I had soy sauce ramen at "Ramen Tokiichiban Honcho Store" located at 3-437-92 Honcho, Asahikawa City (700 yen). The ramen had a simple Asahikawa style with less green onions, menma, and chashu only. I had visited Tokiichiban once during my time working in Asahikawa, but this is the first time it's appearing on my blog. Tokiichiban is one of the long-standing shops in Asahikawa. The Honcho store now has a parking lot on the left side. The interior seems a bit brighter compared to the old days. The owner's husband passed away in 2020, and now the owner manages the shop alone. There are counter seats near the entrance, chair seats on the left, and a raised tatami seating on the right. There was a notice about price changes posted. They plan to increase prices from April 4th. When asked, the owner mentioned wanting to raise prices by 50 to 100 yen, but they are still unsure which menu items to increase. They also mentioned wanting to reduce the menu due to managing the shop alone. The current menu includes soy sauce and salt ramen for 700 yen (600 yen for children), miso ramen for 800 yen (700 yen for children), curry ramen for 900 yen, three meals ramen for 1800 yen, and various rice bowls and curry dishes. I had the soy sauce ramen, which had delicious thin curly noodles from Sato Seimen. The soup was mild and well-seasoned. It was better than when I had it before. I finished it all. The prices will be changing on April 4th, so if you're interested, be sure to visit! It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I ordered soy sauce ramen and rice. The ramen portion was like a kids' size or half portion at other places. The taste was good but the quantity was too small for the price of 800 yen. The rice was average. It's a pity because the taste was good but the portion was disappointing. For this quantity, a price of 700-750 yen including rice would be more reasonable. Goodbye.

Every day, I passed by the ramen shop "Tokuiichi Hombashi-ten" and it caught my attention. Located in Asahikawa City, Hombashi 3-chome. The shop is open from 11:30 to 15:00 and 17:00 to 20:00, closed on the 2nd and 3rd Thursdays. They have parking and delivery service. The official Facebook page is available for more information. Last year, I changed my commuting route, and now I pass by this shop every morning. It piqued my interest. Although it is a well-known establishment in Asahikawa, I had never visited this Hombashi branch before. I had been to the Chuwaden before, which is now renamed as Tokohorobi, offering a different taste. The parking lot next to the shop can accommodate 6 cars. Upon entering, I found a tatami seating area available, as I had avoided the lunch rush. The menu offers various ramen options, rice dishes, and set menus. I ordered the basic miso ramen for 900 yen. It came with a little bit of green onions and bean sprouts, along with two slices of chashu. The flavor was nostalgic, reminiscent of the traditional miso taste I enjoyed as a child. The miso flavor was strong, with a subtle sweetness and richness. The chashu had a good texture, requiring a satisfying chew. Overall, it was delicious, and I appreciated the traditional taste that has been preserved over the years.

Special No. 1 Honmachi store. It is located on the way from Asahikawa Gokoku Shrine to Asahibashi. Among the ramen shops in Asahikawa, this one has been in business for a long time, and the interior of the shop has a seasoned feel. The proprietress runs the shop by herself. I ordered soy sauce ramen with firm noodles. The proprietress asked, "How firm would you like the noodles?" This is the only shop where the owner asks about the level of firmness when ordering Asahikawa ramen. I requested, "Please make it firm enough to have a core." The boiled noodles are scooped with a flat strainer, not a round one. Draining the noodles with a clattering sound makes them taste better. It's visually cool to see the craftsman's figure. The base of the soup is made from pork bones and fish such as boiled horse mackerel. The noodles have low water content. Instead of enjoying the slippery texture, I enjoyed the chewiness due to the firmness of the noodles. I slurped the noodles, drank the soup, slurped the noodles, drank the soup, and finished the soup. It was a bit salty, but I think this level of saltiness is delicious. I feel like the image of Asahikawa ramen is gradually fading. I had a simple and traditional Asahikawa ramen. Thank you for the meal.

Special Number One "Honmachi Store" is the place I visited for the first time until I started drafting this review... I didn't realize it was my first visit until then... Special Number One's ramen is a type that I already know a lot about. The "Fried Rice Set" costs 1050 yen and includes a rice dish and a children's ramen set. When it comes to ramen, fried rice is a must-have. The Honmachi Store seems to emphasize the tonkotsu flavor... The tonkotsu smell used to be a bit off-putting to me a few years ago, but over time, I have become more tolerant of it... It seems like my tastes have matured a bit. In recent years, I have been more focused on finding restaurants that serve delicious fried rice... Having a smaller portion of ramen as a side dish makes me happy. The fried rice was a bit oily, and I think it goes best with shoyu ramen... The shoyu ramen that looked almost like miso still needs some improvement, I realized that with this ramen... The hotness of the ramen was not quite there, but the noodles were not too soft and quite delicious. Thank you for the meal.

It snows every day. It has become a daily routine to shovel the snow off my car. Today, I finally visited a shop that I had been wanting to go to for a while. The shop has a Showa era atmosphere, with a unique layout where the counter is located near the entrance. I had already decided on ordering the soy sauce flavored ramen. It arrived in 5 minutes, and it was clearly Asahikawa ramen. The soup was cloudy but not too dark in color. It had a rich umami flavor from the broth, with a mild soy sauce taste. The soy sauce flavor was gentle and smooth, not too strong. The bamboo shoots were lightly seasoned, and the two types of char siu (pork) - lean and fatty - had a nostalgic and delicious taste. The noodles were the classic low-water content, thin curly noodles of Asahikawa. They paired well with the soup. It was a delicious ramen with a nostalgic taste.

I've always wanted to visit this restaurant. But it's a place that I always end up passing by. It's located just past Bel Classic and Toyoshita, in an old building with a traditional storefront. The last time I mustered up the courage to go, they were closed for the day. It just seems like I have no luck with this place... Fast forward half a year later, I decided to give it another shot. The entrance had an automatic door for some reason, and as I walked in, I had to climb a few stairs. Inside, there was a counter on the right and tables with a raised platform in the back. It seemed like an old-fashioned establishment, so I decided to go with the soy sauce ramen. The prices for the set meals were a bit on the higher side, ranging from 1000 to 1350 yen. As I waited, I noticed they also offered delivery and takeout options. The menu mentioned that the restaurant had been around since 1951 and was one of the few ramen shops in Asahikawa back then. There are four branches in Asahikawa, but I had only visited this one. The soy sauce ramen with a side of rice arrived in a nostalgic bowl, and the taste was surprisingly light despite its dark color. The noodles were different from the usual Asahikawa style, with a slight wave and more moisture. The flavor was delicious, but on the lighter side, which made the sweetness of the rice stand out. The serving of pickled vegetables with the rice was generous, and the friendly lady running the place made the experience even better. Next time, I'll ask for a stronger flavor and see how it goes. Overall, it was a pleasant meal.

The first owner of Roppongi "Tenho" trained at "Tokuitiban" in Asahikawa, and I visited the Honmachi branch. The menu stated, "The way we make the soup has not changed since ancient times." This "Tokuitiban" taste was then developed into "Ajitoku", and eventually led to the opening of Ramen Alley "Tenho" in 1977 and Roppongi "Tenho" in 1984. It feels like visiting a museum, knowing that everything started from "Tokuitiban". It's a delightful experience to be able to taste the original ramen that became the roots of Tenho even now.

It was a busy day. I had a lot of paperwork to do in the office in the morning and no time for lunch. I had an appointment outside at 1 pm, and it finished around 2:30 pm. I remembered this restaurant when I was thinking of buying something from the convenience store on my way back to the office. It's a shop that has been around for quite some time, like a branch of "Tokuitiban" ramen. It's been about 5 years since I last visited. The menu includes not only ramen but also curry, fried rice, rice bowls, and even an "inarizushi set," giving it more of a local eatery vibe than just a ramen shop. I remember being surprised last time by the "nama-sushi" they had... I decided to play it safe and ordered the soy sauce ramen for 700 yen (tax included). It arrived in about 7 minutes. The ramen came with 3 slices of chashu, 2 of which were quite large. The soup was cloudy and thick, but with a light flavor. The noodles seemed to be Sato Seimen's "medium-thin curly noodles." There was one customer before me and one after me, both male solo diners. It's an odd time to eat, but it seems like there is quite a demand even then!

In August 2017, I sometimes find myself craving fried rice out of the blue. Unfortunately, in Asahikawa, I have yet to find a delicious fried rice. I don't need anything fancy, just a simple fried rice with flavorful char siu from a casual Chinese or ramen shop. So, I decided to revisit a restaurant that caught my attention last time because I was curious about their fried rice. The fried rice costs 600 yen, which is quite reasonable. I could hear the sound of the wok being tossed in the kitchen, building up my expectations. The dish was brought to me by the owner, and it looked appetizing. However, it didn't come with soup, which I usually like to have with rice dishes. I prefer miso soup or a simple soup with ramen broth, salt, and green onions. The owner kindly provided a separate dish of ginger, so I thought they could have included soup as well. The fried rice had small pieces of char siu, green onions, egg, and finely diced carrots. The addition of carrots reminded me of a cute girl I used to work with who made pilaf for our staff meals. The restaurant she worked at had a rule of including finely diced carrots in their fried rice. The fried rice was a bit salty, probably due to the use of seasoning, but it was still enjoyable. It remained hot until the last bite, and the sweetness was just right. Personally, I prefer fried rice with a stronger flavor of char siu broth rather than salt. As I continue my search for the perfect fried rice in Asahikawa, I realize that my journey is far from over.

Visited in June 2017. The shop looks quite old-fashioned at first glance. I found out about this place from a local ramen guidebook. It says that when it was founded in 1951, there were only two well-known ramen shops in Asahikawa, "Hachiya" and "Aoba". Asahikawa seems to have many ramen shops that are branches of famous establishments, not just soba shops. This shop is also one of those, and there are still shops in the city that proudly proclaim to be the "number one special". I had the "shoyu" ramen for 700 yen. It has a typical Asahikawa-style soup made from pork. Surprisingly, it's not too salty. The toppings are typical of Asahikawa ramen, with three slices of pork chashu, salt-free menma, and green onions. The noodles are locally made by Sato Seimen, with a low water content typical of Asahikawa ramen. It's a well-behaved "Asahikawa ramen". The menu also includes curry, katsudon, and hamburg steak, catering to a variety of tastes. They also offer delivery service. It seems like a Chinese-style diner. The fried rice looked delicious, so I might try that next time. This ramen shop with a long history should continue to thrive in this area.

This is a review of a restaurant called "Tokuiichiban" in Motomachi. The restaurant has been around for a long time and is located near the Toy Store Yoshida. The atmosphere has a nostalgic feel, similar to a place that used to be there before. The seating near the kitchen seems to be reserved for grandchildren. When I visited, the kitchen lights were off and it was hard to see anyone inside, which is a common sight. I decided to try the Shoyu Katsura-men, which is a ramen dish with a pork and seafood broth and a crispy pork cutlet on top. The soup was rich and flavorful, and the noodles were hidden underneath the toppings. The cutlet was tender and delicious, adding a unique touch to the dish. Overall, the Katsura-men at this restaurant was tasty and had a distinct flavor. The restaurant recently announced a price increase due to rising ingredient costs, but considering the quality of the food, it was understandable. It was also mentioned that all ingredients used are domestically sourced, except for the menma (seasoned bamboo shoots), which are imported due to the high cost of domestic options.