Near Nishi-Otaru Station, close to Otaru's tourist spots, there is a ramen shop with a facade that blends in with Otaru's streetscape. Inside, there are raised seating areas and a counter. The menu offers classic miso, salt, and soy sauce ramen, as well as a few other varieties. They also serve Otaru's familiar ankake yakisoba. This time, I ordered the special salt ramen. It has a refreshing saltiness that is gentle on the palate. It's not too rich, so it might appeal to everyone. The noodles were slightly soft, but it added to the overall gentleness. It's easy to enjoy and delicious. If you want more flavor, adding pepper would be a good idea.

As the title suggests, this ramen shop is located right next to JR Minami-Otaru Station. I had lunch here while on a drive to Otaru. It had been a long time since I last visited Kura-ya, a few times when I was a student. The building has a rustic warehouse-like exterior, with parking space at the back. The interior is small with only a few counter seats and raised seating areas. They offer ramen in three basic flavors as well as options like hormone ramen, and set menus with mini bowls. Since there was no recommendation, I ordered the "Miso Ramen (700 yen)" for now. It was served quickly in about 5 minutes. It looked rich, but surprisingly tasted light with a unique sourness from the miso. The medium-thick curly noodles were to my liking and delicious, but the sourness in the soup might be divisive. I also noticed a tonkatsu curry in a sushi bucket, which I'd like to try if I have the chance.

Visit date March 29, 2021, Monday around 4:00 PM. It's more like a late lunch or an early dinner. On this day, I went shopping at Minami Taru Market in the afternoon. There is a famous ramen shop in Otaru called "Ramen Mikan." Since I had already been to Mikan recently, I decided to explore and find a ramen shop I haven't been to before. Unfortunately, Ramen Ichiban is closed on Mondays. I walked up a steep hill and found a cool warehouse-like building. This is "Ramen Otaru Kuraya." I was a bit nervous about whether they would be open at this odd time, but when I entered, I was greeted with a warm "Welcome." Phew, relieved. Moreover, I saw on the menu board outside the shop that by adding the shop on LINE as a friend, most types of ramen were ¥200 off the regular price. (Unfortunately, the Hormone Ramen was not included in the discount...) The interior of the shop is surprisingly compact and not very spacious. There are counter seats and raised seating areas. I sat at the counter and confirmed the LINE discount with the staff, and indeed, I got ¥200 off. I ordered the Special Shio Ramen for ¥800, which became ¥600. ('∇') I wish I had asked how it differs from regular shio ramen. The serving time was surprisingly fast, about 5 minutes! It's probably because of the time of day and the fact that I was the only customer there, haha. The soup was surprisingly salty with a mellow taste. I also felt the presence of lard in it. The noodles were thin curly noodles with a firm texture, making it easy to slurp up. The toppings included a large slice of roasted pork, watercress as an accent, pink naruto, and a sheet of seaweed. Overall, it was a safe and universally appealing type of ramen. There is also a branch in Nagasaki-ya in front of Otaru Station, and sometimes when I peek in from outside, I see high school girls and families with children eating there. The customer base seems diverse. The atmosphere is welcoming and not intimidating. Plus, first-time customers can enjoy a bowl of ramen for only ¥600. The main branch has a special ramen, but the branch in Nagasaki-ya does not. How curious. Next time, I'm curious about trying the Sushi Barrel Cutlet Curry for ¥950.

Visited for the first time in December 2020, the 46th ramen shop of the year in Otaru. The local boss is secretly the head of the Hokkaido branch of the "Yamaoka Family Appreciation Society." He loves exploring shops in the area and collecting T-shirts with points cards. I don't really understand his passion, but he insisted on going to the unique "Ichiban" pork bone ramen shop in Otaru. Despite my reluctance, I was dragged along by the boss. Unfortunately, the shop was closed, so we ended up at this nearby place, which was also on my list to try. According to the boss, the famous "Hatsudai" shop in Otaru was originally from here, so I had high hopes for this place. The soy sauce ramen cost 700 yen, a reasonable price these days. The soup was a cloudy pork bone broth, not too salty, but lacking a strong soy sauce flavor. The toppings included tender but crumbly chashu, seasoned bamboo shoots, wheat gluten, and nori. The noodles were from Kobayashi Seimen, slightly on the softer side. Overall, it was a decent bowl of ramen with no standout features. This shop seems to have a corporate feel, with another branch recently opened at Nagasaki-ya in front of the station. A forgettable ramen experience.

In December 2020, I revisited the anti-Yamaoka family MyRebi-san and took them to the legendary ramen shop "Ichiban," but to our surprise, it was closed for the day. So, we decided to visit the nearby "Otaru Kuraya Honten" instead. I had a good impression of their special salt ramen before, but this time I was intrigued by their new menu item. Miso Cheese Ramen (950 yen): It had been a long time since I had miso cheese ramen, last trying it in Sapporo at "Shigeru Ramen." The cheese aroma was rich and creamy, while the miso base was mild and slightly subdued, enhanced by the combination of Parmesan and Mascarpone cheese which added a bit of richness. The slightly thick, medium-sized noodles from Kobayashi Seimen were a good choice, but the soup needed to be more rich and creamy to match well with the cheese. I haven't reviewed it, but I also tried their Hormone Ramen in the past, which didn't leave a lasting impression. The "Kuraya" is a shop started by Takahayashi Fumi, a friend of the owner of "Mutsumiya," and I remember the shop's rapid success back then (reportedly reaching eight-figure monthly sales). It seems that "Kuraya" is now working hard, even opening a branch in Nagasaki-ya. I hope they continue to focus on traditional ramen without introducing strange menu items, as I would like to see them succeed in the future.

I visited this restaurant for dinner on my way back from a day trip to Otaru from Sapporo. It is located very close to JR Minami-Otaru Station and offers affordable prices. I felt that the soup could have been a bit richer in flavor, but overall, I would like to stop by again if I have the chance to visit Otaru in the future!

This restaurant has unique menu items that I personally enjoy. I would like to try the sushi barrel curry and soy sauce ramen. The soy sauce ramen is simple and delicious. They also have other ramen options that I would like to try. They are taking COVID-19 precautions with disinfection and partitions in place.

Starting with ramen for the first stop of exploring Otaru (lol). On my way back home, I decided to take a stroll in Otaru. I got off at Minami Otaru and walked to Otaru Station, planning to do a food tour. I didn't originally plan to stop by this place, but during my high school days, I used to come here often for some reason. Feeling nostalgic, I couldn't help but stop by and eat here! I saw a poster saying "50% off with LINE registration!" so I decided to register since I was already there (lol). I ordered the Special Kura-ya Miso ramen. It arrived in about 3-4 minutes. It had bean sprouts, onions, sliced wood ear mushrooms, chopped chashu, and green onions. I ordered the soup to be hot and the noodles to be soft (lol), and they were quite stretchy. The miso was not too strong, with a slightly sweet taste. I'm not sure what made it special, but it was delicious! I got a free ice cream on my way out! It reminded me of a certain ramen chain. Thank you for the meal ♡

Yesterday, I had curry in parfait style in Sapporo. Today, I am in Otaru. If Sapporo is known for parfait, then Otaru must be known for sushi style! I visited a place called Kura-ya on the way down from Nishi-Otaru Station to the tourist area. The location must be great because it was packed except for one table. It was filled with foreign tourists. I ordered the Sushi Oke Katsu Curry (950 yen) which I wanted to try. I mean, when else would you have the chance to eat curry in a sushi oke, right? It was brought out in a big sushi oke. There were no forks, only spoons. The curry was medium spicy, leaning towards sweet. It was a mellow type of curry, different from what you would have at home. It was quite delicious. The katsu was hot and crispy, easy to cut with a spoon. There was a lot of pork in addition to the katsu, which added to the flavor and volume. I was full. It was my first time at Kura-ya, and the curry was quite tasty. Thank you for the meal. This was the 11th curry or curry-flavored dish I've had this year.

The curry rice in a bowl is not too spicy, making it easy to eat. The soy sauce ramen tastes different from before.

Special miso ramen with a smoky flavor, smoking allowed.

I had miso ramen. The chashu was quite big and delicious!

Near Minami-Otaru Station, there is a long-established ramen shop where I used to buy their fresh ramen at supermarkets and enjoy it at home. The taste of the fresh ramen was definitely seafood-based. Since the popular first-generation shop was crowded during lunchtime, I decided to visit this shop for the first time. I was always curious about it as I passed by it on my usual route. I parked my car in the dedicated space next to the shop and went inside. I wanted something light, so I ordered the Special Salt Ramen for 800 yen, while my companion ordered the Vegetable Ramen for 850 yen, along with one salmon rice ball each. First, the rice balls arrived, followed by the ramen. The service was quick. Despite being the special ramen, the ingredients were simple. First, the soup. It had a transparent, seafood-based flavor. A simple taste. The noodles were from Kobayashi Seimen, thin and curly, but the noodles were... soft. Perhaps they were boiled too much. Quite disappointing. The noodles were just soft without blending well with the soup. The chashu was just ordinary. I couldn't figure out what made it special until the end. The Vegetable Ramen my companion ordered looked cloudy and had a completely different taste from the special salt ramen. I tried it, and it tasted like champon, with the sweetness and umami of the vegetables coming through. However, the noodles were similarly soft, and I couldn't help but think that it would be better with thick, straight noodles. Of course, unlike champon, there was no pork in it, not even chashu (there was some minced meat-like ingredient though). Another disappointment. The salmon rice balls were the only highlight, with a slightly strong saltiness but delicious rice and generous salmon filling. The only redeeming quality. I underestimated it because it was a long-established shop. I should have just lined up at the first-generation shop. Personally, I felt that the soup lacked a strong accent. I won't be coming back.

I recently found out about the existence of Katsu Curry served in a sushi bucket at Zouya, and I just had to try it out for the novelty factor. The Katsu Curry (950 yen) is served in a sushi bucket with a diameter of 21.5 cm. The katsu is freshly fried and hot, with the meat being tender enough to cut with a spoon. However, the breading has a slightly crunchy texture, giving it a cheap impression. I wish they would bread it before frying for a better texture. The curry has chunks of pork and is mildly spicy, falling into the category of medium spiciness. It could use a bit more sweetness from the onions, but overall, it's a decent curry for a ramen shop. The curry portion is generous, and although I briefly considered adding more rice, the dish was satisfying enough on its own. It's a bit puzzling to see sushi buckets at a ramen shop, but it definitely makes an impact.

I was planning to have ramen at a nearby shop, but couldn't find parking, so I ended up here. I was going to have pork cutlet curry, but decided to try the spicy ramen instead. My wife ordered miso ramen, and I got the spicy ramen. Our orders arrived in about 5 minutes. The broth was quite red, but not as spicy as I expected. It had plenty of wood ear mushrooms, which I like, and quail eggs. I thought maybe I should have gone with the pork cutlet curry... As I was eating, the spiciness gradually built up, but it wasn't too extreme, so I think even people who are not used to spicy food would be okay. I did find it a bit strange that the regular ramen was 700 yen, but the spicy ramen was 930 yen... Overall, it was a good meal, and my wife liked it, so we'll probably come back again.

I tried the delicious food at the Hokkaido local products exhibition, so I decided to visit Hokkaido during my trip. I had miso butter ramen at a place called The Hokkaido. It's located right by Minami-Otaru Station, perfect for finishing off a day in Otaru. I love ramen, and this spacious restaurant with traditional seating is one of my favorites. The dim lighting and atmosphere really add to the experience!

I used to search for a restaurant to eat at in Otaru every year, but I always overlooked Kura-ya. This time, I happened to pass by the restaurant and decided to go in. When I saw the menu, I immediately chose the special Kura-ya miso ramen! When the ramen was served, it reminded me of miso ramen served at a countryside diner. Since Otaru is a tourist spot, I think they should make the presentation more appealing. The soup was light and had a seafood flavor, but it lacked depth and richness. I usually enjoy adding shichimi spice just before finishing the soup, but this time, I added it early to enhance the flavor. Both the previous customers and those who came later ordered gyoza. The sound of gyoza being cooked in the kitchen was reassuring. Next time, I plan to try the salt ramen.