In short, the curry ramen was light and not to my liking. The noodles were quite soft, maybe because they were busy. There were posters aimed at foreigners inside the restaurant, and I hesitated to throw away my trash because I wasn't sure where to. On top of that, all the ramen dishes were priced at 900 yen or more, making it feel overpriced.

I had a hard time choosing between the famous Curry Ramen and the specialty Jigoku Ramen at Ramen Ōkoku in Noboribetsu. After having several spicy ramen dishes in a row, I decided to go for the Jigoku Ramen 2nd Avenue. It cost 900 yen plus an additional 100 yen for each level of spiciness added. It was just the right level of spiciness, not too overwhelming, and delicious. The chashu, seaweed, and bamboo shoots were also tasty! The onions were surprisingly spicy (laughs). The curry started off mild and then got spicier. Just like the famous Tokyo restaurant Nakanomoto, this place serves a satisfyingly spicy bowl.

I tried the Hell Ramen at 0-chome in Sapporo. The ramen had medium thick curly noodles and the soup was hot. The noodles stayed delicious until the end without getting soggy. Most of the customers were foreigners and I noticed that the locals seemed a bit low in energy. It would be nice to have more liveliness around! (*⌒▽⌒*)

At noon on the weekend, when returning from Noboribetsu Onsen, there didn't seem to be many restaurants near Noboribetsu Station where I could have a meal, so I decided to have lunch in the hot spring town. There was a restaurant near my accommodation, and when I entered, there were about 7 people waiting and I was the only Japanese customer. The system was to order in advance while waiting, and I was given the menu as soon as I entered. When I saw "Daio", I thought of curry ramen, so I ordered that. The noodles were medium-thick egg noodles. The toppings included seaweed, bean sprouts, menma, and fresh onions. The slightly spicy soup was delicious with the noodles, but personally, I didn't think seaweed matched the taste of the soup. Since Jigokudani is nearby, Enma Ramen or Jigoku Ramen might be recommended, but when it comes to Daio, it's definitely curry ramen. It was delicious.

I want to eat ramen wherever I go! And if possible, I want spicy ramen! So I visited this place for the first time. Since it was my first visit, I could only order up to level 10, so I went with level 10. The spiciness was not too much for me, but it was not just a spicy ramen, it was delicious. The richness was on the lower side, so my rating is a bit lower (lol).

To be clear, it's average or below average. The prices are like those in tourist areas. The Hell Ramen costs an extra 50 yen for each increase in spiciness level. It takes away the challenge. The service is very good, but they might need to improve the taste and menu. Maybe they don't feel the need to make an effort because they always have customers.

Heavy rain pouring down... Is it empty? I was the 6th person waiting, waited for about 20 minutes and finally got a seat at the counter. I was the only Japanese person, and it seems that 80% of the customers are Asian, according to the waiter. I ordered the "Jigoku Ramen". It's a branch of the Tomakomai Daioh ramen chain, with noodles from "Konno" in Tomakomai. Maybe I'll also get some gyoza? The chef said, "Thank you for waiting!" As soon as I aimed my camera, the waiter said, "I'm sorry! The orientation is wrong! This way is the front!"... He adjusted the orientation of the bowl for me. Nice waiter! Level 0 at Ramen Jigoku 0-chome is spicy. It's delicious~ Jigoku Ramen at 0-chome for 850 yen. Thank you for the meal! (^^)v

Muroran and Noboribetsu are famous for their curry ramen, and although I didn't get to try it in Muroran, I decided to challenge it here. The curry udon noodles had a ramen-like feel (laughs). The slightly spicy soup with a hint of Japanese dashi was quite to my liking. The flavor gradually grew on me. I would have been happy to have some corn in it. As for the seaweed... maybe not necessary (laughs). The chashu pork was tender and delicious without being too heavy. I wouldn't mind having extra chashu. The restaurant was constantly busy, and they even had a menu in Chinese. Noboribetsu seems to have a lot of Chinese tourists. All the famous hot spring resorts are filled with Chinese tourists.

I stopped by when staying in Noboribetsu. It seems they only serve lunch! The restaurant was full when I entered! On the wall, there were names of brave souls who are not afraid of spicy food... I tried the famous Hell Ramen ^_^ First bite of the No. 8... in front of me was a bowl that looked extremely spicy... I felt a bit of regret?! But then, I couldn't stop eating! It's spicy but delicious. It leaves a lingering taste that makes you want more (^∇^) No wonder it's always full here, right? I even finished the soup! Despite it being winter, I didn't feel cold outside at all. Thank you for the meal (´∀｀=)

This is Noboribetsu, a hot spring town. It's my first time trying Daio Ramen. There is no parking lot, but the staff kindly guided me to park right in front of the shop. There are about 8 seats at the counter and some table seats in the back. I ordered Curry Ramen, Hell Ramen 0th Avenue, and 5 Gyoza. The Curry Ramen had thick curly noodles and a good balance of flavor with sliced onions in the soup. The Hell Ramen 0th Avenue wasn't very spicy, just a light kick. The Gyoza was a bit expensive at 500 yen for 5 pieces. It was a weekday afternoon and there were more foreign customers than Japanese. They had a record for Hell Ramen up to 60th Avenue, with an option to add an extra level for 50 yen. Overall, the food was delicious and the experience was enjoyable.

During a driving trip in Hokkaido, be sure to visit the hot spring town of Noboribetsu. And if you go to Noboribetsu, you can't miss "Ajino Daioh" restaurant. After touring Jigokudani, head to the restaurant. The specialty of this place is the "Jigoku Ramen" where you can choose the spiciness level from 0th to 10th Avenue. As you get closer to the 10th Avenue, it gets hotter and hotter. I love spicy ramen, so I was torn about which Avenue to choose for my first time, but I played it safe and went with the 3rd Avenue. "Jigoku Ramen 3rd Avenue." Oh, even the 3rd Avenue is quite red. The woman sitting next to me asked, "Can I take a picture?" so I took a picture of the 0th Avenue ramen she ordered. The 0th Avenue doesn't look red at all. I've had spicier ramen before, so I found this to be a mild spiciness. It was delicious as usual. Finished in about 5 minutes. The woman next to me was surprised. By the way, when the waitress (Japanese) came to take my order, she spoke to me in Korean. When I said, "I'll have the Jigoku Ramen 3rd Avenue," she said, "Your Japanese is good!" It seems she mistook me for a Korean. I guess I look like a Korean. If I ever visit Korea, I might be mistaken for a local.

Having lunch at Noboribetsu Onsen. Had some free time on the way back, so decided to go to the hot springs. I wish I could stay overnight, but I have to head to the airport later, so I decided to take a bath in the morning. It was just the right time for lunch. I was planning to have dumplings and beer the day before, but couldn't wait for the restaurant to open and ended up drinking canned beer, so I went for ramen this time. I entered the restaurant as soon as it opened. Shortly after, two groups speaking Chinese came in. It's a small place, but it seems there are table seats in the back. By the way, it was a weekday afternoon, and most of the people walking around the hot spring town were foreigners. Noboribetsu has become quite international. I sat at the counter near the entrance and ordered the curry ramen (800 yen) without hesitation. For a place of this size, there were quite a few staff members, including an older man (the manager?), a middle-aged man, and a young lady, about four in total. The ramen arrived in about 6 minutes. It had a slightly spicy scent that was a bit sharp. Compared to the one I had at Kujiraken the other day, this one was slightly thicker and spicier. The noodles were nothing special, but the soup was delicious. When I had the curry ramen at Daio in Tomakomai before, it was just regular wakame ramen soup with curry flavor added. This one had onion slices on top, which went really well with the soup. The price felt a bit high, but it's a local specialty in a tourist area, and it was delicious, so I'm okay with it.

■Curry Ramen 4.0■Miso Curry Ramen 4.0

The food at this restaurant might be better.

Curry ramen.