hell without sampling their signature dish?

So, the next day, he journeyed back to the entrance of Hell…

This time he confidently ordered a professional bowl with a 30 spiciness rating for 1,050 yen.

The bowl that appeared before him looked much more menacing than last time, being six times spicier.

There was a layer of oil on the surface that was different from before. Takuya hesitantly tasted it and the spiciness hit him like a slap in the face, activating his sweat glands.

He dug in deeper to retrieve some noodles and the blast from his first bite was even more intense. But underneath it was a deep umami taste that was top-notch.

Each bite and slurp was a tangle of agony and ecstasy. It seemed as if the flavor was even more robust than his previous bowl, but that was probably to compensate for the added heat.

Even well into the bowl, Takuya was trying to ignore the elephant in the ramen bowl. There was a big pile of meat and miso like last time, but now sizable chunks of chili pepper were mixed in.

Hell’s full fury awaited him. He couldn’t run away from it this time and was duty-bound to try it.

Takuya had finally felt the flames of Hell.

It was so spicy he could cry, but the huge wallop of umami made it tolerable and even addictive in a strange way.

He also ordered a side of raw egg to dilute the spiciness. It couldn’t really do much to hold back the onslaught of Hell’s Dandan Noodles, but it was a very nice combination.

In the end, it was far too spicy for Takuya to join the clean bowl club like the day before. Still, despite the pain, the pleasure of eating it won him over and he could see himself coming back for more sometime.

A waiter informed our writer that even higher levels of spiciness were offered that go off the charts. So, if you’re a fan of spicy food and really like it hot, Hell’s Dandan Noodles Tenryu will probably meet your needs. Just make sure you know your limit so you don’t end up in the hospital like those kids a while back.

Restaurant information
Hell’s Dandan Noodles Tenryu Atsugi Interchange Shop / 地獄の担担麺 天竜 厚木インター店
Address: Kanagawa-ken, Atsugi-shi, Okata 3-16-26
神奈川県厚木市岡田3-16-26
Hours: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. / 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. (Mon – Fri); 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. (weekends, holidays)
Open all year round

Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit: