A few years ago, the Yama◯ Shouten in Aoba moved and changed its business, and I have been craving tonkotsu ramen ever since. I have been to Ichiran in Sapporo a few times, but it wasn't to my liking, probably because I was a Yama◯ Shouten devotee. Now, how about this place... I ordered tonkotsu ramen with extra pork back fat, along with fried rice, gyoza, and karaage. I forgot to take a photo of the dishes other than the ramen since I brought my coworkers along (^_^;) They enjoyed the food and ate heartily, leaving a clean table behind, which made me feel happy. As for me, I was stuffed with ramen. It was delicious, thank you for the meal.

The store is clean and the orders come out quite quickly! It seems like Ichiran Key combines the flavors of Ichiran in Fukuoka and Hokkaido. The collaboration of Kyushu and Hokkaido flavors is delicious and absolutely amazing. It's so easy to eat that you definitely need a refill. It seems like they have a Hokkaido version and a Fukuoka version. I will definitely go again! Next time, I'll try the Hokkaido version.

I was in Chitose, and I am still here with my second daughter. We managed to escape successfully from something, and now we are at Silence Suzuka. I heard there is a new ramen shop, so I will go check it out. Speaking of ramen, I remember having a proper one in Hakata. It was in Kitami, and the tonkotsu ramen cost 860 yen. The appearance was unmistakably Kyushu style, with thin noodles that sealed the deal. The noodles were extremely thin, cooked just right, and the straight noodles were easy to eat without getting tired. The negi (green onion) seemed to be intentionally targeted at me, but I prefer the core part, so it wasn't really appreciated. I like the menma (bamboo shoots) because they have a good flavor, but I'm not a big fan of kikurage mushrooms. In this ramen, I enjoy the texture. The soup is tonkotsu-based, so it's lighter than it looks, with decent umami and richness. I like fatty chashu, but I don't need so much of it. It was cheap and delicious.

I was interested in this stylish ramen shop for a while. They serve fancy ramen and also offer Rooibos tea. Orders are made through a QR code using a smartphone. The tonkotsu ramen comes with three different types of chashu, each offering a unique taste. The thinness of the meat may be a concern, but the dish is refreshing. The complimentary bean sprouts and pickled mustard greens are spicy and surprising. The chashu rice bowl and fried rice are average. The dumplings are small and seem more suitable for women. The customers are mostly women, which is different from other ramen shops.

It's delicious. I tried the soy sauce and miso flavors, and it feels like they were made with care. The miso doesn't have any special characteristics, and the noodles seemed a bit weak. It's tasty, so it might just be a matter of personal preference. The sides seem like a good deal considering the price.

I ordered tonkotsu ramen, gyoza, and mini chashu pork bowl. The tonkotsu ramen comes with a choice of thin noodles and hardness level from firm to soft. I chose firm and it was the right choice. Despite being tonkotsu ramen, the flavor was gentle and refreshing, not too heavy as I imagined. You can also customize toppings, and I added spicy bean sprouts to make my ramen a bit spicy, which turned out to be delicious. I devoured the gyoza and pork bowl quickly as I was very hungry. It was delicious. Next time, I will try the firm noodles.

The ramen shop "Ippudo KAY" that was open in Chitose has finally arrived in Chitose as well! There is plenty of shared parking space around the store. You can order directly from the staff or scan the QR code, but I chose to ask the staff (lol). I ordered the soy sauce ramen and while waiting, they provided free bean sprouts, garlic, spicy chopped pickled vegetables, and chili oil. The presentation was nice and the atmosphere was calm and relaxing. The ramen had menma, two types of chashu pork, shoulder meat, green onions, daikon radish, and topped off with back fat. Surprisingly, the pork bone-based soy sauce ramen was refreshing. Another delicious meal today. Thank you.

Dinner was at "Ippudo KAY" restaurant. I was excited when I heard they opened in Chitose, as I had been wanting to go to their Stella Place location but timing never worked out. The interior was completely transformed and I was surprised it was in the old McDonald's location! There was no wait time to be seated, and there was a diverse crowd dining, including couples, office workers, and students. Even though they don't serve the Chinese noodles like in Sapporo, I wanted to enjoy the true essence of Hakata ramen, so I ordered the "Tonkotsu Chashu (¥1080)" with "Hari-Gane" on the tablet! It's a popular and cheapest menu item here, but topping it with chashu is a must! You can also verbally order if you're not comfortable with the tablet. It's convenient that you can add toppings like pickled ginger, spicy bean sprouts, and mustard greens yourself! The downside is that you have to go get them yourself, but if you think of it like a buffet, it's no big deal! You could also order rice and top it with various ingredients, which might be a good idea, don't worry about being unconventional! Don't forget to add the spicy bean sprouts to the soup for a flavorful kick! The bowls are a bit small as mentioned in other reviews. The clear color of the soup is beautiful, and the light taste fills your whole throat with deliciousness. The gentle flavor might be why it's so popular. I also want to try the Chinese noodles now! The generous amount of noodles will definitely fill you up! The noodles have a firm texture but are easy to slurp, giving a satisfying feeling as they go down your throat. There are different types of chashu: boiled, grilled, and low-temperature cooked. I personally like the boiled chashu the best as it's tender. You get 3 slices of chashu by default, each with a different texture and taste, and for 860 yen, it doesn't feel expensive. With three different textures to enjoy, from traditional to modern to something in between, this ramen is truly enjoyable. It's great to have Hakata ramen nearby without having to travel to Sapporo, and next time I'll try the Chinese noodles! Thank you for the delicious meal.

Chitose City, Ippudo KAY Miso Tamago ramen for 1050 yen with 4 free gyoza. The soup is rich and delicious, with a generous amount of ingredients including 3 types of chashu, soft vegetables (cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, leeks, green onions), pork intestines, half-boiled seasoned egg, and shimeji mushrooms! You can also top it off with free pickled mustard greens and spicy bean sprouts to your liking. The bowl is filled with vegetables, so you can enjoy it guilt-free. The gyoza may be small, but they are delicious. Thank you for the meal. Next time, I'll try the tonkotsu ramen! ✋

"First Visit in December 2022" In mid-December, this might be the newest ramen shop in Chitose City. As it is a popular chain affiliated with "Ippudo," I didn't bother to find out how to read or what "KAY" means. Since it's Ippudo, the must-try is the "tonkotsu" ramen. I thought about adding a seasoned egg, but instead, I ordered a set of fried rice. The noodles are thin and straight with a low water content, perfectly paired with a tonkotsu soup that is free of any off-flavors. The regular toppings include three slices of chashu, two of which are fatty. In the photos, it looks like two slices, but there was actually one more submerged slice that was leaner. I couldn't tell if it was just a different cut or if they prepared it differently. Other toppings included wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and finely chopped green onions, but I think they should have used scallions instead. After adding pickled ginger and spicy mustard greens from the self-service corner, the flavor was enhanced and delicious. The fried rice was well-cooked with a nice texture and just the right seasoning. It could be enjoyed as a standalone dish. Overall, the food was good, but the design seemed overly elaborate. The interior of the restaurant, which was originally a McDonald's, felt cramped and poorly laid out. The chairs were uncomfortable and awkwardly high, while the tables were too low. The self-service corner, while convenient, seemed unnecessary and took up space. Additionally, offering rooibos tea instead of water with the ramen may not suit everyone's taste. Lastly, despite being open for over three months, the staff still seemed inexperienced. While the food warrants a return visit, the cramped and poorly designed space may deter me during busy times. I'll try visiting during off-peak hours next time. Total cost: 1,210 yen (tonkotsu 860 yen / fried rice set 350 yen).

The shop is newly opened. It's called IPPUDO KAY. The tonkotsu ramen is consistently delicious. You can add toppings like bean sprouts, garlic, pickled ginger, and mustard greens yourself. You can also enjoy unlimited self-service rooibos tea. In addition to tonkotsu, they also have miso ramen and chuka soba.

There is a new brand called KAY☆ by Ippudo opening at the former McDonald's location, serving Chinese noodles for 900 yen. Five to six people were already in line five minutes before the Saturday opening, so you might want to arrive early to smoothly enter right after opening. The background music is upbeat pop music, and the menu is unique, resembling a book. They offer tonkotsu, miso, and Chinese noodles as the basic options, with straight noodles similar to somen. The soup is rich with floating back fat. Each ramen comes with three slices of chashu - rolled, belly, or thigh. Instead of water, they offer rooibos tea, but also have water available. You can order from your smartphone, but you can also verbally order from the staff. Each table is clean, and there are free toppings and small plates available on the central counter. I chose grated garlic as a topping. The set menus are a good deal, and the mentaiko rice looks delicious. The staff is lively and energetic with their greetings. Thank you for the meal.

I went to Ichiran for the first time. I was surprised when they served me rooibos tea instead of water! It has a strong taste when you drink it on its own, but it surprisingly goes well with the ramen! They also have regular water available, so even if you can't drink tea, you'll be fine. Ichiran is known for their firm noodles, but I'm not a fan of that, so I ordered mine on the softer side. The thin straight noodles made the soft texture feel a bit lacking, so next time I go, I might try the regular or firm noodles. The soup was very delicious.

I'm back from my business trip and decided to stop by this place for an early dinner before heading home. I had the tonkotsu ramen since I had Chinese soba in Sapporo. The toppings were generous, including rare menma. However, the soup was too salty. I'm not sure if it was a mistake or if it's supposed to be that way. Ordering was a bit of a hassle with the QR code and smartphone system, and the confirmation took a while. A customer who came in later just ordered verbally, so I wonder why I had to use the QR code. Overall, I'll give it a slightly lower rating, but I'll come back to try the Chinese soba next time. Thank you for the meal. (-人-)

A new restaurant has opened in Chitose at the location where McDonald's used to be. There is a parking lot, but it's a bit narrow. I was surprised when I visited for the first time. You need to order by scanning a QR code and sending it, so make sure to bring your smartphone. This seems to be a trend in recent izakayas. I'm not sure if it's more convenient or just more of a hassle. The staff inside seemed to be students working part-time, and their service was a bit awkward but they were trying their best. Now onto the main topic, the ramen. I ordered tonkotsu ramen with extra chashu for 1080 yen, and the chashu topping was only 220 yen, which was a reasonable price. The ramen had the signature flavor of Ichiran and was very delicious.

I thought it might have calmed down by now, so I went around 12:30 and it was not crowded. I decided to go with tonkotsu ramen and showed them my Instagram follow screen to get a free flavored egg. I checked out the free topping corner, but I find it a bit of a hassle to go there all masked up. It's fine if the seats are close by though. Well, the ramen was not bad, but I prefer Sakura-jima ramen personally.

Hakata ramen chain "Ippudo" opened in Chitose City in August. However, it is not the regular Ippudo, but a new Hokkaido brand called "Ippudo KAY." I looked up what "KAY" means, and it can represent various meanings such as "Kai" and "Umi" from Hokkaido, "Kai" for reform, "Kai" for opening, and "Kai" for destruction. The menu at Ippudo KAY includes categories like "Chuka Soba," "Tonkotsu," and "Miso," but the classic "Shiromaru Original" and "Akamaru Modern" are not available. I tried the Chuka Soba for 900 yen, but the soup was a bit unclear and hard to describe. It was not the best ramen I've had this year. I couldn't finish the soup completely, so I skipped the rice bone ritual. There were toppings that you could only enjoy if you stood up from your seat, which seemed inconvenient. The topping corner had items like spicy pickled mustard greens, spicy bean sprouts, pickled ginger, and grated garlic, but sharing tongs during the pandemic made me a bit uneasy about hygiene. I also tried ordering white rice for 160 yen and topped it with Chuka Soba ingredients and spicy bean sprouts to make a "Bibimbap-style" dish, which was delicious. I wondered if it was possible to order just white rice without ramen.

Finally... finally... I made it! I saw the sign before the opening on the shuttle bus to work, sent a photo to my husband and child, and eagerly awaited the opening. I couldn't go on the first day because of work, but I knew there would be a long line. I decided to wait patiently for a while and today was the day. I'm the second group to open the shutters! A lovely girl welcomed me. The ordering process was through a QR code, but I couldn't figure it out. I'm analog! I'm the type of person who turns off the computer by pressing the power button. It's impossible for me (laughs). I was planning to try the Chinese noodles that Sapporo doesn't have, but for some reason, I ended up ordering the "tonkotsu" ramen. I had to go pick up the self-service toppings, which I didn't realize at first. I loaded up on garlic! When the ramen arrived in front of me, there were three types of chashu. The bowl seemed smaller than the ones in Sapporo, but there was plenty of noodles! Yes, it's the tonkotsu ramen from Ippudo! New ramen shops in Chitose don't seem to last long, but this one seems to be doing well! I feel a sense of security. Next time, I'll definitely try the Chinese noodles! Thank you for the meal♪

It seems like they want to elevate Hakata Ramen in Hokkaido with a new brand exclusive to the region. I support the connection between Kyushu and Hokkaido as a resident. The system requires a smartphone to place an order. Toppings like spicy bean sprouts, spicy pickled mustard greens, and pickled ginger are free. The tonkotsu broth is different from Shiramari, with a clear and flavorful taste of pork due to low-temperature aging. The chashu is cooked through a combination of grilling and simmering. The miso tonkotsu shiru has a good balance of sweetness from 6 types of miso, a sharp spice reminiscent of Tsuru, and a punch from stir-fried vegetables. It may have a strong taste, but I found it surprisingly delicious. I think a standard Sapporo-style straight noodle or a thinner curly noodle would be suitable. They also offer mini mentaiko rice and half-size gyoza. Although fried rice is available, I'm satisfied with what I ordered.

I had tonkotsu ramen. I love Hakata ramen. The thin noodles blend well with the soup. I like it extra firm. The thin noodles have a great texture. The tonkotsu soup is delicious, I couldn't help but slurp it multiple times with my spoon. What surprised me this time was being asked to order through my smartphone. I could scan the QR code on the table and order from my phone. Amazing. Anyway, it's delicious so I will definitely come back. Thank you for the meal!