On a regular day off with no plans, I came to this restaurant that I had checked out before but hadn't been to. I ordered the Miso Horumon Ramen. It's hot again today. The guy next to me got Hiyashi Chuka (cold noodles) and the lady across from me got Ume-Shio Ramen. I remember checking this place out in the fall. Maybe I should have gone with that today. Oh well, I'll wait for my Horumon Ramen. First, the soup - it's just your average Miso Ramen. The horumon is plentiful and tender, with a nice sizzle. I added a bit of garlic and shichimi pepper halfway through, and as I kept eating, the flavors mixed together to create a taste similar to my favorite simmered offal dish. The miso flavor is strong but not too salty or heavy. I feel like saying, "I'll have some sweet potato shochu on the rocks too!" I enjoyed it while sweating. I'll come back when it's cooler. Thanks for the meal.

This shop is located in Kita-ku, Sapporo City. It is quite close to Sapporo Station. When I visited during lunchtime, it was almost full. I ordered from a ticket machine. The tsukemen took 40 minutes to arrive, probably because it was crowded. It took almost an hour considering eating time... The noodles are quite white and thick, not extra thick. Maybe they were busy? The noodles were a bit soft. The dipping sauce is super rich, with a mix of dried fish and animal flavors, quite thick. The saltiness is strong. The chicken chashu was exceptionally tasty. There is a parking lot next door, but it only offers 100 yen worth of service. If you visit by car, you need to be a little careful.

Lunchtime seems to be all about ramen. You order your meal at the counter or through a ticket machine. I was drawn to the words "new classic!" and decided to try the Hormone Ramen in soy sauce or miso flavor for 940 yen. When it comes to Sapporo, is miso the way to go? I ordered miso. The hormone was tender and not chewy. The miso broth was slightly thick and had a spicy kick to it. The miso flavor was strong and the curly noodles paired well with the miso soup. By the way, you can help yourself to complimentary white rice. Even if you're not a fan of hormone, this dish is worth a try. Bon appétit!

I really felt like having ramen for lunch, so I visited this place. I'm not good with ticket machines, but since it was my first visit, I chose soy sauce flavor. You can choose between light and rich, but this time I went with rich. Rice is free, but I really wanted fried rice, so I added a half portion. The ramen had floating lard and was indeed rich. The chashu was tender, thick, and delicious. The fried rice lacked a crispy texture and was a bit mushy, but the mild flavor was quite tasty. I ended up eating a bit too much, but I'm satisfied. The shop is small, and the steam from boiling the noodles filled the store, making it a bit hot.

Salt Ramen for 850 yen. I ordered the light option during lunchtime, and rice was free. I came here for lunch without knowing anything about it. There weren't many options around for lunch by car, so this was my first visit. There were buttons for soy sauce, salt, and umami salt at the top left of the ticket machine. I thought the salt option would be light, so I ordered it. Others seemed to prefer the rich option. It was a hit! It had a nostalgic, light, old-fashioned salt ramen flavor. The soup was light and had a nostalgic taste, with no greasy lard on the surface, which I liked. The noodles were old-fashioned medium-thick curly noodles. The ingredients also had an old-fashioned feel, with fried tofu and fish cake adding a nice touch. I liked it. I was happy to have free rice during lunchtime. It really improved the cost performance (laughs). The rice was free as a service, so no complaints there. However, I might not have needed rice with the light salt ramen. There is a partnership coin parking lot next door, and I received a parking ticket worth 200 yen. Maybe it was because it was crowded and took a long time? I was just a few yen short (laughs). Having a parking lot around here and getting a parking ticket is good enough. I thought it was cheap to get rice for free and receive a parking ticket for 850 yen. There are various menu options, like a rich flavor, that I'm curious about. My companion had the umami salt ramen. They said it was delicious and refreshing with a hint of plum when they drank the soup.

I had been curious about this restaurant for a while. Toya Lake Ramen! I visited for the first time. I bought the "Hontei" and "Hiden" miso ramen from the ticket machine! According to the staff, "Hontei" is light, and "Hiden" is rich. Today, I felt like having something rich, so I ordered the "Hiden". The staff mentioned, "There is free self-serve rice, if you'd like." So, I got some rice before the ramen arrived. The ramen had a good visual presentation of richness in the bowl. The toppings included fried garlic, seasoned egg, green onions, bamboo shoots, komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach), seaweed, and a long, slightly thick slice of pork chashu. The soup was just the right amount of richness, with the fried garlic adding a nice touch. The slightly firm noodles paired well with the soup. I slurped it all up in no time! I decided to try the Hormen, a ramen with hormone (offal) next time. Thank you for the meal.

Opened in 2017, "Toyako Ramen Hirose Shoten" is a restaurant that serves a type of ramen called "Toyako Ramen," which may not be familiar to many people. The restaurant inherited the taste of a popular shop called "Ajiichi," which had been operating in the Toyako Onsen area for about 32 years before closing around 2015. The restaurant is run by a company based in Sapporo called "T-CREATE," and the president of the company, Mr. Hirose, is from Toyako, which is where the name of the restaurant comes from. Located in Sapporo's Kita-ku, the restaurant offers three main types of ramen: the original Toyako Ramen with a light soup, the secret Toyako Ramen with a rich soup (available in miso, salt, or soy sauce flavors), and new specialties like Hormone Ramen (soy sauce or miso), Spicy Miso, and Salt Tantan. They also have limited-time menu items like Ume Salt and Kimchi Ramen, as well as side dishes. The menu is divided into three categories. Upon entering the restaurant, guests are greeted by a sophisticated hostess. The restaurant has a team of three people, including the hostess in the dining area and two men in the kitchen. Customers can order from a ticket machine, and the reviewer chose the "Hormone Ramen (miso)" for 890 yen. The hostess informed that rice is complimentary and self-service. The ramen arrived in about 5 minutes, featuring a miso soup base with plenty of green onions and hormone. The reviewer found the soup to be slightly thin but flavorful, made from chicken bones, pork bones, and aromatic vegetables. The noodles were medium-thick curly Sapporo egg noodles with a good chewiness that complemented the soup well. The reviewer enjoyed the tender and tasty hormone along with the generous portion of green onions, bean sprouts, and bamboo shoots. The dish did not include chashu (sliced pork), but the reviewer found the ginger topping added a nice touch to the soup. After finishing the noodles, the reviewer poured the remaining soup over the rice to enjoy it like ochazuke. The meal ended with the reviewer savoring every last drop of the soup. The reviewer left the restaurant with a stamp card and sweet words from the hostess, looking forward to trying the original Toyako Ramen next time to experience the true essence of Toyako Ramen. Overall, the reviewer had a pleasant dining experience at "Toyako Ramen Hirose Shoten" and expressed curiosity about the identity of the charming hostess, leaving with a sense of mystery.

Today's lunch was at Hirose Shoten in Kita 12-jo. A friend recommended their "Honten Hiden" miso ramen for miso lovers, so I ordered the miso ramen with green onion topping. You can choose between light or rich when ordering, so I went for the rich option. I debated getting extra char siu topping, but decided to keep it simple today. It took about 10 minutes for the ramen to arrive after ordering. The rich option turned out to be a soup with plenty of back fat, not the miso itself. It's been a while since I had ramen with this much fat. The soup had a rich miso flavor that lived up to its "secret recipe" name. The noodles were curly and lacked firmness, I would have preferred them to be a bit firmer. As expected, the char siu was quite intense, almost too intense to chew. I was hoping for more green onions with the topping, but it was a bit lacking. Towards the end, the soup started to feel a bit greasy, so I left most of it uneaten.

It was a sudden hospitalization, but I was discharged unexpectedly three weeks ago. This hospitalization was supposed to be short-term, about a month, but I was discharged after about 20 days. However, even after discharge, I have been going for outpatient visits almost every weekday. I am finally able to resume responding to reviews from everyone. I am grateful for the many likes on the reviews I posted during my hospitalization. Your strong support for my recovery has been very encouraging. I have another hospitalization scheduled before the end of the year, but due to the current situation with COVID-19, the appointments have been postponed to after April. Thank you for your continued support. [February 2021] After returning home from the hospital, I immediately headed to department stores like Mitsukoshi Sapporo. However, I was quite tired from the hospital bed, so I lay down for a while after returning home. When I finally turned on my computer after three weeks, I found a mountain of emails. From Tabelog, there were notifications about "deleting registered reviews of stores" and "Reviwer Award 2021 Bronze Award." I had given up on the award for 2020 as I was hospitalized for two months that year, but unexpectedly, I received the award for the second year in a row. I am grateful for everyone's support. "Hirose Shoten" is a shop that inherits the "Toyako Ramen" tradition. I had been curious about this shop for a while. I used to visit "Toyako Onsen" every year for a 2-night, 3-day stay with my family. During those times, we visited almost all the ramen shops and eateries in the Toyako Onsen town. Towards the end, we even went to the other side of Toyako to find eateries. Of course, we didn't visit expensive places like sushi restaurants too often. On this visit, I went to "Hirose Shoten" for the first time with my usual companion for lunch. This shop is located near the Hokkaido University area in Kita-ku, Sapporo, close to Kitakujou Elementary School. Please check the exact location of the shop on Tabelog. We visited around 11:30 am on a holiday. There were 7 customers before us and 5 customers after us. The shop has counter seats and a small raised seating area. As soon as we entered the shop, we saw a ticket machine. I ordered the "Original Secret Miso Ramen" for two people. We both chose the "rich" option when asked by the staff. After waiting for about 7 minutes, our two "rich miso ramen" bowls arrived. We also received the lunchtime complimentary service of "self-serve rice." The noodles were medium-thick curly noodles with a slightly softer texture than the usual Sapporo noodles. The soup base was a moderately rich pork bone soup with a bit of back fat floating on top. It was not extremely rich, making it easy to eat. The soup was served piping hot. The toppings included thick slices of pork chashu, seaweed, fried garlic, flavored egg (halved), komatsuna, bean sprouts, and green onions. The price was 880 yen (tax included). The "rich miso ramen" was a ramen that was easy to eat, with a "rich" taste profile. The light back fat added to the umami flavor. Adding garlic enhanced the flavor. The complimentary "self-serve rice" during lunchtime was a nice touch. Some people even asked for seconds. I feel like "Ajii" had a more light ramen, not a rich one. I would like to try the "light soy sauce" next time to confirm. Maybe I'll even get to see the fun Okasan again. It was a delicious meal. Thank you.

Near Kita 12-Jo Station. After finishing work, I wandered around looking for dinner before dinner without any particular destination in mind. It's not an area I usually visit, but as I walked, I stumbled upon a ramen shop! A woman pulling a suitcase walked ahead of me and smoothly disappeared inside the curtain. This must be the place! Inside, that lady was buying a meal ticket and sitting down. It's a ticket machine. I was thinking of getting the salt ramen, but then I noticed the Hormone Miso Ramen for 890 yen including tax, so I decided to go for that! It's been a while since I had Hormone Ramen. The master is working alone. After about a 10-minute wait, the bowl arrived. It's a miso ramen with a rich flavor and a hint of back fat. The surface doesn't show much hormone... Anyway, let's dig in. First, the soup. It's rich but goes down smoothly. The back fat is not overpowering, making it a delicious soup. The noodles are firm and go well with the soup. The hormone finally appears! There's quite a bit of hormone inside. It's chewy and tender, really tasty! The combination of hormone, green onions, bean sprouts, and this soup is just perfect! While searching for hormone, I kept saying "delicious, delicious" and before I knew it, I had finished it all! I might be a fan of this Hormone Miso Ramen place. Thanks for the meal! Ramen Review #132 for 2020.

The morning was chilly despite the sunshine, hinting at the arrival of a white world soon. I exerted my body from the early morning, feeling a different kind of fatigue from desk work. I focused only on the present, without thinking about the future. By midday, my physical exertion also ended. I felt intense hunger and pleasant fatigue, inducing a sense of relaxation. I noticed a small sign that caught my eye: "Toya Ramen". I entered the almost full restaurant, likely filled with nearby office workers and students. A graceful lady welcomed me with a luxurious voice, reminiscent of a hotel concierge. I pressed a button on the ticket machine without prior knowledge, following an unspoken rule in the unknown. It read "Original Shoyu Ramen" of the light taste lineage. I was seated at a table for four, agreeing to share the space with strangers. The conflicting temperatures of the high set heating and the cold wind blowing in from the open window made me crave the ramen even more. The lady's voice resonated impressively as she brought the ramen, immediately suggesting, "It's a lunch special, so please have some rice too." Due to physical fatigue or her prompting, I added rice to my order. Although it was advertised as light, the ramen appeared rich and I confirmed its depth with the first sip. The unique soup blending pork bone and chicken broth had no strong flavors. The soup soaked into my hungry stomach, while the medium curly noodles provided satisfaction. I dipped the seaweed in the soup and placed it on rice, eating it like a sushi roll. The tender chashu and long, crunchy bamboo shoots soaked in Toya soy sauce were delightful. Satisfying the primal desire of using the body and filling the stomach is a simple pleasure. The ramen seeped into every corner of my tired body. I felt content after finishing the meal. The cold wind by the window now felt welcoming against my heated body. The lady's elegant voice seemed to embrace my sweaty back. I encouraged myself to move forward confidently into the afternoon, without fear of the burdensome future.

Today I went to the Tetsunishi district. It was actually on my way to work and I was combining breakfast and lunch. The Tetsunishi district covers the area from North 6th to North 12th Streets in the north-south direction, and from West 1st to West 12th Streets in the east-west direction. The streets and avenues in Sapporo are not named after neighborhoods, but rather have district names. I used to live in the Tethigashi district on the other side of the Sosei River, so Hokkaido University in the Tetsunishi district was a fun place for me. I exited from the north gate of Sapporo Station's east concourse. I passed by the Yoyogi Seminar and crossed the crosswalk heading north. I passed by the area under redevelopment and the North Kyujo Elementary School, and when I saw the Seiko Mart, I knew I was close. I turned right at the corner of Nissan Rent-A-Car and entered Nakago Street, where I saw the sign for "ramen." This was my second visit to this place. When I visited on August 10th, there was a sign saying they would be closed until August 26th for summer break, so I went to another restaurant. But it's within a 10-minute walk from Sapporo Station, so it's forgivable. I arrived right at the opening time of 11 o'clock. The staff greeted me and I purchased the "Original Soy Sauce or Salt Ramen for 780 yen" from the ticket machine on the right as I entered. I sat at the counter in the back of the restaurant. I ordered the soy sauce flavor. The staff member spoke very politely, using formal language, which was unusual for a chain restaurant. They even gave me a stamp card, which had different levels of rewards based on the number of visits. The seating was a bit tight at the counter, and there were dividers between each seat with condiments on them. The staff member explained everything in a very polite manner. The ramen arrived after about 10 minutes, and it was delicious, with a nostalgic taste. The restaurant had old photos on the walls, and I noticed a connection to a ramen shop in Lake Toya. Overall, it was a pleasant experience.

Delicious food is enjoyed by everyone, but when it comes to ramen, it's all about personal preference. Located about 1km from JR Sapporo Station North Exit, towards the Subway Toho Line Kita 13-jo Higashi Station, it takes about a 15-minute walk. The route is straightforward, so you shouldn't get lost, but it does feel a bit far when walking. I found this ramen shop after searching on my phone for a second place to drink near the station on the day of my visit. **Service & Hospitality** There was only one staff member working that day. The service was polite, but the staff was mostly busy cooking, so we were left on our own. Since we were already a bit tipsy, it was fine for us. However, unfortunately, they use a food ticket system, which I personally dislike. It feels rushed when you're waiting in line, and it's annoying to pay upfront without receiving any service. **Atmosphere** Although the shop is not spacious, the seating is comfortably spaced out, allowing for a relaxed dining experience. The modern appearance of the ramen shop, including the clean and tidy restroom, makes it suitable for women as well. **Menu** The menu mainly offers miso, shoyu (soy sauce), and shio (salt) ramen, each with two variations: "Honke" and "Hiden." There are a total of six options, including tantanmen and spicy miso, which can be a bit confusing for first-timers. **Taste Test** After some contemplation, I decided to order the "Honke Miso" since it was my first bowl of ramen in Hokkaido. The rich and warm miso soup had a hint of sweetness and wasn't too salty. The slightly thin egg noodle paired well with the miso broth. The toppings included chashu, half a boiled egg, menma, diced onions, nori, and chopped green onions. It was a taste that said, "This is Sapporo miso." It was a surprising and unexpectedly delicious find in an unexpected place. **Overall Impression** Although the taste was decent, the location is a bit out of the way for tourists and even business travelers. A few regular customers were ordering the "shoyu" ramen, and for some reason, it looked delicious. I would like to try the shoyu ramen next time and then give my evaluation. - Seating: Counter x 6 seats, Table x 3 (4-seater) - Visit Details: Saturday, 8:00 PM, 2 people, No reservation, 3 groups before and 3 people after, No waiting time - No wet towels provided - Disposable chopsticks - Restroom: Unisex, Western style, Washlet, Cleanliness Grade A (S~C)

Today, I visited Hirose Shoten. They have a small parking lot that is contracted with a coin park, so you can park there. Inside the store, there is a small counter and a raised seating area. The raised seating area is sunken kotatsu style, which is friendly for small children and elderly people. You can order by using the vending machine and I chose the rich miso flavor. Personally, I found the flavor to be on the rich side. Thank you for the meal!

During lunchtime, my dad visited a restaurant that caught his eye in a residential area. According to him, there is a ticket machine on the right side of the entrance, and there is a raised seating area. The front and left sides have a counter, and the kitchen is in the back. Since it was his first visit, my dad simply selected "shoyu ramen" and sat at the end of the counter. He mentioned that the ticket is for both shoyu and salt flavors, so you have to specify your preference. Soon, his "shoyu ramen" arrived, which apparently had my favorite toppings of seaweed, fried tofu, very long menma, and chashu. He said, "The noodles have a good chewy texture, not rubbery. TOMO-P's tolerance level for enemies is right on the edge. The soup is soy sauce flavor from the front, looks rich but it's not." Sounds delicious, right? Oh, and guess what? "During lunchtime, rice is free. I couldn't handle it though." Really? "Oh!" What is it? "I think I'll try the light Toyama Black next time! It should go well with rice!" I'm even more confused now... Maybe I'll try it next time (^▽^)/.

I visited Hanatsu Endo's Hokkaido Ramen Relay at Gifu Takashimaya! This is the 16th installment! I ordered the secret soy sauce ramen for ¥850 and added extra pork for ¥300, totaling ¥1,150. The soup is a rich soy sauce broth with strong pork oil. The noodles are medium thickness and curly, on the shorter side. They have a fragrant taste and good chewiness. The pork chashu is tender and flavorful, but the boiled egg was a bit disappointing. Overall, the dish may be too heavy for those who prefer lighter flavors. Thank you for the meal!

Endo's Hokkaido Ramen Relay 16th edition: Hirose Shoten's special miso ramen with all toppings for 1460 yen. The chashu was incredibly tender and delicious. The soup was easy to drink.

Arrived at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. There were 3 customers before me and 1 customer after me. The young owner and a female staff member were working. They mentioned that they no longer have regular closing days starting this month. They offer two types of ramen: a light "Honke" and a rich "Secret". The former is said to inherit the taste of the closed-down long-established "Ajiichi" in Toyako (hence "Toyako Ramen"). However, without hesitation, I purchased the rich "Secret Miso Ramen" (880 yen) from the ticket machine. The staff member came to collect the ticket in between cooking. Ginger topping is free for a limited time... Hmm, I hesitated, but decided not to get it this time. Rice is also free during lunchtime. Soon, the ramen was served on a tray. It came with crushed fried garlic on top. The soup is rich enough to make your mouth feel sticky, but not too heavy, it's smooth, and the aroma of Ma-yu is great! It's delicious even without ginger. The noodles are thin, curly, and light brown in color, which you don't see often in Sapporo. They are firm, which I like! The chashu is tender and half fatty. The bamboo shoots are large and have a good crunch. There's also a half soft-boiled flavored egg. The ramen was very satisfying and delicious, especially for a miso ramen lover like me. It's quite to my liking. The price is a bit high, but with such delicious taste, there's no complaint. Next time, I might try the "Hormone (Miso)" or the "Ajiichi Fried Rice".

The Sunday morning in Sapporo passed by in a hurry. Today, since my wife has an early day, we decided to have ramen and then head back home quickly. We arrived at a ramen shop called "Hirose Shoten" without much information, but it seemed nice from the outside. The shop had a sign directing us to use the adjacent parking lot and also mentioned that they provide a service ticket. We arrived just before opening time and used the parking lot without fully understanding the service ticket system. Inside, we found a ticket machine where we exchanged a 1000 yen bill for change. The ramen options included miso, but we opted for the salt flavor. The price seemed a bit high at 780 yen, considering there are places offering delicious ramen for 450 yen. The seating arrangement was not the most comfortable, with high tables and low chairs. The shop had a few tables and a counter, with a small raised area with three tables. Despite the good ramen, the presence of an ashtray and customers smoking inside was disappointing. The ramen arrived in about 7 minutes, with thick noodles and flavorful toppings. The broth was light and seemed to lack depth, possibly due to the absence of artificial seasoning. The service was decent, with the staff and owner being friendly. However, the confusion over the service ticket and the high price of the ramen left a bit of a sour taste. Overall, the experience was average, and we left feeling like there are better options out there.

I came to this restaurant where I have been a fan of for a while. My goal was the "Salt Tantan Men". There is no parking lot, but if you park at the affiliated parking lot, you can get a service ticket. Inside the store, there is a ticket vending machine. I pressed "Salt Tantan Men 850 yen" and took the ticket, then sat at the empty counter and handed over the ticket. The spiciness level is basically normal, medium, or hot. I asked for medium spiciness. If you have a preference, they also accommodate no spiciness or extra spicy. Looking at past reviews, it seems that the price has increased by 50 yen. It was served without much waiting. Rice for lunch is self-service and free. The generous amount of scrambled eggs is impressive. The ingredients are ground meat, garlic, scrambled eggs, leeks, and chopped green onions. The soup is clear with a salt base, but you don't feel much saltiness. I wish there was a bit more umami flavor. The medium spiciness is not too hot and easy to eat. The noodles are thin and curly, cooked al dente. It has a smooth texture. I thought about adding the free rice to the leftover soup, but decided not to. Next time, I would like to try the Super Sichuan Pepper Ramen. (2019.05)