I wasn't about to leave Hokkaido without trying some of their fresh seafood. And after spending a restless night in a haunted hotel, I couldn't wait for the morning market to open. Luckily, I found a place that let me in early. Hakodate is definitely a place for seafood, but don't you dare pass up the ramen either.
Four trains and six hours later, I finally arrived in Yonezawa. I thought it would be cold due to the higher elevation but it was actually quite hot. So hot that I had to change into a pair of shorts when I got to the hotel. Anyway, Yonezawa is a quiet, peaceful town that's similar to the town in Initial D. Although it's not Gunma, I bet there's a Fujuwara Tofu Shop somewhere close by. It also seems like every teenager drives a WRX. If that doesn't scream drift town I don't know what does. Yonezawa is most famous for their beef. Supposedly, it's better than the beef from that other city, but I wouldn't know. The town is also quite misleading. Don't ever trust the station map because everything here is further than it seems.
Although Ryushanhai is not typically refered to as being "Yonezawa Ramen", it wasn't something I wanted to pass up. This ramen is soulful and sinful with all the best intentions. The Karamiso is just incredible! I love this trip!
Yonezawa's traditional type is Shoyu. Sort of like this Shoyu Ramen from Ramen Wakou. It's very similar to Tokyo's Chuuka Soba, but has a distinct flavor from all that pepper. It's very light and absolutely refreshing. I'm not sure if the noodles were homemade, but they were the thin, curly kind.
Even though it made a huge dent in my wallet, I had to give it a try. The steak just melted in my mouth as if I had never even swallowed. Wow! It was incredibly tender.
Here are some more pics of the day. I may have a really hectic day with the trains tomorrow, so let's hope I don't get lost. Eventually I'll end the night back in Tokyo, so here's to my trip up north. Cheers!
wow that steak looks awsome! when you come back you can get a new bike!
ReplyDeleteMan, I haven't had a good steak in years...
ReplyDelete@paul: So what kind of bike are you buying me? Haha.
ReplyDelete@Brian: This steak was beyond good!
Hi Keizo,
ReplyDeleteSugoi! :) The trip is looking great so far. And the Yonezawa-Gyu looks tottemo oishii! :)
Thanks for another great post.