I am full – 7 different ramen shops in Hokkaido. From the humble eatery in the cable car station to get to the highest mountain (Asahidake) to the packed ramen shops in the Ramen Alley in Sapporo. Those who know me well would also know that I have a weakness for ramen – specifically the tonkotsu based broth. Warm, full of bony goodness and marrow, the soup makes my heart beat like I am on my first date. Heck, for less than $10 a serve, the date has serious competition!
The Japanese really pride themselves on what they do. Each bowl is served with great attention to detail. The movie The Ramen Girl sums it up (despite the crap and annoying acting). The master-apprentice relationship and the kind of soul that people speak of when referring to the broth. The chef Maezumi might be a tyrant but each bowl is ‘a gift to the customer’ and ‘if you look at the ramen you feel it’.
The original shop of Santouka
My favorite on this trip is Santouka (fire, head, mountain) in Asahikawa. I later find out that shop is the original shop, now having a chain of restaurants in the US, Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong. The shop was busy, fluorescent lit with basic chairs and table on the side while a stool lined bar was adjacent to the kitchen. I ordered their signature dish – the shio (salt) ramen. The stock is essentially a pork bone based (tonkotsu) that is salted, like all ramen soup base is. What this shop did well was not over salt their soup. My friends often complain that ramen soup is mostly too salty. I have to agree. But this bowl hit the salt level perfectly for me. Enough to really bring the broth to life but also to be able to finish all the soup without feeling that your blood pressure is shooting above 180 systolic. David Chang describes in his Momofuku cookbook that salt need to be almost ‘too salty’ for the soup to be ready.
Expect awsome ramen
The shio ramen - a bowl of awesomeness
Just look at how creamy the soup is! For a similar reaction to what I had…try this clip on a ramen shop in Tokyo. The soup in the clip is a triple stock, using 60 hours to make!
Simply amazing. Has anyone visited Santouka or one of their offsprings?
#1 by Cat on July 24, 2010 - 3:17 pm
Tonkatsu Sapporo-style! Yummo!
When I was there last year, I had the Ippudo ramen (branches in NY + S’pore) which was artery-clogging as hell but bloody good in the heart of a Hokkaido winter.
I’ve also just returned from Singapore and went to the newly opened Ippudo branch in the newly re-furbished Mandarin Galleria. Not bad but obviously, not as good as eating it in a true blue Nippon ramen shop with snow falling outside.
Wanted to try Santouka in S’pore but it was a bit of a hike from Orchard.
I heard Tampopo ramen in S’pore is pretty good for their black haired pig ramen?
#2 by tzuyen on July 24, 2010 - 5:21 pm
Arh, nice to know you have eaten your ramen
Do you have a favorite type? I really like the thinner, straight noodles compard to the curly ones. More bite to it! The black haired pig sounds good too!