Day 6 - Welcome to Kushiro!

Kushiro is a city on the eastern edge of Hokkaido. It's a quiet town with a very laid back feel. The people seem to act much like the sea otters that swim in the nearby Kushiro river. They mind their own business and only appear in short stints. Everyone is friendly and will generously help if you ask. Their ramen is typically a light shoyu flavor made with chicken, katsuo, and onion. On this day, the cool, crisp air was perfect for it. Kushiro is also a great city to walk in. The various smells of fresh seafood and grilled fish fill the air.


The first ramen-ya I visited was Ginsui. Here I ordered the Shoyu Chashu Men--a favorite among the locals. It's a basic Kushiro-style ramen that was delicious. The soup provided a slight tanginess that was eloquently masked by the shoyu. In addition to the traditional ingredients, Ginsui also uses konbu. You also get to choose from two choices of chashu: fatty or not. I of course went with the fatty chashu and it was delightful. This might sound odd, but the fat almost crunched in my mouth as I bit into it. The noodles were very thin and flat without much texture, yet they matched the soup perfectly. Adding black pepper also gave it another level.


The second ramen-ya was recommended by the hotel receptionist. It was called Kushiro Ramen Kawamura. They also serve a traditional Kushiro-style ramen that is very light and pleasing to the palate. The chashu was a bit on the tough side, but housed some great flavoring. The noodles were virtually identical to Ginsui and once again matched the soup brilliantly.


Kushiro is definitely a relaxing, stress-free city and it is reflected in their ramen. I had a nice time here, even though it was only for one day. I even managed to take close to 300 pictures while walking around. But don't worry, I've narrowed it down to 69 for you all to see. Enjoy!

I'm exhausted and in need of some sleep. My train leaves for Asahikawa at 6:30am. So on this last note, goodnight Kushiro...

Day 5 - Lost in Ikebukuro, Cherry Blossom Rain, and a Gyoza Stadium

I woke up this morning with a craving for something spicy. Something hot to get my blood flowing and my forehead sweating. So that's when I decided to go try Mouko Tan Men Nakamoto--a Mongolian ramen-ya guaranteed to make you cry! The Ikebukuro branch is about 5 minutes from the JR line. The directions are slightly complicated so try to find the best route from this map.


I ordered the shop's namesake ramen, Mouko Tan Men, which is 3 out of 5 flames on their spicy scale. It's basically a Mabo Sauce in a base of miso with plenty of vegetables. After 10 minutes my sweat and tears started adding to the soup. Of course I'm kidding, but I can't imagine what 5 flames is like because I thought 3 was prettty darn hot. It was good, but not something I could eat everyday. It did a hell of a job satisfying my craving.


Since I was already in Ikebukuro, I decided to search for the gyoza stadium. I only vaguely remembered its general location from a map I saw the other day, so let's just say that that map was worthless. I ended up walking around for about an hour and I won't admit it if you ask me, but yes...I was lost. Being lost in Ikebukuro is not necessarily a bad thing. Not only were the beautiful Sakura petals raining down on me, but Ikebukuro is one of the best ramen towns in Tokyo.


When I finally found the gyoza stadium, there was just too much to comprehend. How can you possibly choose which gyoza shop to eat at. They all looked so good! I finally ended up trying one of them and as you'll see in the slideshow, it almost made me lose my appetite. It didn't matter. I was too full anyway.

I leave for Hokkaido in the early morning so I'll need to get some rest. And I still need to pack. Uh-oh. Anyway, my next post will come from Kushiro so wish me luck! See you in Hokkaido!

Day 4 - Making new ramen friends and reconnecting with old ones...

Today was one of those days created directly from the realm of dreams. There are no words to accurately describe it. It just happened. And it was great! Somehow, the cherry blossoms must be blooming magic...


It began with meeting Brian of Ramen Adventures at one of the most talked about ramen-ya's in all of Tokyo--Ivan Ramen. Brian was a cool, down-to-earth guy that undoubtedly enjoys ramen as much as I do. One of the best parts of having this blog, is being able to connect with people from all over the world based upon a single similarity. Today's experience was one not to be forgot!


You might remember my last visit to Ivan Ramen. The ramen (and its owner) left such a great impression that I would often dream about returning. The experience at Ivan Ramen can be special on multiple fronts. The food is outstanding and you'll leave with a great sense of Ivan's passion, as well as, feeling like you've made another lifelong friend.


Brian ordered the Shio Everything Ramen (top-right) and the Buta Roasted Tomato Meshi (top-left). I could spill the beans, but I won't. You'll just have to wait for his review. I ordered the Syoyu Everything Tsukemen. To be honest, I've been wanting to try this for a long time. The noodles (as with all Ivan's noodles) are freshly made in the prep room behind his kitchen. What sets these noodles apart though, is that they're made with rye flour. The tsukemen dipping sauce is also remarkable. Full of rich flavor that won't give you the feeling of being weighed down, a spicy hint that lurks in the background is what makes it magical.


After the three of us conversed for awhile about the overall joys of ramen, I got Ivan to sign a copy of his book. Talk about cool!! I'll definitely be back!


The rest of my day was spent reconnecting with old friends in Fujisawa, about an hour and a half south of Tokyo. I ate ramen at their favorite hangout (not a ramen-ya), ate some awesome French Toast atop Enoshima Island, and basked under the beautiful Sakura in Kamakura. My grandparents used to live in Kamakura, so it was nice to be back in city filled with my childhood memories.

One more day until I leave for Hokkaido. Ivan gave us some great recommendations so I might just have to try one before I depart. After all, he was the one who recommended Bassanova!

Day 3 - Saturday Stroll, Instant Ippudo, and Takadanobaba's Paichee Men

Tokyo has indeed become the hub of all ramen nationwide! Who needs to travel when you have everything right here? Well...that's a good question! BUT eating Hokkaido ramen in Tokyo isn't quite like eating it in Hokkaido so let's just put that baby to rest and enjoy the show...

Sometimes you just gotta walk around the city without an exact destination. And that's precisely what I did today. I've always heard good things about Takadanobaba and how it was home to "the next ramen boom." So instead of researching for the best place to go, I thought I'd wing it and let my instincts lead the way. I originally wanted to go to Ramen Jiro, but unfortunately they were closed. So that's when I stumbled upon Yatai Ramen Takaryu, a ramen-ya known for its Paichee Men (a white chicken specialty). And once I saw Amuro on the TV, I knew I had to enter.


From Takadanobaba station take exit 1 and make a left. Once you see the Ramen Jiro on the right, take a left on the next street and then a quick right. Takaryu will be on your left.

Day 2 - Raumen Museum, Sakura, and Ie-Kei Ramen

Another day...another ramen adventure! Today's highlighted city is Yokohama, where a visit to the Shinyokohama Raumen Museum yielded a new flavor, the Sakura was out in full-bloom, and I finally got to try the infamous "Ie-Kei" Ramen. What do you say we just go straight to the slide show? Good, glad we all agree! ^_^

This is Harukiya's "Mukashi" (old-style) Chuuka Soba. It's a limited edition that's reserved for 60 bowls/day. Much lighter than the current version, this is the stuff that put Tokyo Ramen on the map!


These noodles have to be some of the best around. But let's not give out any awards until after my trip. I could definitely call this museum home.


Here's the current version of Harukiya's Chuuka Soba. My feelings have not changed.


The "Ie-Kei" Ramen seen below was eaten at Sugita-ya, a branch of the well-known Yoshimura-ya. Extremely rich in flavor, adding the green garlic produces another transformation. I warn you, this ramen is heavy and not for the faint of heart. But do give it a try if you think you're ready.


The soup and noodles can be customized to your liking. I chose normal for everything, but I did notice that the more popular choice for noodles was katamen (hard). I'd say 8 out of 10 people ordered it that way while I was sitting there.


So that was Yokohama. I'm still not sure what I'll be doing tomorrow. But there's one thing I do know, if I don't reserve my hotels in Hokkaido, I could be SOL in the snow!