I had some time, so I decided to go to Toyooka. However, the first shop I went to was closed. Then, I tried to go to the next one, but it was also temporarily closed. It seems like this kind of thing will happen often this year. This time, I visited the yellow sign Umekouken in Toyooka, a shop I had never been to before. When I entered, I saw an elderly lady who seemed to be the owner eating her meal - ochazuke and hokke. Across from her was another elderly lady who seemed to be a regular customer. I was the only customer at the time. The menu was very simple, with only a few items listed. I ordered the shoyu ramen for 800 yen and a small bowl of rice for 150 yen. The kitchen was very spacious and clean, with an automatic dishwasher that seemed very efficient. Toppings included menma, green onions, and chashu. The menma was soft and flavorful, although a bit too soft for my liking. There were plenty of green onions, so if you don't like them, it might be a bit challenging. The chashu was made from pork loin and was quite thick and juicy. It was very generous in portion size. The curly noodles were the classic Asahikawa style, with a slightly sour taste in the broth. The flavor was milder than it looked, and the noodles had a good texture. I also tried the renge rice, but unfortunately, it didn't pair well with the ramen. The soft rice and light broth didn't complement each other. Overall, it was a nostalgic experience, and I felt like I was back in the Showa era. However, the renge rice didn't work well with this particular ramen. It was the first time I felt that way.

This is Umekouken in Toyooka, Asahikawa City. The building looks quite old, and the interior is small with an L-shaped counter and two table seats. I ordered the "Butter Corn Ramen (soy sauce)" for 800 yen. The soup is a mix of pork bone and seafood broth, with a rich taste once the butter melts. The noodles are Asahikawa-style, low-water content noodles that go well with the soup. The ramen comes with two slices of chicken char siu and plenty of corn. The bamboo shoots are different from other Umekouken branches, but the taste is still delicious.

Soy sauce ramen for 700 yen. Today's lunch was at Umekoken Toyooka store. There were 2 groups of customers before me. I felt like many people were out and about on a Sunday. Actually, I had been refraining from eating ramen before a health check-up, but since I finished the check-up in the morning, I lifted the ban on ramen. I also like rich Asahikawa ramen, but the light taste of Asahikawa ramen is also good. It was my first time having ramen in a while, so I enjoyed the delicious salty flavor and finished it all.

I had soy sauce ramen at Umekouken Toyoka branch located at 2-10 Toyoka 7-jo, 2-chome, Asahikawa City (priced at 700 yen). The exterior looks delicious with a murky tea-based broth. The ramen follows the simple Asahikawa style with green onions, bamboo shoots, and two slices of pork loin chashu. Umekouken has several branches in the city, but this was my first visit to the Toyoka branch. They accept PayPay and offer a 50 yen discount with the Hokkaido Shinbun Bumbun Club card. The menu includes various ramen options such as soy sauce, miso, salt, vegetable ramen, chashu ramen, butter corn ramen, and children's ramen. The ramen I had featured Umekouken's delicious low-hydrated noodles by Umazato, with a flavorful soup made from pork bones and seafood. The lean pork chashu was also very tasty. Overall, Umekouken serves truly delicious ramen, reminiscent of the old-school ramen shops in Asahikawa. I enjoyed my meal. Thank you.

I ordered soy sauce ramen with a 567 coupon and it arrived in 5 minutes. The soup had a strong soy sauce flavor, even better than the one I had at a different shop the other day. The low hydration, medium-thin curly noodles were great at soaking up the soup. I always thought Umekouken's toppings were all square, but it turns out the menma here is not square. The chashu seemed to be made from pork shoulder and thigh, with a nice firm texture and rich flavor. The place was run by a friendly older lady. Thank you for the meal.

11:50, I entered the store for the first time. I had heard rumors for many years, but finally managed to visit. The photo of the bag noodles is used at this Toyooka store. I heard that the original store is also located here, but I'm not sure if that's true. I had given up on Umekouken, including the main store, as they were all disappointing, but recently I remembered and stopped by. The Shoyu Ramen is 700 yen, and it comes with rice for lunch. The small rice was free! The store was empty, but as a solo diner, I sat at the counter. However, a child was occupying it with a game console... It turned out to be the shop owner's child. After checking Yahoo! Auctions, the ramen arrived in about 7 minutes. You can see the layers of oil floating on top. Let's try the soup first. Huh? It's sweet, lacks punch and contrast, very light. You can taste the double soup of seafood and pork bone, but everything is about twice as light. The salt-free menma was mushy with no texture. The noodles are unique to Umekouken, but they were overcooked and not good. The chashu was quite tasty and passed the mark. I realized that the reason why all Umekouken stores are not for me is the same for this Toyooka store. They also do delivery, but it must be difficult to balance. I won't be revisiting this place again.

I couldn't find a ramen shop open after 8 pm, so I ended up here. This ramen shop is also in Sapporo, but the soy sauce ramen is delicious. I want to come back again.

The specialty chashu here is delicious with just the right amount of fat. The only downside is that the service is so good that they give you a lot of chashu, causing the soup to cool down a bit. But I still end up ordering it every time.

This is a chain restaurant, but the counter and two table seats have a traditional feel. I ordered soy sauce ramen. The kitchen seemed to be run by a hardworking older lady, but she was very efficient and served the ramen quickly. The ramen came with two slices of chashu, bamboo shoots, and green onions. The soup, although soy sauce-based, had a slightly cloudy appearance and looked almost miso-like in color. It had a tonkotsu aroma and was quite light in taste despite the relatively high fat content. The soup wasn't too salty and didn't have a strong MSG flavor. The richness from the fat gave it a good depth of flavor without feeling too heavy. The noodles were white and slightly curly, with a chewy and springy texture. The thick slices of pork chashu were moist and had a satisfying chewiness. It felt like this place was stubbornly sticking to serving delicious old-fashioned ramen, which was really nice. The lady working there, although busy, was very kind and provided excellent service. It was a delicious ramen, thank you.

This is the popular Umekokken restaurant in Toyooka, Asahikawa. This time, I ordered delivery. The taste is excellent whether you eat it in the restaurant or order delivery. The noodles are perfectly chewy, soaking up the soup and creating an exquisite flavor. The toppings are simple: Umekokken's unique thinly sliced, flavorful chashu pork, refreshing chashu, and sliced green onions. The soup is a refreshing style of Asahikawa ramen with a subtle yet flavorful taste that you can finish without feeling guilty. It may be difficult for travelers to order delivery, but I highly recommend trying this delicious ramen at least once.

Nowadays, the famous restaurant "Umekouken" has become well-known. I wonder if they have expanded nationwide? It seems they are even located in places like this... I saw it one day... ♪* Which location is this...? Have you been there before? How was it? Have you visited all the locations yet? Maybe not yet, haha. Let's make sure to go there soon before we forget. The restaurant is bustling with foreign customers having lunch with their families! It's lively... The interior of the restaurant is a bit hot... but I had already decided from the start... ♪* [Soy Sauce Ramen] 700 yen. Inside the counter, the woman who seems like the owner is skillfully and quickly preparing the dishes. The hot ramen arrives first. I'm in a good mood because it's piping hot. The noodles are firm, just as recommended by Kitadora's review (lol). It was the right choice. Hmm... it's quite delicious. The soy sauce base is smooth and not too thin. There is a good balance of flavor and it's not too salty, which is nice. The chashu is also delicious! It has no unpleasant smell and is just the right tenderness. Umekouken's unique... not that bamboo shoot... right...? The soup is not completely clear, but maybe... I might actually like it in Umekouken's restaurants. If the interior is a bit old and they do a little cleaning to tackle the heat, it would be even better, don't you think? Thanks for the meal~ ♬

Asahikawa is located in Toyooka, on the bus street in a residential area. It blends well with the local community. At night, the yellow sign stands out, making it easy to spot. There is also a parking lot in front of the shop. Inside, there is a compact L-shaped counter and 2 tables. The kitchen is visible from the counter, and the cooking counter is low. Food is entertainment, so sitting at the counter is recommended. The menu is simpler than the main shop. As a miso lover, I ordered miso vegetable ramen. You can see the whole process of boiling noodles and stir-frying vegetables right in front of you. It's interesting that they stir-fry bean sprouts and other vegetables separately in different pans. While waiting for the noodles to cook, I noticed that Gussan (Tomohisa Yamashita) was there, taking photos with the shop owner and his wife. The shop owner, who slightly resembles Lily Franky, thanked me for waiting and served me ramen with cabbage, carrots, onions, bell peppers, menma, bean sprouts, and a little bit of ground meat. The soup was different from the main shop, with a mild miso flavor combined with the sweetness of chicken broth and vegetables. The noodles were homemade curly noodles. The dish was filling due to the abundance of vegetables. Before leaving the shop, I noticed that they were selling ramen for souvenirs, which was different from the main shop. A mystery indeed.

Our restaurant is located in the middle of a residential street. When we visited around 1 pm, there were only a few other customers inside. We sat at a 4-person table and ordered the "ramen." The ramen that arrived had a broth that seemed to combine pork bone and seafood flavors, which complemented the curly noodles well. Considering the location, it doesn't seem like a place tourists would casually visit, nor does it seem like a ramen shop people would go out of their way to visit. However, the fact remains that we enjoyed a delicious bowl of ramen. Thank you for the meal.

This is Asahikawa Ramen! Delicious! The recommended one is Asahikawa Ramen with soy sauce. The salt one is also tasty, but I always order the soy sauce. There are many Asahikawa Ramen places, and there are many Umegahikoen, but this Umegahikoen here is the best. The noodles are just right and the flavor is rich. And for lunch, it's a great deal at 650 yen with a free refill. The restaurant may not be fancy, but that's the charm of a ramen shop. In any case, please try the ramen here once. You will understand that this is the original type of ramen.