I also wanted to try the seafood bowl, but the wait was over 2 hours, so I decided to go to this nearby ramen shop to conquer their miso ramen. It was delicious, but honestly, it was just average. Next time, I'll make sure to wait in line for a famous restaurant. Thank you for the meal.

Visited for the first time in June 2022, this was my 17th ramen shop in Otaru. It seems that there are fewer ramen shops to visit in Otaru little by little. Of course, if I had the boss's limousine, I could explore a bit more, but within walking distance, the options are limited. The main base is in Monbetsu, with two shops - "Ramen Nishiya Honten" and "Ramen Nishiya Himon no Eki-ten". For some reason, there are also two shops in Otaru - I've been to "Ramen Nishiya Otaru Ekimae-ten" before, but it didn't leave a strong impression. I heard it's usually crowded, so I decided to give it a try. I chose the "Miso Ramen" for 800 yen. I'm not a fan of thick ramen, so I went for the regular option. The bean sprouts were cooked well, and the toppings included seasoned boiled egg, flavored bamboo shoots, and green onions. I wish the diced chashu was sliced for easier eating. There is also a hint of spiciness in the miso. The noodles are from Kanejin with a high water content, a taste that is relatively popular among Sapporo locals. It seems to be well-received by the people in Otaru as well. The accompanying miso soup was also good. I had a different impression from the Ekimae-ten shop, so I reconsidered. Originating from Monbetsu in Okhotsk, it has now established two shops in Otaru. Perhaps skipping Sapporo has worked in their favor. Next time, I want to try the "Shio" ramen and see its true value.

I went to Nishiya-san last weekend. I wanted to eat Hiyashi Chuka, so I ordered the Japanese-style cold noodles and a mini chashu bowl from the ticket machine. The staff asked me if I wanted the regular noodles or the "gagome konbu" noodles for the Japanese-style cold noodles. I chose the gagome konbu noodles, the more unusual option. The Japanese-style cold noodles turned out to have broth, which was a bit unexpected, but it was refreshing and delicious. The gagome konbu noodles were smooth and had a slight taste of seaweed. The tomatoes were very sweet and tasty. It felt more like eating cold noodles than Hiyashi Chuka. Overall, it was quite delicious! The mini chashu bowl had delicious chashu rolls as always and was satisfying. I'll definitely go back again. Thank you for the meal!

While strolling through the garden, I suddenly felt hungry! Luckily, I stumbled upon Nishiya-san♪ and decided to have some ramen. I had been craving it since yesterday but had forgotten about it. Perfect timing! I bought a ticket for the rich soy sauce ramen and a young woman in the kitchen was making it. In about 5 minutes, it was served. It came with a side of pickled ginger. When I tried the soup, it was described as rich, but it wasn't too heavy. The soy sauce soup was delicious. It had chashu, bamboo shoots, green onions, and a soft-boiled egg, making it a tasty ramen. I added some ginger later, and it was so delicious! The spiciness of the ginger added a nice touch to the soup. My hunger and ramen craving were satisfied in one go, making it a happy time. Thank you for the meal.

Today, I visited Nishiya-san's ramen shop. There is no parking lot, but if you park at the Times parking lot, you can get a 100 yen discount coupon. The interior has counter and table seats, but it might be difficult for parents with small children. I ordered the most popular rich miso flavor. The taste is on the strong side, but it doesn't quite reach the level of being rich. Thank you for the meal!

Today, I tried to go to a sushi restaurant for lunch but it was full. I walked around the Hanazono area and decided to try a ramen shop instead. I looked at the menu outside the shop and decided to go for the Garam Masala Ramen instead of the Soy Butter Corn. I also ordered a mini chashu bowl. The Garam Masala Ramen was not as curry-like as I expected, but the miso-based soup was good. The chashu in the mini bowl was delicious, and the portion was generous. Overall, I was satisfied with the meal and will definitely go back again.

In October, at the Hanazono branch of Ramen Nishiya in Nemuro, they are offering a monthly special ramen. This month's special is the Hakata Ramen for 800 yen, limited to 20 servings per day. The soup is a pork bone-based with a hint of salt and floating with lard. The flavor of the lard is quite prominent in the soup, more so than the expected impact of the mā oil. It's hard to say if this truly represents Hakata ramen, as the reviewer has only tried Nagahama ramen in Fukuoka. The noodles are the usual thin straight noodles, but the reviewer was not asked about their preferred firmness. Additionally, they were not informed about the option for extra noodles or given much explanation by the staff. Overall, the reviewer felt that a more detailed description of the Hakata ramen would have enhanced the experience.

In June 2019, the popular ramen shops among Otaru residents are "Aore," "Kan," and "Ramen Nishiya." Among them, the limited-time "Garam Masala" at the Hanazono branch has received great reviews and has been upgraded to a regular menu item due to its popularity, even though only 10 servings are available per day. I decided to visit the shop out of curiosity. The "Garam Masala" ramen (800 yen) is essentially a curry ramen. The initial spiciness from the oil is good, with a nice level of heat. The soup is moderately spicy and well-balanced, with a smooth, easy-to-drink finish. However, when slurping the noodles, the soup seems to lose its impact and the noodle-soup combination is somewhat lacking. In my opinion, the deliciousness of ramen largely depends on how well the noodles match with the soup. In the past, I had a rich miso ramen at Nishiya that overwhelmed me with its excessive saltiness and oiliness, but the Garam Masala ramen this time gives off a more subdued impression, almost as if it's from a different shop. Overall, it falls a bit short this time.

I visited this restaurant for the first time in about 4 years since its opening in February 2019. They have recently changed their opening hours, and this month only, the Hanazono branch is offering a limited edition "Ginger Ramen," limited to 10 servings per day. The Ginger Ramen costs 750 yen and is paid in cash, not through a ticket machine. The soup is a soy sauce-based chicken clear broth with grated ginger from Kochi prefecture, giving off a pleasant aroma and flavor. The noodles are very thin, almost like somen noodles, but cooked perfectly. The chicken char siu is made from thigh meat and is tender and delicious. Overall, the ramen is well-balanced, but the reliance on ginger is quite noticeable - but then again, it is Ginger Ramen, so it's to be expected. Another famous restaurant in Otaru that serves Ginger Ramen is "Aikou," which offers a choice between grated and sliced ginger from Kochi prefecture. Ginger is good for the body and warms you up, so it could be a great limited edition winter menu every year!

Thank you for the delicious meal! Taken with iPhone12 Pro Max.

It was delicious. Thank you for the meal ✨ iPhone12 Pro Max photo.

The appearance may be deceiving, but the soy sauce soup is light, the medium-thick noodles have a lingering wheat flavor, and the thick chashu is simmered to perfection. It's quite a tasty dish that suits my preferences.

I tried the garam masala and it was delicious. It goes well with rice.

I visited on Sunday afternoon - it was lighter than it looked and had a good feeling.

Rich soy sauce is tastier than rich miso.

One of my students recommended this restaurant saying it was delicious, so I decided to try it out. I ended up choosing the soy sauce flavor, but apparently the most popular one is miso. The thick broth turned out to be made with pork fat, which was indeed thick and very hot! I ended up burning my tongue. The soup itself wasn't actually that thick, and I was expecting a thicker soup when I ordered.

"Nishi no" is a ramen restaurant in Otaru Hanazono, the second branch in Otaru following the one near the station. When thinking about where to go for ramen with the family, "Nishi no" always comes to mind first. I usually go to the restaurant near the station, but I decided to try the one in Hanazono that opened last year. The interior of the Hanazono restaurant is more compact compared to the one near the station. It's not a touristy area, so it was filled with locals during lunchtime on a Sunday. I ordered a mini-sized soy sauce ramen and a mini chashu rice bowl. I'm conscious of my diet, so I thought the mini sizes would be just right. The mini soy sauce ramen had a good amount of volume. My partner and daughter always opt for the mini-sized miso ramen, which seems to be a popular choice among women. Despite that, they always add gyoza (laughs). It's an important aspect of choosing a restaurant. The soup is rich but not overpowering. The chashu, although a supporting role, has a strong presence. The ramen was delicious. The mini chashu rice bowl also had a good amount of volume, with thickly sliced chashu soaked in flavor. It was a satisfying meal. I thought ordering the mini sizes would be enough for one person, but it turned out to be more like 1.5 servings. I ended up feeling full. Diet fail. Thank you for the meal.