Bannai Shokudo (坂内食堂 本店) in Kitakata, Fukushima

Kitakata is a small city located in Fukushima, essentially renown worldwide as a city of ramen because it has the highest number of shops per capita. Granted, the capita is pretty small at 48,000, but it still says a lot about their local food, Kitakata Ramen. What sets Kiatakata-style apart from others is primarily their unique wavy, flat, thick noodles, which helps to draw in the lighter salt-based broth.

With room and time for only one ramen in my belly, I chose Bannai, one of the most famous Kitakata ramen shops with long lines even before the shop’s opening at 10am.

I waited about an hour in the summer heat to order from their simple menu, all focusing on the local specialty. I opted for their large Negi Chashu at 1200￥ ($11 USD).

The noodles were indeed the local style and were soft, wavy, and really scooped broth into my eager mouth. The medium-light broth was salty and had a bit of savory meaty taste which really distinguishes it from other simple shio soups. (It actually reminds me of some Chinese noodle soups in a way.) The chashu portion was good, each slice were super soft and thin, complementing the lighter profile broth. I could definitely see why this local establishment and town are so famous in Japan.

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Thunder Ramen (拉麺点心雷堂) in Misawa, Aomori

Ramen Tenshin Ikazuchido in Misawa, Aomori is affectionately called “Thunder Ramen” in English.

Frequented by locals and foreigners alike, they offer a reasonably wide menu of typical soups with their own variations. As it is a small restaurant, wait times are pretty long during the lunch hour. We were seated for a while before our order came out.

Their most popular menu item is definitely their BBQ (Chashu), which is grilled and charred to perfection. You can have their BBQ on any of their ramen, but I opted for their BBQ Miso Ramen at 920￥ ($8.50) which was a very reasonable portion for the price.

As my friends mentioned, it definitely had a spicy miso taste that was just perfect. The miso was strong and flavorful, offering a savory richness to the broth. The noodles were deliciously soft and chewy which made the whole ramen experience wonderfully satisfying. While I can’t say it is the most complex bowl I’ve ever enjoyed, this certainly was one of the highlights of my trip to Hokkaido.

Thanks for the meal! ごちそうさまでした!

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Ajino Sapporo Onishi (味の札幌 大西) in Aomori City, Aomori

Ajino Sapporo Onishi is arguably one of the most famous ramen restaurants in Aomori. Their most popular is a Miso Curry Milk Ramen for a very reasonable 830￥ ($7.50 USD). It seems unique enough to draw a crowd fairly late on a weekday evening, apparently even being featured on local TV. So I braved the hour-long line and tried it myself. Starving for a good meal, I ordered the large size for only 100￥ more.

Placed down in front of me was undoubtedly what I consider a “large.” The bowl, soup, and ramen portion was definitely great for the price. The smell of miso and curry was certainly distinct. But how was the taste?Amazingly, it was a nice and flavorful, yet medium-light broth with distinctly rich miso and the aftertaste of a creamy curry, giving it a uniquely smooth feel that I really enjoyed. The thick noodles complemented the ramen with soft flavors and textures all around.

However, I expected a clearer “milk” taste given the name, but it wasn’t quite as milky or creamy as I hoped. Once the butter melted into the ramen, the butter taste was all but swallowed up by the curry and miso. I think if it had one more slice of butter, I think it would have been perfect.

They certainly earned their popularity with this uniquely delicious ramen at a great price. If you’re ever up in Aomori eating their famous apples, check out this famous local establishment, too.

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Menya Nanabe (麺屋菜々兵衛) in Sapporo, Hokkaido

Menya Nanabe is a small ramen shop in the suburbs of Sapporo, serving up Michelin-rated Bib Gourmand ramen. With a recommendation like that, how could I pass it?

They had a two-page menu that was relatively simple, but their main seller is their Toripaitan Shio Chicken Ramen for 780￥ ($7 USD). I opted for a large for 50￥ more and a soft-boiled egg for 100￥.

Despite the lunch hour, I only had to wait about 30 minutes before I could get the bowl I was eagerly awaiting. The thin noodles were firm, yet had a delightfully springy texture and the large portion was well worth the extra yen and definitely filled me up. The egg, slice of chicken, and chashu were all flavorful, soft, and deliciously satisfying.

However, all was not perfect. While the broth was decently flavorful, it was a bit thin and watery compared to some famous toripaitan shops Kansai is famous for.

Still, I heartily recommend this place and I could definitely understand why it has a coveted rating from Michelin.

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