Menya Hassaku (麺屋はっさく) in Kaminaka, Fukui

This is Menya Hassaku, a brand new ramen shop in the Wakasa area, near my town. Their menu consists of chicken-based toripaitan ramen, such as tsukemen dipping-style. They currently have only six counter-top seats, so get in early!

Along with most of the other customers in the shop, I also opted for the Ajitama Shiro Chashu ramen, with egg and extra chashu, for 1230¥ ($11 USD). With only the friendly proprietor running the shop and taking orders, it took a bit of time, but it was nice to be able to watch his process and converse with him a bit. Luckily, it was worth the wait! The smooth, salty, slightly creamy chicken broth complemented the good portion of thin, firm noodles. It was flavorful without being overwhelming.

The soft egg and other ingredients were also quite delicious. My only minor complaint was that the chashu was a bit greasier than I expected.

You can also add an extra noodle portion for 150¥ if you’re still hungry. They also seem to have some rice bowls on the menu… I will definitely be back!

Hachiban Ramen (8番らーめん 小浜店) in Obama City, Fukui

To my dear Hacchan,

It’s been a long time, Hachiban. How are your chain of shops in western Japan doing? Are you still expanding in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Vietnam, too? I’ve always liked how you named yourself after the Route 8 connecting the Hokuriku area… it’s very appropriately fitting. I mean this as no insult, but you’re so much like the McDonald’s of Fukui ramen; somehow I see you everywhere I visit.

You were the first ramen shop I visited when I came to Obama City, Fukui, so many years ago. My former neighbor brought me here and I tried your signature vegetable ramen with salt broth. I couldn’t believe how cheap it was… 590￥ ($5.50 USD), if I recall. You piled those 5 kinds of veggies so high, but… I wasn’t impressed. The flavor was so light and plain, I haven’t been back in six years.

Don’t take this the wrong way, I really appreciated those crunchy veggies. I thought you had some nice noodles. And your naruto with the 8-ban logo in it is always so cute, seriously. A lot of other people like you since you always seem so busy. You just weren’t for me.

You know the Nest Inn Obama promotional program that Obama City is starting to sell? You know, those tickets you can buy at a discount to be used at a wide range of participating shops that are used to help spur the local economy? Yeah, those. You appeared on the list and I was wistfully remembering our brief time together.

So, I took the chance and went back. Maybe you changed, maybe I changed, I thought.

The moment I stepped in, I knew Corona had affected the seating, but somehow not your patrons. You were crowded as always, plenty of folks still vying for your attention. And there was little old me, noticing everything different about you. You spent some money on new fancy tablets and you studied up on your English and Chinese, I saw.

Your menu was familiar, though. The same vegetable ramen loved by all… but then you started showing off your limited seasonal menu and so I was tempted by your offerings… you always knew I liked spicy. That Vegetable Mala ramen looked like it was made just for me and it was only 790￥ ($7.35 USD) for a regular size. I wanted to be burned by you, a little. And you gave it to me.

Because I know you’re Japanese and you cater to the typical subtle tastes of Japanese cuisine, so I didn’t expect that numbing, mouth-watering Chinese spice flavor to be so prominent. Your thick noodles were as bouncy as before and your portion for the price… lovely.

I also had to have 6 pieces of your seasonal shrimp gyoza, too. At 300￥, how could I say no to gyoza? Or should I say dumplings? These are also Chinese-inspired, after all. I’m sorry to say while it was delicious, you missed the mark by a bit. I could barely taste the shrimp, but your texture was spot on with just a bit of softness and a hint of pan-grilled char.

I’ll admit, I take back those words I said about you back in the day. I didn’t know it hurt you so much that you felt you had to change.

You hit the right notes for me that day. Was it the rainy weather? Was I just too hungry?

It was just a fling, my dear.

I’m not sure I’ll come back so soon because while you have changed, I know it’s only just a little and just for a limited time. You are still the same, wonderful bowl of vegetable ramen.

I know you have other broth options, like tonkotsu and shoyu. You offer thin noodles and soba, too.Maybe I’ll come by and see you again… but I don’t think that we’re meant to be. You have other patrons who want you more than me. You deserve to be needed.

You want me to be really honest about us?

...it’s just that, as before, your broth lacked… something more. That spark. The depth of umami you know I really needed. You pushed the spice too hard and didn’t have something, anything, more to back it up.

For me that’s not enough.

I’m sorry to say it so bluntly. But we both know that you needed to hear it straight from me. I can be mean like that sometimes, you know.

I’ll be seeing you, maybe.

Sincerely,

Will

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Sing Sing (秦秦 高浜店) in Takahama, Fukui

Sing Sing was one of the first restaurants I posted about on my Instagram back in mid-2017. (Man, has it been that long...!?!) This place is actually a chain restaurant, though I have only been to the Takahama shop all the way down in South Fukui. I said back then this was one of the best ramen spots in all of Fukui when I had only visited a handful of ramen restaurants in my area and I haven’t been back in 2 years, so I recently went back to reaffirm or update my opinion of the shop. It’s extremely likely my experiences at two dozen or more ramen places in Fukui and more all around Japan would have changed my opinions on this place…

Surprisingly, my tastes were pretty spot on back then. This place continues to remain a top in my prefecture, though my feelings on the broth have changed a bit. They have a fairly large menu with the usual variety of ramen, such as miso, tonkotsu, shio… But my usual order is the Gokushiro Aburi Chashu Ramen, a strong, tonkotsu-based broth with deliciously grilled chashu for 1100￥ ($10 USD). As you can see, the highlights are definitely those thick slices of mouth-watering pork. You can hear the chef searing them in the back, the crackle of the meat making me even hungrier in anticipation. They are without a doubt as delicious as they look, soft and fatty, but with just the right crisp and savoriness.

The rest of the ramen is also quite good. The noodles are a good portion, but are a bit underdone for my taste. Also the egg is almost hard-boiled… while it was tasty with flavor, I prefer a softer, creamier consistency.

Of course, they have sides too…

You can also add in extra green onion and sweet pickled radish to taste. If you prefer a spicier noodle, a red version can be had for 60￥ more. A double portion of noodle is only 150￥ more for those really hungry.

I will say this ramen isn’t for everyone. Like all “strong” ramen, it is heavy to the taste, a bit greasy, and leaves you with a very full feeling. As expected, the flavors are also quite salty and umami, so if you’re looking for a light “gourmet” ramen, this isn’t it. (Then again, ramen is rarely gourmet or light!)

But for me, this hits the right spot. I highly recommend this rich, but deeply satisfying ramen.

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Ramen Kokutei (ラーメンこく亭) in Obama, Fukui

Kokutei in Obama, Fukui, is my favorite local ramen spot, as it is fairly close to my house, cheap, and quite good. They offer the usual range of broths on their menu: soy sauce, salt, miso, or pork bone soup, coupled with their thin noodles.

You can also opt for the red versions, which just has a lot of red ichimi pepper on top for a hint of spiciness. (They may look vicious, but they are far from truly spicy.) You can customize it by adding as much negi green onion, dried garlic chips, and other condiments to suit your taste.

I usually opt for their Red Miso Chashu Ramen for 970￥ ($9 USD) and pile on the onions and garlic chips. My breath afterwards can probably ward off any vampire or knock someone dead… But when it’s so delicious going down, I don’t mind keeping people at a distance after the meal!

Most recently, I broke with my regular bowl and ordered their Gyokai Shoyu (Seafood Soy Sauce) Ramen for 900￥ which had a lighter but fishy and savory taste. I really enjoyed it much more than I was expecting to, but since I love heavier soups usually, I’ll stick with my usual.

For those extra hungry, you can order a kaedama extra side of noodles or a larger size for 100￥ more. Their karaage fried chicken is also deliciously crunchy and crispy. If you are going to stop by this restaurant, drop me a line!

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Mensho Kaguya (麺匠かぐや) in Tsuruga, Fukui (Revisited)

I actually visited Mensho Kaguya (麺匠かぐや) in Tsuruga, Fukui, a few months ago with my friends, but it was definitely well worth another stop.

With a large menu, they had plenty of options to try outside their monthly limited specials. This time I tried their Jukusei Miso Ramen which features aged miso for a deeper and stronger taste.

It was definitely rich and had a nice, smooth, savory miso flavor in the broth. The aburi chashu was a bit fatty, but the nice, grilled pork taste was fantastic.

The noodles were nice and thin with a medium-firm texture.

The ramen was 980¥ ($9 USD) and the excellent chashu rice was worth the extra 200¥.

Definitely worth another trip!

Shougetsu (めん魚房 松月) in Tsuruga, Fukui (Strawberry Ramen)

Last month I went to Shougetsu in Tsuruga, Fukui, and had their seasonal Nishin Ramen (herring), but starting in March they introduced their new Strawberry Ramen… this I had to try! With the exception of their famous Lemon Ramen and other Yuzu citrus ramen, I have never had any fruit-inspired concoctions...

Arriving shortly at our table was this beautifully attractive bowl. I was surprised to say the strawberry tartness actually works pretty well for a ramen dish! There was also a bit of strawberry sauce around the top of the soup which gave the whole broth a bit of a lighter feel. It was definitely a unique taste that I enjoyed!

Unfortunately, I think the thickness of the broth and onions drowned out much of the strawberry flavor… if the broth was a lighter shio soup base, I think it would’ve been just about perfect. For a very reasonable portion at 1000￥ ($9 USD), you too can enjoy this limited seasonal fruit ramen!

The Most Deserted Ramen Bar in the World (世界一暇なラーメン屋) in Osaka

The Most Deserted Ramen Bar in the World is a huge lie. It is most definitely not deserted by any means of the imagination, perhaps unless you define it by relative location. This restaurant in Osaka is located on the second floor of an office tower, nearby other business towers with few other ramen shops directly nearby. But with the long lines forming in front of the shop, no, it is certainly not deserted.

I was glad to get there before the shop opened because the line only got longer and longer afterwards. The shop has six different ramen options, but I chose the Kanko Dori for 900¥ ($8.20 USD) because it was the most unique item on the menu… “No soup citrus soy sauce,” it claims. And you can choose regular or large sizes for the same price. Sounds good to me!

For lunch time, you can also add a few things for a few hundred yen more. I added the Chashu Bowl for 200¥, given I was super hungry at the time having skipped breakfast.

This is definitely a more fashionable restaurant with an upscale modern decor and fancy bowls to match. The tall sides made me worry that I should’ve selected the larger portion of noodles because it looked tiny at the bottom of the cavernous sides. The whole presentation was lovely… but could the taste match?

Absolutely! These house-made noodles were stunningly delicious. The soupless, yet saucy, broth really coated the noodles so thoroughly, the flavor was packed in every bite. The first hit was surprisingly spicy, but it was followed with salty, umami flavors, ending in a light citrus taste. Definitely complex, rich, and flavorful… maybe one of the best I’ve had in a few months! The juicy chicken topping was also quite well-cooked, soft, and delicious.

However, two points brought the experience down. The soft, thinly-sliced chashu looked gorgeous, but they were a bit dry to the taste. The egg was also a bit overdone, though it was still tasty nonetheless.

The Chashu Bowl was probably the best-value add-on in a ramen shop I have ever had for the price. It was extremely meaty and rich with a ton of umami flavor, and it was larger than I expected. Well worth the lunch time occasion!

The back of the menu is quite interesting…

I am definitely leaving this ramen restaurant on my list of places I will come back to. The flavors, complexity, and value really made it an outstanding experience. Highly recommended, even if they lied.

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Shougetsu (めん魚房 松月) in Tsuruga, Fukui

It’s been awhile since I last visited Shougetsu in Tsuruga, Fukui. This Japanese restaurant has a large varied menu, but to me, the thing I always order is their Lemon Ramen, a light salt broth ramen with a few tart slices of lemon to really lighten the flavor.

This time, however, I opted for a change… their seasonally-limited Nishin Ramen for a very reasonable 830￥ ($7.50 USD). A piece of herring fish in my ramen? Could it really be worth ordering over the usual favorite? I was hesitant at first, but the friendly proprietor assured me that it was delicious.

And it was! The fish was preserved, so it was salty and sweet, reminding me much of a canned fish found in many Chinese dishes. The fish pared decently with the soup, which was lightly savory and creamy, but with a hint of spice. It was definitely an interesting combination I don’t think I have ever tried before at any other ramen shop.

The portion of noodles was quite good so the asking price was well worth it for something this uniquely savory and delicious! The only thing that I would like to see are some additional toppings or maybe even a few slices of their lemon to lighten up the whole taste.

Unfortunately, by the time you read this in March, the limited ramen will already be out of season. Maybe next year he’ll bring it back, but the next seasonal ramen coming up is an Ichigo (Strawberry) Ramen! Look forward to my review soon!

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Rairaitei (来来亭 敦賀店) in Tsuruga, Fukui

Previously on Instagram, I reviewed Rairaitei, a chain of ramen shops all around Japan. Having been there several times over the years, but not in a few years, I stopped by the Tsuruga, Fukui, shop with some friends. After the loads of delicious bowls of ramen I’ve consumed in the intervening years, how did it fare?

Honestly, Rairaitei still stands up as a solid ramen restaurant with cheap, but delicious bowls. This most recent time, I opted for a Kotteri (rich, heavy) Ramen for 780￥ ($7 USD) with Wonton dumpling toppings for 110￥ more. While I wasn’t blown away, it was still a great meal, offering good value at a good price.

As a bonus, here are a few photos I’ve taken over the years at some other shops around Japan.

I will definitely come again.

 

Iwamotoya (岩本屋 福井本店) in Fukui City, Fukui

Iwamotoya, a large Reinan chain of ramen shops, offers various limited monthly specials.

This time, I stopped by their Main Store to have their Hotate Soba (Scallop) for 980¥? ($9 USD). As always, regular, large, and extra large noodle portions are all the same price! Before I ordered the Hotate Soba, I asked the friendly shop guy what soup base it was… Salt? Soy sauce?  He was puzzled by my question because he said, “Hotate base.” Well, this I had to try! As with their other ramen, you can customize it a bit to your likingI asked for the strongest soup strength, heaviest oil, and softness noodle... 

And it did not disappoint. The broth had a nice, deep, and rich scallop and seafood flavor. It was creamy, rich, and savory… somewhat reminding me of a Seafood Cup Noodle, but in a good way! The three scallops from Hokkaido on top were small, but they were decently fresh, with a nice, soft and springy texture. The slice of slightly rare chashu, too, is always a treat, though I wished for a bigger piece. For the price, the extra-large portion of noodles was definitely a good value considering it was a no-cost change.

I am glad that my friend and I could enjoy a damn good bowl of ramen, especially during midday on a Saturday, as most ramen shops are closed around 3 to 5:30pm. Iwamotoya is always worth coming back to check out.

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Chuka Soba Ryo (中華そばRyo) in Sabae, Fukui

Chuka Soba Ryo is a popular ramen restaurant in Sabae, Fukui known for their chicken-based ramen. Their main options all have some chicken in the broth as opposed to the more frequent pork used in other shops.

They offer shoyu soy-sauce, salt with niboshi (baby sardines), toripaitan (creamy chicken), and spicy maze mix soba. Of the four, I was recommended the salt or creamy variants by the waitstaff, so I opted for the Nibo Salt Chicken Soba for 780￥ ($7 USD), large-sized for 130￥ more, and a side of Chicken Chashu Rice Bowl for 350￥ more.

The light clear broth was quite lovely, imparting lots of fish and chicken flavors, while having a really clean and light finish. I’ve had soups before that end up oily due to the chicken and fish used, but this was not the case here. The noodles were also quite chewy and soft, portioned well at the large size. The chicken toppings were also delicious, with a perfect texture that had a great balance of softness and firmness.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the chicken bowl. While it was deliciously light and refreshing, it was not quite worth the extra yen unless you’re really hungry. I’d recommend just going with a larger side or extra helping of noodles.

Definitely a good restaurant if you’re looking for nice, unique bowls of chicken ramen that are becoming more popular, especially in the Kansai area of Japan.

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Ramen Sekai (らーめん世界福井敦賀店) in Tsuruga, Fukui

Ramen Sekai (“Ramen World”) is a chain of ramen restaurants around four local prefectures: Ishikawa, Toyama, Shiga, and, of course, Fukui. I usually stop by the Tsuruga, Fukui location. This is one of those ramen places when you don’t need something fancy and something delicious will do.

And delicious it is. With a reasonably large menu, they seem to really try to cover all the basic ramen bases.

Their main specialty seems to be their Kaga Miso Ramen, made from miso from Ishikawa Prefecture. Their miso has a bit of spice and is of the red miso variety, with hints of seaweed or fish in the broth. Their noodles are thick with a simple, clean taste and texture. The chashu is one of soup highlights, with a light, salty taste. Definitely a good value for the price.

I also recently tried their seasonal Yuzu Shio Ramen, which was quite cheap at 790￥ ($7.20 USD). It has a clean, light broth which allowed the thin slices of yuzu to really shine through. While it wasn’t the most revolutionary taste, simple and satisfying is always perfect for this season.

Their fried rice is also quite good with a savory, salty taste. If you crave more than just ramen, I highly recommend it.

Overall, this is a good place to stop when you need a quick bite without much fuss. The price is right, hours are long, and locations are pretty convenient.

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Bannai Shokudo (坂内食堂 本店) in Kitakata, Fukushima

Kitakata is a small city located in Fukushima, essentially renown worldwide as a city of ramen because it has the highest number of shops per capita. Granted, the capita is pretty small at 48,000, but it still says a lot about their local food, Kitakata Ramen. What sets Kiatakata-style apart from others is primarily their unique wavy, flat, thick noodles, which helps to draw in the lighter salt-based broth.

With room and time for only one ramen in my belly, I chose Bannai, one of the most famous Kitakata ramen shops with long lines even before the shop’s opening at 10am.

I waited about an hour in the summer heat to order from their simple menu, all focusing on the local specialty. I opted for their large Negi Chashu at 1200￥ ($11 USD).

The noodles were indeed the local style and were soft, wavy, and really scooped broth into my eager mouth. The medium-light broth was salty and had a bit of savory meaty taste which really distinguishes it from other simple shio soups. (It actually reminds me of some Chinese noodle soups in a way.) The chashu portion was good, each slice were super soft and thin, complementing the lighter profile broth. I could definitely see why this local establishment and town are so famous in Japan.

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Ramen Zenya (らーめん善谷) in Ishinomaki, Miyagi

Ramen Zenya in Ishinomaki, Miyagi, is one of those ramen shops only accessible by car, in the middle of not much. I probably have driven by hundreds of shops similar to this without knowing what delicious treasures lay inside.

However, if I didn’t stop here, I would’ve missed out on an amazing Michelin-reviewed bowl of ramen… and probably one of the best light soups I’ve had in a long time.

I’ll admit my first impression was not very good, seeing the large menu and a long wait. While the shop was huge, there were even more chefs behind the glass window at different stations. This looked like a food factory, an assembly line better suited producing instant ramen than Bib Gourmand bowls. They advertise locally-sourced and produced noodles and in-house made broths. Sure, with production facilities out back, perhaps...

Given that I live in Obama City, a place known historically for our catch of saba (mackerel), I was curious to try their take with Saba Ramen for only 800￥ ($7.50) for a large size. The smell was the first thing I noticed, a savory scent of salted fish. I took a sip and I was transported to ramen broth heaven, imagining fishermen and their fresh saba haul pouring them into a hilariously large pot, then straight into my mouth. The taste was so unexpectedly flavorful with the unique smokey, rich taste of saba in every sip. What I did expect was the broth to be slightly greasy, given the high oil and fat content in saba.

The chashu was exceptionally soft, making me wish I had a side order of extra chashu. The noodles were thin, nice, and firm, tying the whole ramen together. The only minor let down was the egg, which wasn’t particularly tasty or cooked well. One could forego that issue because the rest of the bowl was exceptional.

Wow.

 

Shiotetsu (塩てつ) in Echizen, Fukui

Shiotetsu is a small ramen shop along a busy street in Echizen, Fukui. Coming back from Fukui City at night, I was hungry for dinner and this seemed to fit the bill. Parking was limited up front until I saw the large parking lot behind. Seats inside the restaurant are reasonably plentiful with some group seating and a few counter spaces. Their menu consists of a few variations of primarily Shio Salt and Miso Ramen with a wide variety of sides like Gyoza, Rice, Fried Chicken, and the like.

I tried their most popular ramen, a Shio Dragon Ramen with Garlic Ramen noodles for only 670￥ ($6 USD) for a regular. As a huge fan of garlic in ramen, I was deeply intrigued so I ordered the larger size at only 795￥. What arrived shortly thereafter really impressed me with the sheer value of size for the price, the smell of savory umami and garlic hitting me.

I think a lot more ramen shops should do this! The noodles were a bit firm, but had a really unbelievable amount of garlic flavor imbedded within each strand. If you love garlic, you’ll be in heaven! The salt broth was good and light, but rather greasy so it was not particularly memorable. There was only a sliver of chashu, but it was good. Perhaps next time I’ll order a larger grilled portion.

Maybe their Dragon Ramen is so named because you are going to breathe some major garlic breath after eating it! But I loved it!

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Menya Nanabe (麺屋菜々兵衛) in Sapporo, Hokkaido

Menya Nanabe is a small ramen shop in the suburbs of Sapporo, serving up Michelin-rated Bib Gourmand ramen. With a recommendation like that, how could I pass it?

They had a two-page menu that was relatively simple, but their main seller is their Toripaitan Shio Chicken Ramen for 780￥ ($7 USD). I opted for a large for 50￥ more and a soft-boiled egg for 100￥.

Despite the lunch hour, I only had to wait about 30 minutes before I could get the bowl I was eagerly awaiting. The thin noodles were firm, yet had a delightfully springy texture and the large portion was well worth the extra yen and definitely filled me up. The egg, slice of chicken, and chashu were all flavorful, soft, and deliciously satisfying.

However, all was not perfect. While the broth was decently flavorful, it was a bit thin and watery compared to some famous toripaitan shops Kansai is famous for.

Still, I heartily recommend this place and I could definitely understand why it has a coveted rating from Michelin.

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Mensho Kaguya (麺匠かぐや) in Tsuruga, Fukui

Mensho Kaguya (麺匠かぐや) in Tsuruga, Fukui is currently offering a limited-time Kani Miso Noko Shio Ramen for 1080￥ ($10 USD) starting Monday, November 11th for the winter crab season, so I went by with my friends Jenny and Josie on their first opening day to try it. Luckily, when we showed up shortly after 6pm, there wasn’t much of a crowd.

They have signage proclaiming the crab ramen in front of their shop and on the menu so we were not led astray. Given that I didn’t have much for lunch, the 120￥ more for the larger size could be justified.

Here was the beautiful bowl of ramen that arrived: A slice of beautifully grilled aburi chashu, medium-thin ramen noodles, and thick, fatty broth, topped with wakame seaweed, scallions, and a crab shell. The crab was beautifully prepared with kani miso and scallions. Kani miso is actually the innards of the crab, perhaps because the consistency is much like soybean paste and it also has a strong flavor.

I was actually surprised at the clean and clear shell of the crab. My guess is they likely boiled the whole thing to clean and strain off every last bit of crab miso.

I’ve actually visited Kaguya before, so I am familiar with their thick, rich, and flavorful tonkotsu pork bone broth. Their noodles are medium-firm and their chashu nice, fatty, and soft; both a perfect complement to their soup. We were recommended to mix in the kani miso into the broth and it subtly added a creamy, salty sea taste with a hint of the bitterness of the miso.

The large portion was well-worth the value and I couldn’t help but gulp it up quickly, despite my burning tongue’s protestation. Especially given the price, the crab is an absolutely amazing value.

If you can, I highly recommend you try their limited-time ramen, but even their regular ramen is also quite good.

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