鷲尾★ジロー
A little while ago, I wrote about how I went to a ramen shop and found that 6 consecutive shops were closed, and my refined mood of wanting to try a light Chinese soba was blown away, so I ended up eating a hearty mixed soba instead. The 4th shop I visited at that time was actually "Maruesu Shokudo" here. At that time, the shop was in the middle of renovating. From the outside, it looks like a building full of Showa era vibes, but when you open the door like a back entrance and enter, the interior of the shop is quite stylish, like a cafe with just a counter. The shop is located at Higashi 1, Kita 23 Higashi 1, Higashi-ku, Sapporo. It's one street east of the Ishikari Highway. Despite being a well-traveled road, I had no idea the shop was there. It's located on the first floor of a run-down building opposite "Katsuya Kita 23-jo Store." Without the ramen flag, you wouldn't know if it's a shop, an old apartment, or what from the exterior. There is a parking lot for 3 cars next to the shop. I entered around 11:30 AM. I had checked beforehand that the shop offers a variety of menus such as shirotan, seitan, niboshi, and limited editions, giving a lively impression, but when I visited, the menu was a simple one with shoyu, miso, and shio ramen as the main options. Today, I ordered the "shoyu ramen" for 700 yen. The shop was known for its chicken-based soup and was a popular hidden gem. The shop opened in 2010, but before that, they had a shop in Shinkotoni. The soup was served in about 7 minutes. The shop owner himself brought the freshly made ramen to my seat. It's a small gesture, but it's a moment where you feel the hospitality. The ramen had a large slice of chashu, green onions, wheat gluten, and bamboo shoots, giving it a simple visual. The bowl for the noodles was a shallow white Naruto bowl. I started by tasting the soup. It was hot and delicious. The sweet shoyu flavor was prominent, but the chicken-based clear soup was refreshing and had a hint of umami from fish stock. The noodles were medium-thick, yellow, and slightly curly. They had a chewy texture due to a high water content. They paired well with the soup. The noodles were from Taihei Kobayashi Seimen. The chashu was a large thinly sliced pork loin. It had a tender and slightly classic seasoning. The bamboo shoots were soft, the green onions were crunchy, and the wheat gluten soaked up the essence of the soup, making it tasty. I quickly finished the noodles and ingredients. I finished every last drop of the soup and it was delicious. It was indeed a "nostalgic soy sauce ramen that feels somewhat familiar." It's a clear and delicious Neo-Nos-style bowl. It's slightly different from the trendy light Chinese soba and chicken clear soup ramen in Sapporo. However, it's not the traditional Sapporo ramen either. It's more of a "Nostalgic Ramen (Nosler)" that modernizes the old Tokyo-style soy sauce ramen. It's a step further, reconstructing the familiar taste in a new way, belonging to the "Neo-Nostalgic (Neonos)" style of ramen. Well, that's just what I call it from the diner's perspective. While feeling a sense of nostalgia, the ramen also offers a new deliciousness. Next time, I want to try the top menu item, the "shio ramen," and the "water dumplings." It was delicious. Thank you for the meal. *174th bowl in 2021 (visited on December 28, 2021)