Nakafu Ramen, located along the national highway in Nakafurano Town, is a ramen shop called Ramen Hoshino Ki that was established about 20 years ago. I had always been curious about this place as I would often pass by but never stopped in. The exterior and interior have a log house style, with seating for 12 at the counter, 2 tables for 5 people, and 3 small raised tables for 4 people each. Although there are chairs at the tables and counter, there isn't much seating available. The menu consists of basic items and set menus with ramen. They also offer several types of gyoza. I ordered the Mini Fried Rice Set from the set menu for 950 yen, as well as the Kumazasa Gyoza for 400 yen. There were 5 gyoza in the serving, but I couldn't resist and ate 2 before taking the picture. From looking at the noren, it seems they use noodles from Asahikawa Suto Seimen, but they seem slightly different from Asahikawa noodles.

Work in Furano. Finished in the morning. Going back to Asahikawa by car. Let's have a meal on the way back. I want to try a restaurant I haven't been to before. If it's along the national highway, it must be this restaurant. I've never had the chance to visit before. Passed by the front of the restaurant just before 1 pm. There is a lot of snow this year. The snow piled up by snow removal is blocking the way between the national highway and the restaurant. Managed to confirm that the curtain was out while driving. Also confirmed that there were no cars parked in the parking lot. Let's go in! A beautiful entrance like a log house. Although it looked like a big restaurant from the outside, the inside felt even bigger and spacious. I asked if it was okay to sit at a table seat and sat down. At that time, what do you recommend? I asked. The answer was "Salt Ramen or Spicy Miso Ramen." I see... Salt Ramen is about the broth, while Spicy Miso Ramen is about the flavoring of the broth. I see. Let's start by trying the broth. Salt Ramen for 700 yen. With Char Siu noodles, it's 850 yen. It's a good deal to upgrade to Char Siu noodles for an extra 150 yen, as some restaurants these days easily exceed 1000 yen for Char Siu noodles. The inside of the restaurant is clean and has a log house feel, making it a pleasant atmosphere. The ramen was ready in about 10 minutes. I see. The soup looks slightly cloudy. There is not much oil floating in the soup. The Char Siu is mainly lean meat. Although each piece is small in size, there are many pieces. It was enjoyable to have radish sprouts as a topping. I was pleased to have my favorite wood ear mushrooms. The seaweed adds a seafood flavor, but the wood ear mushrooms do not. However, the crunchy texture is pleasant, making it a nice palate cleanser. Let's start with the soup. I see. Salt Ramen with a unique flavor I've never tried before. The subtle flavors of ginger and a hint of garlic are mixed in a pleasant way. The ginger is finely chopped, it seems. The fresh ginger flavor is nice. Although the depth of the broth is not very noticeable, it surprisingly enhances the ginger flavor. Next is the noodles. They are slightly soft, which suits the Salt Ramen. The Char Siu. Lean meat-centered. The thickness is just right, not too thick. The seasoning is light, not overpowering the soup's flavor. It's my preferred seasoning. Soup -> Noodles -> Char Siu -> Soup -> Soup -> Toppings. I ate in this order. The wood ear mushrooms and radish sprouts were a pleasant accent. Hmm... Some people may have their preferences, but I found the taste to be pleasant. Next, I want to try the Spicy Miso Ramen. It was recommended by the owner... What's interesting is that although the flag at the entrance says "Recommended Soy Sauce Ramen," when I asked the owner, it was not included in the choices. In that case, I'll visit a few more times and try all the flavors. A customer who entered while I was eating. They ordered a set of ramen and a small fried rice. The sound of the fried rice being cooked sounded delicious... It was very appealing. Thank you for the meal!

Visited on a sunny day in the refreshing month of May. The log house has a nice atmosphere as always, with a spacious parking lot making it easy to enter the shop. The ramen shop has a relatively large interior, and it seems like the owner is managing it alone. This is my tenth visit, and I always order the miso ramen. This time, I ordered the miso chashu ramen. The thick kikurage mushrooms as toppings, along with the soup that has a hint of ginger flavor, seem to enhance the overall texture and deliciousness of the dish. Although it's not a ramen with any distinctive features, for some reason, it's a mysterious place that makes me want to come back again.

I visited during the scorching heat of the day. The outside temperature was 34 degrees! It was too hot, but I still wanted to eat ramen. There was plenty of parking available, with many rental cars parked. I entered the restaurant and sat at a box seat or an L-shaped counter. Feeling hungry, I ordered the ramen and fried rice set. The place was managed by a man who seemed to be working alone, sweating as he prepared the ramen. The food was served quickly, considering he was alone, and customers kept coming in one after another. It was too hot to remember the taste of the ramen, but the fried rice had that classic ramen shop flavor that I like. Since Nakafurano is a tourist destination, I recommend everyone to try it out!

A new restaurant suddenly opened up about a decade ago (probably). It had a log house-style look, giving off a fresh and stylish vibe. There weren't any particularly trendy places near the station, so I had been thinking that a nice-looking restaurant like this would be great. However, it didn't seem very appetizing as a ramen shop... I mean, the font used for the ramen shop's logo was kind of weak. Ramen shops don't necessarily need to be stylish, and I've only had memories of being disappointed by overly clean places. So, I just passed by this shop, but on this day, all the shops near the station were closed. I reluctantly decided to visit this place for that reason. When I entered, I was surprised. The inside was incredibly old-fashioned for a ramen shop. The contrast between the exterior and interior was ridiculous (laughs). If it had looked like this inside, I would have come in earlier. I took a seat. The ramen menu included soy sauce, salt, and miso flavors, with options like chashu noodles, pork bone kimchi, and pork bone potage. Side dishes included gyoza and bamboo shoot gyoza. Well, I decided to start with the basic flavors for my first visit. I ordered the soy sauce ramen with a mini fried rice set. It seemed like an old man was running the place alone, and it looked like it would be tough when it gets crowded. But he skillfully handled everything one after another. The ramen was surprisingly quick to be served. The soy sauce broth was a bit cloudy, but light with a hint of pork bone, vegetables, and seafood flavors. The low-hydrated egg noodles paired well with it. The thick wood ear mushrooms added a nice texture. It wasn't very curly, but the texture was good. I especially enjoyed the wood ear mushrooms. The fried rice, typical of a ramen shop, had a nice hidden flavor of chashu. It was a mini portion, but it was a decent amount in the bowl. My companion ordered the pork bone kimchi, and although it didn't have much pork bone flavor or cabbage, the kimchi flavor was strong, and they were satisfied!

I rushed through the mountain roads towards my afternoon work in Nakafurano town, even though my phone lost signal along the way, I managed to reach Furano city. Since I wasn't sure about the distance between Furano city and Nakafurano town, I decided to skip having a meal in Furano city and headed straight to this restaurant. The restaurant is located along Route 237 with a parking lot that is larger than the actual store, making it easy to find. In a hurry, I opted for a single bowl of ramen (with extra chashu) instead of a set menu. The ramen was prepared in a traditional style, lacking the sizzling sound of stir-frying vegetables. The ramen itself was nothing out of the ordinary, just a regular bowl of ramen. While it didn't have a distinctive taste, it was acceptable despite being slightly salty. If I had more time, I would have preferred to visit Chinako or Tomikawa Seimen in Furano city. During the peak summer season, the area can get heavily congested, so it's a decision between pushing through or taking a break here. Personally, I might have opted to go all the way into Furano city. Sorry about that.

It got cold, so I came to the ramen shop "Hoshino Nozomi" in the next town. When you drive from Furano towards Asahikawa, it's located at the edge of the town of Nakafurano. The wooden building can accommodate up to 10 cars in front of the shop. When I entered, there was one group of customers, but by the time I left, the raised seating area was full. When it gets cold, it's time for ramen. I was hungry, so I ordered the A set (ramen and mini fried rice) for the first time. I usually order shoyu, but the owner's recommendation is "definitely, spicy miso." I had no idea that "spicy miso" was the recommended dish after coming here for so long! I thought the price might have gone up by 50 yen since I hadn't been here in a while, but the price remains the same. I'm happy about that. Next time, I will definitely try the spicy miso.

In Nakafurano-cho, where the famous Tomita Farm is located, there is a ramen shop along the national highway. The building looks like a log house, so it stands out even in the town. It was bustling with many customers during lunchtime. I ordered the soy sauce ramen. It had mushrooms on top. The noodles were slightly thick, but had a smooth texture. The soup seemed to be based on fish stock, with a light flavor. It was so smooth and light that I finished it quickly. On the other hand, the aftertaste left me thinking, "What was that?" It was a ramen that was gentle on the stomach and had a mellow flavor. I also had the Kumazasa dumplings, which had a wonderful aroma of Kumazasa that came through the nose. It was quite delicious. In addition, the tonkotsu ramen with a potage flavor looked very tasty.

I visited this restaurant for the first time on a July evening. I ordered Set A with bottled beer, while my partner ordered the salt ramen. I thought it was very Hokkaido-like. I didn't know the name or location of this place, but I happened to walk in, and as a miso fan, I made the right choice. The salt ramen was also refreshing but had a rich flavor, and it was delicious too. The mini fried rice that came with the set was not so mini, more like a regular size, and the slightly buttery flavor was tasty. What stood out the most was the palm reading the owner did after the meal. It was entertaining, and we ended up staying longer while having another beer. The owner didn't say anything negative during the reading, and I felt his kindness and thoughtfulness as he bid us farewell. If I ever come back to Furano, I will definitely visit this ramen shop again.

The soy sauce ramen at Kogashi has quite good quality.