Restaurants
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Daitō Soba (元祖大東ソバ) at Daitō Soba (元祖大東ソバ)
Recommended bowl: Minamidaitōjima style
This centrally located shop takes inspiration from Minamidaitōjima, a small island located east of Okinawa where the master is from. The main menu offering is Okinawa-style soba, served in a chicken, pork and katsuo based soup. The noodles are housemade, cut slightly thicker than the traditional Okinawa style.... More
Recommended bowl: Minamidaitōjima style
This centrally located shop takes inspiration from Minamidaitōjima, a small island located east of Okinawa where the master is from. The main menu offering is Okinawa-style soba, served in a chicken, pork and katsuo based soup. The noodles are housemade, cut slightly thicker than the traditional Okinawa style. Most customers order the Daitō sushi set, which includes a bowl of noodles and two pieces of nigiri sushi, usually kajiki (swordfish). True to form, the sushi is done Minamidaitōjima style, with the fish marinated in soy sauce and mirin before it's formed into sushi. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Banya (中華そば ばんや) at Banya (中華そば ばんや)
Recommended bowl: Shoyu chashumen
All of the water used at this shop goes through a special filtration process. The soup is a light shoyu base, paired with temomi-style noodles that are special ordered and made using flour from Hokkaido. Other key ingredients include Okinawan sea salt. No MSG. The chashu soba is quite popular, served with extra slices... More
Recommended bowl: Shoyu chashumen
All of the water used at this shop goes through a special filtration process. The soup is a light shoyu base, paired with temomi-style noodles that are special ordered and made using flour from Hokkaido. Other key ingredients include Okinawan sea salt. No MSG. The chashu soba is quite popular, served with extra slices of pork belly chashu and minced meat. Open since 2002. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Ajisai (あじさい 本店) at Ajisai (あじさい)
Recommended bowl: Roots to 1930
One of the most famous ramen shops in Hakodate, with some of the deepest roots. This shop opened as a Chinese restaurant back in 1930, then years later changed to ramen only. These days the flagship is located on the second floor of a modern building at a large intersection in front of the Goryōkaku Tower. The soup... More
Recommended bowl: Roots to 1930
One of the most famous ramen shops in Hakodate, with some of the deepest roots. This shop opened as a Chinese restaurant back in 1930, then years later changed to ramen only. These days the flagship is located on the second floor of a modern building at a large intersection in front of the Goryōkaku Tower. The soup stock is made mostly from chicken bones and pork, as well as kombu from the southern part of Hokkaido, niboshi and ginger. Natural Mongolian rock salt is used in the shio tare. Each bowl comes topped with fu (wheat gluten) and four different green vegetables — negi, mizuna, mitsuba and nira. Noodles supplied by Okada Seimen, and run by master Tedori-san. For many regulars, this is the best bowl in Hakodate. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Aji Ichi (中華 味一) at Chuuka Ajiichi (中華 味一)
Recommended bowl: Fried rice & tanmen
The menu here is inspired by Master Hiroshi Imano's former favorite Chinese restaurant, Aji Ichiban in Mita, which closed down years ago. The house specialty is not ramen but the cha-han (fried rice), which almost all customers order in some form. The rice used is a special variety, with a slightly harder grain... More
Recommended bowl: Fried rice & tanmen
The menu here is inspired by Master Hiroshi Imano's former favorite Chinese restaurant, Aji Ichiban in Mita, which closed down years ago. The house specialty is not ramen but the cha-han (fried rice), which almost all customers order in some form. The rice used is a special variety, with a slightly harder grain than regular rice. A few versions of cha-han are available, including one served with pork back fat. The ramen go-to is tanmen, an old school, blue collar bowl of shio soup piled with vegetable like cabbage and bean sprouts. Noodles special ordered. Open since 2006, with a second branch in Danang, Vietnam open since 2014. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Taikou (拉麺 大公) at Ra-Men Taikou (拉麺大公)
Recommended bowl: Yaki miso
This shop serves Sapporo-style 'yaki' miso, cooked in a wok. The soup is made using pork bones, chicken, beef, dried fish and vegetables. The noodles are ordered from Fukushima prefecture. Shiro (white) miso and kome koji miso are added to lard and flash fried on high heat before the soup is added. Master Hayama-san is a... More
Recommended bowl: Yaki miso
This shop serves Sapporo-style 'yaki' miso, cooked in a wok. The soup is made using pork bones, chicken, beef, dried fish and vegetables. The noodles are ordered from Fukushima prefecture. Shiro (white) miso and kome koji miso are added to lard and flash fried on high heat before the soup is added. Master Hayama-san is a self-taught ramen chef. The shop opened in 2013 but has already moved locations once. The chashumen is a popular menu item. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Hanada (中華そば はな田) at Hanada (中華そば はな田)
Recommended bowl: Metoki inspired
This shop serves large bowls of Tokyo-style shoyu with a hot layer of oil. The ramen here is inspired by Metoki, a legendary shop in Okubo whose master trained at the even more legendary Eifuku Taishouken. The bowls contain simple niboshi shoyu soup with thin curly noodles supplied by Yokohamatei Seimen. Soft, stewed... More
Recommended bowl: Metoki inspired
This shop serves large bowls of Tokyo-style shoyu with a hot layer of oil. The ramen here is inspired by Metoki, a legendary shop in Okubo whose master trained at the even more legendary Eifuku Taishouken. The bowls contain simple niboshi shoyu soup with thin curly noodles supplied by Yokohamatei Seimen. Soft, stewed pork belly chashu goes on top. Open since April, 2019. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Minmin (みんみん) at Minmin (みんみん)
Recommended bowl: Old school gyoza
This Kichijoji Harmonica Yokocho alleyway spot has been open since 1973. The specialty here is gyoza — you can watch the cooks preparing the dumplings by hand through a little window near the entranceway. There are various types of ramen on the menu if you are feeling like noodles, but be sure to get a side of gyoza.... More
Recommended bowl: Old school gyoza
This Kichijoji Harmonica Yokocho alleyway spot has been open since 1973. The specialty here is gyoza — you can watch the cooks preparing the dumplings by hand through a little window near the entranceway. There are various types of ramen on the menu if you are feeling like noodles, but be sure to get a side of gyoza. Also popular is the asari cha-han (fried rice with asari clams, or cockles). Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Rokubou Tantanmen (六坊担担面) at Rokubou tantammen (六坊担担面)
Recommended bowl: Japanese or Schezuan
This tantanmen specialty shop is owned by Watanabe-san, head of the Watanabe ramen group. Nichishiki tantanmen (Japanese style) is served with a sesame paste base and arranged to match a Japanese palate. The other option is Seitoshiki tantanmen, based on Schezuan flavors. This latter bowl contains kashou, a type... More
Recommended bowl: Japanese or Schezuan
This tantanmen specialty shop is owned by Watanabe-san, head of the Watanabe ramen group. Nichishiki tantanmen (Japanese style) is served with a sesame paste base and arranged to match a Japanese palate. The other option is Seitoshiki tantanmen, based on Schezuan flavors. This latter bowl contains kashou, a type of sansho (Schezuan peppercorn), with a multitude of spices, including some imported from China. Customers can adjust the level of heat and mouth-numbing peppercorns from 1-5. Different types of noodles are used in the two bowls, both supplied by Mikawaya Seimen. Open since September 13, 2017. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Ishibashi (らぁ麺 いしばし) at Ishibashi (らぁ麺 いしばし)
Recommended bowl: 100% chicken
Ishibashi is a chicken specialty ramen shop. The soup is 100% chicken-based, with a choice of shoyu or shio tare. The noodles are homemade at an offsite location and delivered daily. Two types of chicken chashu go into most bowls — marinated breast and low temperature-cooked thigh. Toppings include a yuzu-shio egg,... More
Recommended bowl: 100% chicken
Ishibashi is a chicken specialty ramen shop. The soup is 100% chicken-based, with a choice of shoyu or shio tare. The noodles are homemade at an offsite location and delivered daily. Two types of chicken chashu go into most bowls — marinated breast and low temperature-cooked thigh. Toppings include a yuzu-shio egg, chicken wontons, mizuna and katsuobushi. Open since January 16, 2019. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Garyuu (臥龍) at Garyuu (臥龍)
Recommended bowl: Cozy ramen bar
With 10 seats and a cozy atmosphere, Garyuu is both a ramenya and a drinking bar of sorts at night. The shop serves a nice selection of beer, shochu and sake in addition to nourishing bowls of tori paitan ramen. Garyuu's chicken-based soup is light and slightly creamy and almost white in color – very mild and wholesome.... More
Recommended bowl: Cozy ramen bar
With 10 seats and a cozy atmosphere, Garyuu is both a ramenya and a drinking bar of sorts at night. The shop serves a nice selection of beer, shochu and sake in addition to nourishing bowls of tori paitan ramen. Garyuu's chicken-based soup is light and slightly creamy and almost white in color – very mild and wholesome. It is made from Okukuchi Shamo chickens from Ibaraki prefecture, paired with noodles special ordered from Mikawaya Seimen. Essential tip: be sure to order the house-made aji tamago, made with a perfect consistency.
Master Takashima-san previously worked at Kioritei, an excellent ramen shop in Kyodo (now relocated to Yoyogi Hachiman). Garyuu shop has a friendly atmosphere. Hangout, enjoy your bowl, have a few drinks. Less