In Wakkanai City, Hokkaido, there is a restaurant called "Haruki Chaya" with their signature dish being "Shijimi Ramen". I couldn't find detailed information about when it opened, but I decided to visit based on the high ratings on Google Maps and Tabelog when searching for ramen shops in Wakkanai. It is located about a 7-minute walk from Minami-Wakkanai Station, and there seemed to be parking space for 5 cars. I visited on a holiday Monday around 5 pm, and I was the only customer at that time. The menu included various types of ramen, as well as set meals and side dishes. The restaurant seemed to be more than just a ramen shop, as the sign also mentioned it as a "restaurant for food and drinks". I ordered the "Shijimi Ramen" without hesitation, priced at 1100 yen (tax included). The amount of soup was surprisingly generous, with a rich flavor from the shijimi clam broth that reminded me of a savory seafood stock. The noodles were medium thickness curly noodles, with a smooth and chewy texture. The shijimi clams were large and added not only flavor from the broth but also a delicious texture. It was a satisfying meal!

After drinking alcohol, on the way back to my accommodation, I happened to come across a sign for clam ramen at a shop. Being the type who can't resist once I see something, I decided to stop by. I had a ramen with large clams in it. The soup, which was rich in clam flavor, was absolutely delicious. The slight buttery taste within the slightly oily broth was also delightful. The noodles were cooked perfectly and the chewiness combined with the flavor of the clam-infused soup was a great experience. This is a taste I definitely want to have again. Thank you for the meal.

I took a ferry from Rishiri Island to Wakkanai at night and stayed at a hotel in Minami Wakkanai. I was hungry, so I ordered the recommended set meal. The sashimi and hokke were very delicious. Thank you for the meal! However, I noticed that I had two pieces of salmon sashimi, while my companion only had one as shown in the photo. I wonder if they only gave me the extra piece as a service...

At Nanzhiuchi, I had lunch and struggled to find a place open due to the year-end. Luckily, Haruki Teahouse was open, so I decided to give it a try. The unique atmosphere aside, the clam ramen was incredibly delicious. The seafood flavors really shone through.

I actually visited and found it difficult to classify the shop. They mainly promote ramen, so it could be called a ramen shop. They also serve alcohol and snacks, so it could be considered an izakaya. However, they also had meal menus. Personally, I would say it's a restaurant that also serves ramen. I visited in early October on a weekday afternoon around 1 pm. It was slightly past the lunch peak, but there were quite a few customers inside, creating a lively atmosphere. After much deliberation, I ordered the weekly lunch special, "Squid Tempura Set". The tempura was crispy and delicious, and the portion was generous. I felt it was the right choice to order. Thank you for the meal.

Traveling with my family to Hokkaido, we had ramen as a finishing touch after drinking. It was my first time eating ramen in Wakkanai, and I have never had ramen like this before. The extra-large clam-infused salt broth that you can drink all the way to the end was something similar to what I had in another prefecture, but I can't remember where. The thin noodles perfectly complemented the salty flavor. It was the best bowl of ramen after drinking.

The second bar of the day is Haruki Chaya, where we had a toast. However, since the hotel has a curfew, this will be our final toast for today. We ended the night with ramen. This place can also be used as an izakaya, and the ramen is delicious. It only took about 10 minutes to be served. The ramen has a light taste, with a nice aroma of broth. The soup is a light dashi broth with a good umami flavor. It goes well with the noodles, seasoned egg, bamboo shoots, and chashu. A fitting end to the night with this ramen.

The restaurant is famous for its clam ramen, which is a specialty in the area. When you enter, you take off your shoes and the interior has a sunken kotatsu counter and tatami seating. The menu is wide-ranging, with set meals, rice bowls, soba, ramen, and snacks. I ordered the clam ramen and it arrived in about 10 minutes. The soup had a salty flavor and was very flavorful. The noodles were slightly curly and there were about 30-40 clams in the bowl. Normally, I don't eat the meat inside clams in miso soup, but I couldn't resist eating it in this soup since the clams were well cleaned. The price felt a bit high at first, but considering the amount of clams in the dish, it was actually quite reasonable. I don't often have the chance to eat clam ramen, so I recommend trying it as a meal to end your night out in Minami Wakkanai. They also serve it for lunch.

The interior of the restaurant is dimly lit and has a Japanese-style atmosphere, as if it were renovated from a traditional house. The soup is a bonito broth with plenty of flavor from clams, called "umami salt". The clams are small but rich in flavor, and the bonito broth supports them well. The aroma of the broth, likely enhanced with bonito flakes, spreads throughout the cooking process. The broth is skillfully made, without any unpleasant flavors. The bonito broth plays a great supporting role. The noodles have a slightly old-fashioned feel, but they are smooth due to the high water content. The composition is simple, with clear distinctions between the main and supporting flavors. Although it is slightly expensive, the superb quality of the soup makes it worth trying.

This is a ramen shop in Minamiwazuchi. I ordered the most popular clam ramen, which is full of clams as the name suggests. The clams are large, so you can eat not only the broth but also the clam meat. Of course, the broth is also delicious with a rich flavor. It's a soup that you can drink up completely.

The restaurant specializes in spicy miso ramen and vegetable ramen. It opens before 11:30 on weekdays, and there are already customers waiting in the snow. The interior has tatami mats and a counter, with mostly office workers and regulars as customers. By noon, it's almost full. The menu offers a variety of options, including set meals with noodles, but there is no option for pork cutlet rice bowl with noodles. The clam ramen is a specialty but a bit pricey at 1,200 yen. I started with the vegetable ramen, which had stir-fried cabbage, onions, bean sprouts, and green onions in a flavorful soup with a hint of clam. The spicy miso was thick and spicy, with a addictive richness. The noodles were also satisfying. It doesn't feel like a tourist spot, but rather a well-established local favorite.

I visited the restaurant to try the stir-fried noodles, a local specialty in Wakkanai, but unfortunately they were only available during lunch hours. So, I ordered the famous clam ramen instead. The clam broth was rich and flavorful, and the thin curly noodles were deliciously coated in the soup. The salt-based ramen was very tasty. I also ordered the hokke fish, which was locally sourced and quite large, providing a satisfying meal. Although I couldn't drink due to driving, I believe that those who enjoy alcohol would also have a good time. The clam ramen in Wakkanai, the coldest town in Japan, will warm you up.

I came to Wakkanai after a 330km drive from Sapporo, for the first time in six months. For dinner today, I went to "Haruki Chaya," which unfortunately was closed last time I tried. This restaurant is ranked 2nd in the popular ramen ranking in Wakkanai on Tabelog. The restaurant is located about a 10-minute walk from JR Minami-Wakkanai Station. When I arrived at the restaurant after 7 pm, it looked dark outside. I thought it might be closed again, but the interior was bright and the curtain was out, so I opened the door and entered. Fortunately, they were open. I took off my shoes at the entrance and sat at the counter to look at the menu. They offer set meals, rice bowls, curry, soba, and side dishes. It's not just a ramen specialty shop; it's a cafeteria during the day and an izakaya at night. I ordered the popular "Clam Ramen" for 1,020 yen and a small bowl of rice for 160 yen. The prices are a bit on the higher side. After about 15 minutes, the ramen was served. The bowl had a handle and was shallow, more like a pot than a bowl. The ladle also had a curved shape, which was interesting. First, I tried the soup. Oh, the clam broth was flavorful with a salty taste. It had plenty of large clams from Sarufutsu, and it was quite delicious. The saltiness was a bit strong though. The base of the soup is chicken bone. The noodles were medium-thin, high hydration curly noodles. They were chewy and had a smooth texture. Besides clams, the only other ingredient was leeks. The diagonal-cut long leeks and finely chopped small leeks made for a simple style. With only leeks, the flavor of the clams stood out. It was light and tasty, but a bit salty. I mixed the rice with the noodles as a side dish. Ordering the rice was the right choice. I finished every last drop of the soup and enjoyed it to the last bit. Once again, I cleaned my plate and bowl. Indeed, it was a "ramen to enjoy the essence of clams." It's perfect for a nightcap after drinking. I ate clams, which are said to help with fatigue recovery, and then I plan to relax in the hotel's hot spring to heal the fatigue from the long drive. Thank you for the meal! *30th bowl in 2021 (visited on April 15, 2021).

After finishing my drink, I took off my shoes and entered the restaurant. Inside, there were counter seats on the right and tatami seating on the left. There was one couple at the counter and one person in the tatami area. When I tried to sit at the counter, the mama-san kindly directed me to the tatami area. I ordered the clam ramen for 1,020 yen. I drank the cold tea brought by the mama-san and waited for about 10 minutes before the ramen arrived. The aroma seemed to be chicken broth. Let's dig in. First, the soup. It didn't have a strong clam flavor, but the umami was amazing. Maybe this is the essence of clams. It tasted really good. The saltiness level was just right. Next, the noodles. They were wavy and thin, with a unique chewy texture. The cross-section was rectangular with sharp edges. The umami from the soup coated the noodles well, but the saltiness was a bit lacking. I added some pepper from the table, but it didn't make a big difference. Despite looking like they would get soggy quickly, the noodles surprisingly held their shape. The ramen was simple, without any chashu or bamboo shoots. There was a good amount of clams, providing a satisfying chew. The soup was plentiful, and I couldn't finish it all. I wanted to drink up the delicious soup, but ended up leaving a bit behind. I was full and satisfied. There were no other customers after me. Thank you for the meal.

The other day, I took a bullet trip to the northern part of Hokkaido. I went to Wakkanai for the first time, but the soba restaurant I wanted to go to was out of noodles, so I went to the second pick, this restaurant. The parking lot was small, but I managed to find a spot. It was around 2 p.m., but there were a few customers inside. It seems to be a popular place. In addition to clam ramen, they also had soba and ramen sets, but I ordered the clam ramen. My partner ordered a mini ramen (salt flavor) and mini fried rice set. While sipping on cold water, we waited for a while. The clam ramen arrived first! The clear soup! The noodles were slightly thick and whitish. This is the type of noodles I like. The soup was rich yet light. And piping hot. I burned my tongue because I'm sensitive to hot food. There were about 20 clams in it, which was a satisfying amount for me. The set my partner ordered was salt ramen, which had a different, richer flavor than the clam soup, and it was delicious too. The fried rice was fluffy, and for 800 yen, this set was a good deal. I would like to visit this restaurant again if I have the chance to visit Wakkanai. It seems like a good place to go after a drinking party. Thank you for the meal!

I went to a local lunch with a friend in Wakkanai at a BM store. It's Haruki Chaya. When I entered the store, I took off my shoes and sat at a low table feeling like a raised floor. Is this the feeling of a "chaya"? By the way, they serve meals during the day and operate like an izakaya at night. We sat at a table in the back of the store where there was a painting gifted by Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi. It was a bit surprising. I heard various stories from the locals, but let's leave that aside (^_-)-☆ We ordered the menu we were looking for. The clam ramen for 980 yen looked simple. It was full of clams and piping hot. The noodles were white, plump and slightly wavy, with a soft elasticity and a good mix with the soup. As I slurped the soup, I could taste the clear chicken broth and the rich flavor of the clams, it was delicious. The clams were quite generous, and although 980 yen may seem a bit expensive, considering the high price of clams this year, it might be understandable. The portion was satisfying and fulfilling. It might be good to eat this when hungover (lol). The fried chicken for 250 yen had a good level of saltiness, was well cooked with easy bone separation, and was tender and juicy. It was also really good. Overall, we left the restaurant feeling quite satisfied. Thank you for the meal. #^.^#

The clams are flavorful and delicious, but that's about it. It's priced at 1200 yen, which is quite high for ramen without any other distinctive features. Perhaps it's because of the clams.

It was a night visit. There was parking available in front and the service was good.

I visited a restaurant in Minami-Chitana and stopped by for lunch. It's about a 5-minute walk from the station. There was a signboard for shijimi clam ramen outside the shop. As for the shijimi clam ramen, the clams were delicious, but the soup had a strong chicken broth flavor, overpowering the taste of the clams. I thought the chicken broth was tasty, but as for a shijimi clam ramen priced at 1020 yen, it felt a bit off.

Clam Ramen for 930 yen A ramen based on salt ramen with a hint of sea flavor. The soup is not light, but has a strong taste that is satisfying even when hungry. You could easily eat 5 bowls of this. The interior of the restaurant is all tatami rooms, which is a unique layout.