Recommended bowl: Akita champon

OG master Kanno-san is the creator of Akita-style champon. He trained at a Chinese restaurant in Tokyo before opening in his hometown of Akita, where he added local Akita miso to a classic champon soup. The shop opened in 1984, and Kanno-san ran shop for years before sadly passing away too soon at the age of 46. His wife took over and still runs the shop to this day. A few types of champon are on offer: miso, shoyu and shio. Altogether, 11 different toppings go into the bowls. The champon here is different from the classic Nagasaki style — gyokai ankake (fishy cornstarch-based sauce) goes on top. A popular shop with many local regulars.