Visited during the Obon period in August 2023 on a Sunday early morning, my daughter wanted to try the Sapporo Black ramen at "Isonokazu" that we had previously failed to try due to the long queue. We arrived just before 5 o'clock and were able to get a seat without much wait. It had been 10 years since my last visit, and this time I saw a sign saying "Sapporo Black is the most popular, other options are not so popular" so I decided to stick with the Sapporo Black. The price had gone up (now 950 yen compared to 750 yen before) and the noodles seemed slightly thicker and more curly compared to last time. I wonder if they changed the noodles supplier from "Hinode Seimen"? Nevertheless, the combination of garlic and chili oil in the salty and delicious broth was still excellent! I also added some grated ginger midway through, and it paired well with the savory soup. My daughter, who ordered the half-size portion, was also very satisfied. It was definitely a good decision to come here.

On a typical Thursday at 9:50 PM, there was a line of over 10 people waiting to be seated at the restaurant. The customers waiting in line were a mix of students and office workers, both men and women. A sign at the restaurant boldly stated, "Our menu is not popular except for Sapporo Black." After waiting for about 30 minutes, I finally got inside and ordered the recommended Sapporo Black ramen for 950 yen with a side of rice for 50 yen. The black ramen had a unique flavor with garlic and black soy sauce, and the thick noodles paired perfectly with it. It was a bit unusual, but I enjoyed it a lot. Thank you for the meal!

"Sapporo Black 950 yen" ■ 273rd visit in 2023 ■ (first visit) ◇ time until the bowl arrives 72 minutes / weekday 24:32 / 18 people in line ◇ topics ★ Originally from the Sakurai family in Hakodate, the training place is respected ★ Open from 22:00 to 6:00... People line up like zombies ★ Despite the zombies, the owner is energetic and has a humble style ★ Many women and couples visit, but with only 7 seats, the turnover rate is low ★ Almost everyone orders Sapporo Black for an additional 50 yen for rice ◇ today's ★ The noren says "Hinode Seimen", default is firm noodles with a delicious curliness ★ The soup's richness is the secret of soy sauce and ma oil ★ This soup is numbing late at night, garlic adds a nice touch ★ Abundant lineup of wood ear mushrooms, egg, char siu, etc. ★ Enjoy with a variety of table condiments, ginger for flavor change Thank you for the meal!!!!"

9/12, I went to Isokazu in Sapporo, where they specialize in Sapporo Black ramen for 950 yen. The operating hours are from 10 pm to 6 am, so be aware that it is not a typical street-side shop, but located inside a building. When I arrived around 12:30 am, there were about 15 people waiting in line. The owner manages the shop alone with an impressive energy that you can hear from afar. On this particular day, there were around 30-40% female customers, which contributed to the slower turnover. Finally, after waiting for 1 hour and 20 minutes, I got my bowl of ramen. The black soup was not as thick or salty as it looks, but delicious with a light acidity making it easy to drink. The medium-thick curly noodles complemented the soup well. Toppings included stir-fried vegetables, chashu pork, wood ear mushrooms, green onions, and a seasoned egg, all of which were delicious. They also provide a variety of condiments on the table, including ginger. I heard that Isokazu Ramen is rooted in Sapporo's Sakurai Ramen, so I'm interested in trying that as well. Although the ramen was tasty, waiting for 1 hour and 20 minutes made me hesitant about returning. Thank you for the meal!

I was completely surprised by the taste that far exceeds the authentic black ramen in Toyama. The soup is very delicious and goes well with the thick noodles. It was the number one ramen I've had recently. ※I have given an overall score based on a five-point scale for each category. ★1 point, ☆0.5 points ■Taste ★★★★★ ■Atmosphere ★★★★★ ■Cost performance ★★★☆ ◎Overall 4.5 points

Sapporo Black is priced at 950 yen. If you go around 10:30 PM on a Saturday night, there will be a line of about 30 people, showing that it is indeed a popular place as rumored. The owner manages the place alone, and after waiting for about 2 hours, I was finally able to enter the restaurant. The ramen had a rich flavor and the chewiness of the curly noodles was excellent. Overall, it was a high-quality ramen that is unique and hard to find elsewhere, making the long wait worth it. When you visit Sapporo, be sure to check out this restaurant. Thank you for the meal.

When I arrived at the restaurant at 9 pm on Saturday, I was the third in line. The restaurant opened at 10 pm, and by that time, there were already 20-30 people waiting. The restaurant only has 7 counter seats and the service seemed a bit slow due to the limited seating. You can choose the thickness of the noodles. The appearance may be dark, but the taste is easy to eat. You can also get chopped ginger for flavor variation. It may be a matter of personal preference, but personally, I didn't find it to be that delicious.

Mr. Kazuo Isogano, the first visit to the very popular Sapporo Black Ramen Isogano, is run by the master alone at the counter! It took an hour to line up, which is tough in winter. Isogano Black Ramen and fried rice soup, with curly medium-thick noodles, were delicious! It was just my taste.

Hokkaido Sapporo Chuo-ku Minami 5-jo Nishi 5-chome 21, 1F of the 2nd Asahi Kanko Building, a late-night ramen shop "Isonokazu" open from 22:00 to 6:00, with a unique name that reminds you of a famous national anime. As expected, it is a very popular shop, so I arrived about 10 minutes before opening. There was already a line of over 20 people... Well, as expected (laughs), I quietly lined up. As it approached 22:00, the curtain was raised. The font of the shop name (laughs). After waiting in line for about 40 minutes, it was finally my turn! The recommended menu is the "Sapporo Black" soy sauce ramen. It's really written in the shop, but it seems that other menus besides Sapporo Black are not popular (laughs). After being told that, I felt a mischievous desire to try something else, but I obediently ordered the Sapporo Black. Phew, that was close. After ordering, it took about 7-8 minutes to meet the ramen. It's black! The design of the bowl is cool! First, I tried the soup. It's rich! However, contrary to its appearance, it doesn't have a spicy impression. It has richness, you can taste the garlic flavor, and it has quite a punchy taste! The soup uses Tamari soy sauce and Ma-yu. Tamari soy sauce is a rich soy sauce used in Kyushu for sashimi, etc. It has a top-class aroma and richness among soy sauces. Ma-yu is an oil made by frying garlic. It has a characteristic aroma of roasted garlic. It is often used in tonkotsu ramen from Kumamoto Prefecture. This is delicious. The noodles are curly thick noodles. They are quite curly! Firm! However, this firmness goes well with the soup and is delicious! When you're drinking alcohol, you start to get hungry, right? And then, a rich soy sauce ramen that hits you hard!! A delicious ramen shop full of a sense of taboo in various ways! It was the perfect way to end the last night of my trip to Hokkaido, in Susukino! Thank you for the meal!

Visited Sapporo for the Hokkaido Marathon and tried out the first Sapporo gourmet spot. The restaurant opened at 10 PM, and when I arrived 40 minutes early, there were already 5 people in line. Located on the first floor of a mixed-use building with no air conditioning, it was extremely hot due to Sapporo's scorching summer weather. I was the 6th person in line, but managed to get a seat at the first seating and ordered the Sapporo Black Ramen. Honestly, I'm not sure if the taste was worth the long wait. After finishing my meal, I looked back at the line and saw that there were over 20 people waiting. Eating that ramen past 10 PM may not be the healthiest choice, but I can see how people can get addicted to that flavor!

Visited on August 21, 2023 at 9:24 PM. There were already two people waiting, so I became the third person in line. By 9:30 PM, there were six people waiting. By 9:45 PM, there were over 15 people in line, and the end of the line was no longer visible. The restaurant opened at 10:00 PM. I ordered the Sapporo Black Ramen (950 yen). It arrived at 10:06 PM. The Sapporo "Black" ramen was indeed black in color. The soup was a rich soy sauce base with garlic, giving it a nostalgic yet unique flavor. The medium-thick curly noodles paired well with the soup. The toppings included two thick slices of chashu pork, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, half a boiled egg, and green onions, providing a satisfying meal. There were various condiments for flavor customization, but I got so into eating the noodles that I forgot to use them. I will make sure to try them next time I visit. When I left, there were around 30 people waiting in line.

★ Greedy Lawyer's Food Diary ★ [Instagram] joy_sound [Tabelog] _Chrome_ーーーーーーーーーーーーー What happens if you order something other than Sapporo Black!? Visited Kazuo in Susukino. It is listed in the Ramen Hyakumeiten on Tabelog. The operating hours are from 22:00 to 06:00, catering to customers after drinking. Located on the first floor of an old building, the line was incredibly long. I visited around 25:00 on a Friday and waited for over 30 minutes. The menu includes options other than Sapporo Black, but there is a note saying that anything other than Sapporo Black is not popular, indicating that they are not expecting many orders. Someone please try ordering something else, haha. Ordered a half portion of Sapporo Black (800 yen). The soup, with its rich appearance, had a punch of garlic and a satisfying taste. The noodles were also delicious. Although lacking in cleanliness, if you think of it as a street stall, it's not bad. It was delicious! Thank you for the meal!ーーーーーーーーーーーー Likes, saves, comments are encouraging!!

"Sapporo Black is the only popular item here. Even at 2 am, there is a 30-minute wait in line. Salarymen, students, punks, beauties, all kinds of people line up. That's Isono Gatso. Even though the menu includes toppings like seasoned egg, wood ear mushrooms, char siu, green onions, and bamboo shoots by default, they are listed as optional toppings, making you wonder if it's a cost-cutting measure. I ordered green onions and char siu, and ended up with a huge pile, making it hard to eat. That's Isono Gatso. I wake up in the morning and regret eating such a heavy ramen at that time. That's Isono Gatso. But I'll probably go back again. That's just the way it is with Isono Gatso."

After the previous dining experience, I went back to the hotel and fell asleep. However, I woke up in the middle of the night and decided to seek revenge by visiting the restaurant I originally planned to go to, Isono Kazuo. It was 3:15 AM and there were only 4 people waiting. I was seated within 5 minutes. Finally, the ramen I had been looking forward to arrived. I took a sip of the soup and thought, "Hmm, isn't this just salty soup?" The noodles and chashu were nothing special either. Is this really the famous ramen from Isono Kazuo that tops the rankings in Susukino on Tabelog? I had to add some grated ginger to make it somewhat enjoyable. I felt that the taste and value could have been lower. I considered the fact that I wasn't very hungry after eating at the previous restaurant just 4 hours ago and that my high expectations may have influenced my negative review. Taking these into account, I rated it as such.

I lined up with 6 people after 3 am and it took about 30 minutes to get my food because it was a one-man operation. It seems like they only offer black ramen, so I followed suit. As I took a sip of the soup, it reminded me of Gogyo in Nishi-Azabu. The burnt soy sauce soup with a hint of ginger, it's nostalgic. It goes well with the curly thick noodles.

When searching for ramen in Susukino late at night, I found a hit. Upon arrival, despite it being past 2 a.m., there was a long line of over 30 minutes. The air was filled with the savory aroma of animal fat being used to stir-fry the ingredients, making the wait feel like hell. A sign on the wall read, "Except for Sapporo Black, our shop is not popular." I decided to order the Black ramen as recommended. It had a slightly salty flavor, with a strong punch of garlic and the savory aroma of the ingredients, which paired perfectly with the rich soy sauce. The curly noodles held the soup well. It was delicious, but definitely not something to eat late at night (laughs). Perhaps this guilty pleasure is the secret to its popularity. It seems more suited for those in special conditions, like when drinking until late at night and not worrying about the next day.

I woke up at 3 o'clock and felt hungry, so I went to Isono Gatsuo, a ramen shop with a rating of 3.74 on Tabelog. Even at this time, there was a line, which raised my expectations. The menu said, "Other than Sapporo Black, we have no popularity at all," haha. So, I decided to order the Sapporo Black. It had black soup with thick curly noodles. I was surprised because when I think of Sapporo, I usually think of miso ramen. However, the soup was not just salty, it also had the umami of garlic and vegetables, and was very delicious. I added freshly grated ginger halfway through to make it a bit refreshing. Finished eating. Thank you for the meal.

Sapporo Black ramen for ¥950 and Kazu rice for ¥400. Arrived around 11 pm on a weekday. There was a long line, about a 1.5-hour wait. I was planning to try miso ramen since I was in Sapporo, but decided to try this place's signature Sapporo Black ramen and Kazu rice instead. The color of the ramen was very dark, but it was surprisingly easy to eat. The soup had a deep flavor with ingredients like wood ear mushrooms and egg that matched perfectly. The noodles were thick and satisfying. The Kazu rice, although a bit pricey at ¥400, was very filling. The owner was running the shop alone, so the line moved slowly, but the wait was worth it. I later tried another highly-rated miso ramen, but I personally preferred this one. If you enjoy richly flavored ramen, this place might suit your taste better.

After a live performance at the Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater hitaru, I visited "Isonokazuo" located on the 1st floor of Asahi Kanko Building 2-3 Asahi, Minami 5 Nishi 5 Chuo-ku for a late dinner. Arriving after 10 pm, there was already a line of about 30 people waiting. Despite hearing that this restaurant targets those who want to eat ramen as their last meal, I never expected it to be so crowded right after opening on a weekday. The restaurant only has a counter with 7 seats in a row, and the owner is the only one working. As I braced myself to wait in line, many people gave up after seeing the length of the line. There was no turning back for me. After an 80-minute wait, we finally heard the owner say, "Sorry to keep you waiting for two." Since there was a sign saying "Other than Sapporo Black, nothing is popular here" in the restaurant, I ordered the "Sapporo Black (thick noodles) 950 yen" and "Katsuobushi Rice 400 yen," while my companion ordered the "Sapporo Black (medium thin noodles) 950 yen." *You can change from thick noodles to medium thin noodles The dishes arrived in about 7 minutes. The "Sapporo Black" had a rich color soup, but it wasn't too salty, with a light taste that you can feel the sweetness of soy sauce and onions. It goes well with the satisfying thick noodles. The "Katsuobushi Rice" was delicious with char siu mayonnaise, green onions, and roasted sesame seeds. We ended up dipping the rice into the soup at the end. From lining up to finishing the meal and leaving the restaurant, it took about 100 minutes. The owner always had a cheerful voice and took care of the waiting customers, providing excellent service. Finally, I was able to enjoy the popular ramen that always has a long line.

Visited during the Obon holiday. Arrived at 9:00 PM. Was the first in line. If you come 30 minutes early, you should be able to eat after 1-2 rounds of waiting (not sure about the usual situation). It was difficult to tell who was at the front of the line, so it was quite a hassle to keep directing people who mistakenly lined up at the front to the back, so I recommend being the second in line. The Sapporo Black ramen lives up to its name with its jet black color. I ordered the Sapporo Black (950 yen) with an additional topping of black fungus (100 yen). It was incredibly delicious.

Ramen shop in a mixed-use building in Sapporo. It's a small, semi-open shop resembling a food stall, with chairs lined up in the building's corridor. Not a particularly pleasant atmosphere. There's a line of about 30 people here. They have successfully differentiated themselves by only operating late at night. It seems like they have established their own unique position in Susukino. The wait in line is over an hour. It's not very pleasant to have drunk people coming one after another. I waited from around 11 pm and got my bowl of ramen at 12:10. It's a terrifying city where people don't know when the last train is. They have various items on the menu, but it seems like everyone only orders Sapporo Black. They make it all at once, so if you get a bad batch, you'll have to wait longer. The taste is not too salty like Toyama Black. It has a nice soy sauce flavor with a strong seafood soup base. You can sprinkle fish powder and dried shrimp on top of it to enhance the seafood flavor. The noodles are firm and hold up well against the soup. It's definitely delicious. But I don't really understand the feeling of waiting an hour for ramen at this level. Sapporo, known for its culinary delights, surely has more to offer than this.