To my dear Hacchan,

It’s been a long time, Hachiban. How are your chain of shops in western Japan doing? Are you still expanding in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Vietnam, too? I’ve always liked how you named yourself after the Route 8 connecting the Hokuriku area… it’s very appropriately fitting. I mean this as no insult, but you’re so much like the McDonald’s of Fukui ramen; somehow I see you everywhere I visit.

You were the first ramen shop I visited when I came to Obama City, Fukui, so many years ago. My former neighbor brought me here and I tried your signature vegetable ramen with salt broth. I couldn’t believe how cheap it was… 590￥ ($5.50 USD), if I recall. You piled those 5 kinds of veggies so high, but… I wasn’t impressed. The flavor was so light and plain, I haven’t been back in six years.

Don’t take this the wrong way, I really appreciated those crunchy veggies. I thought you had some nice noodles. And your naruto with the 8-ban logo in it is always so cute, seriously. A lot of other people like you since you always seem so busy. You just weren’t for me.

You know the Nest Inn Obama promotional program that Obama City is starting to sell? You know, those tickets you can buy at a discount to be used at a wide range of participating shops that are used to help spur the local economy? Yeah, those. You appeared on the list and I was wistfully remembering our brief time together.

So, I took the chance and went back. Maybe you changed, maybe I changed, I thought.

The moment I stepped in, I knew Corona had affected the seating, but somehow not your patrons. You were crowded as always, plenty of folks still vying for your attention. And there was little old me, noticing everything different about you. You spent some money on new fancy tablets and you studied up on your English and Chinese, I saw.

Your menu was familiar, though. The same vegetable ramen loved by all… but then you started showing off your limited seasonal menu and so I was tempted by your offerings… you always knew I liked spicy. That Vegetable Mala ramen looked like it was made just for me and it was only 790￥ ($7.35 USD) for a regular size. I wanted to be burned by you, a little. And you gave it to me.

Because I know you’re Japanese and you cater to the typical subtle tastes of Japanese cuisine, so I didn’t expect that numbing, mouth-watering Chinese spice flavor to be so prominent. Your thick noodles were as bouncy as before and your portion for the price… lovely.

I also had to have 6 pieces of your seasonal shrimp gyoza, too. At 300￥, how could I say no to gyoza? Or should I say dumplings? These are also Chinese-inspired, after all. I’m sorry to say while it was delicious, you missed the mark by a bit. I could barely taste the shrimp, but your texture was spot on with just a bit of softness and a hint of pan-grilled char.

I’ll admit, I take back those words I said about you back in the day. I didn’t know it hurt you so much that you felt you had to change.

You hit the right notes for me that day. Was it the rainy weather? Was I just too hungry?

It was just a fling, my dear.

I’m not sure I’ll come back so soon because while you have changed, I know it’s only just a little and just for a limited time. You are still the same, wonderful bowl of vegetable ramen.

I know you have other broth options, like tonkotsu and shoyu. You offer thin noodles and soba, too.Maybe I’ll come by and see you again… but I don’t think that we’re meant to be. You have other patrons who want you more than me. You deserve to be needed.

You want me to be really honest about us?

...it’s just that, as before, your broth lacked… something more. That spark. The depth of umami you know I really needed. You pushed the spice too hard and didn’t have something, anything, more to back it up.

For me that’s not enough.

I’m sorry to say it so bluntly. But we both know that you needed to hear it straight from me. I can be mean like that sometimes, you know.

I’ll be seeing you, maybe.

Sincerely,

Will

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.