くい吉
Today, after a long time, I was on my way to North Safari Sapporo to have fun, and my girlfriend wanted to have ramen for lunch. However, I made a wrong turn, so we couldn't go to the intended ramen shop and had to find a ramen shop on the way. As we were gradually heading into the mountains and couldn't find any shops, I was starting to worry. But then, I spotted a shop I had never seen before. A Hakata ramen shop in such a place? I didn't have time to ponder, so I quickly slid into the parking lot and entered the shop. We were seated at the counter seats first. Looking at the menu, it was clear that this shop was all about Hakata ramen. They offered a choice between Hakata noodles and Hokkaido noodles, with options for the firmness of the noodles. Since it was our first time at the shop, I decided to go with a simple "Ramen (Hakata noodles/750 yen)," and my girlfriend chose "Ajitama Ramen (Hokkaido noodles/800 yen)" with regular noodles. The interior of the shop was not very spacious, and the floor material and chairs at the counter seats gave off a vibe of a former coffee shop or snack bar. There was a large panel of Takakura Ken on the wall, and records of Showa kayo songs were displayed at the edge of the counter seats, making for an interesting decor. There were two rice cookers by the window, and I remembered seeing a note on the menu saying, "Customers who order ramen get a free bowl of rice." So, we decided to each have a bowl of rice as well. In about 5 minutes, our ramen arrived! The delicious smell of tonkotsu broth wafted over. Let's dig in! I started with a sip of the soup. This Hakata ramen had a tonkotsu soy sauce flavor, with the richness of tonkotsu and a special soy sauce from Hakata creating a smooth and distinct taste. The noodles, sourced from Hakata, paired perfectly with the soup, with the firm noodles allowing the soup to coat them well. The rice also went well together! The toppings included chashu, green onions, and seaweed. My girlfriend shared half of her ajitama with me, and the perfectly seasoned and semi-soft boiled egg was delicious. The chashu here was incredibly tasty! The fatty sweetness that melted in the mouth was irresistible. Before I knew it, I had almost finished the noodles without trying any of the toppings, so after some contemplation, we both decided to get an extra serving of noodles. This time, my girlfriend got the Hakata noodles with firmness, while I chose the regular Hokkaido noodles. After ordering, the chef quickly drained the noodles and put them directly into the bowl. It was nice to see this kind of authentic atmosphere. I had never tried tonkotsu ramen with medium-sized egg noodles before, but I discovered that I quite liked the taste of the wheat in the Hokkaido noodles. Now, it's time for flavor customization! There were five condiments for flavoring: pickled ginger, spicy mustard greens, grated garlic, sesame seeds, and a special sauce. Pickled ginger was refreshing, grated garlic was rich, and sesame seeds added depth to the flavor, just as I had imagined. The special sauce seemed to be a soy sauce-based one used in the ramen. It was perfect for those who like strong flavors. The most surprising condiment was the spicy mustard greens. It must have also been imported from Hakata, as it was incredibly spicy when I tried it with the noodles. However, the lingering spiciness made it delicious! I wish I had left some rice to balance out the heat. Despite having a bowl of rice, two servings of noodles, and finishing the soup, the Hakata ramen was so delicious that we couldn't resist. The shop seemed to be run by a married couple, and although they didn't talk much, their welcoming atmosphere was very pleasant.