風伯: Bowl #26

Back in central Niigata city, after some shopping and meandering around a festival, we had time for one more bowl of Ramen before our train back home. Near the station is a clean, well decorated shop called 風伯 (Fuuhaku). It was empty inside except for the staff, not surprising as it was between normal lunch and dinner hours. We took a seat along the wall and took in the menu. Feeling a little Ramen-ed out, Husband began checking out the non-soup menu items. But I was not going to let another stamp pass me by, plus this restaurant had a whole page devoted to it in the Komachi magazine.

Boasting thick, fatty kotteri broth with flame charred slices of pork belly, there was no doubt about what bowl to order. Sticking with simplicity the dish was not topped with a whole array of extras, just some menma, half of a boiled egg, some greens and the star chashu pork. The soup smelled heavenly; a rich meaty aroma wafted up from the steaming bowl. The noodles were nice, chewy, and coated with the savory soup. And the pork belly was just as delicious as expected. Thick strips of fat ran throughout each slice and the finishing char added a wonderful smoky flavor. Needless to say I ate the whole thing, quite a feat for such a noodle-filled day. On the way out the door to catch our train, the book was given stamp number twenty six, just a few shops left!

風伯 (Fuuhaku)

Meaty, fatty broth with minimal, but well chosen, toppings.

A close up shot of the signature char-finished pork belly.

Noodles, pork and a delicious soup, what more do you need?

源次郎: Bowl #25

Niigata City is packed with eligible Stamp Rally Ramen shops. Participants in the City really had it easy when it comes to completing the challenge as they did not have to travel for hours in order to get all their stamps. Well, we traveled. Husband and I went to Niigata, twice, in pursuit of our Ramen Rally stamps. On the first trip we had already eaten Mexican food and when we finally got around to trying Ramen that there was only time, and room, for one bowl. This time was different.

On the other side of the small station in the vast neighborhood was another small shop, 源次郎 (Genjirou) that looked promising. It took a while to find what with Husband’s knee threatening to give out on him and because of the fact that it was tucked away off of the main road. The inside was small, boasting only a handful of counter seats and a few small tables. We were seated in the back and immediately noticed a poster for the Komachi magazine challenge with a picture of the bowl that they had decided to showcase from this shop. We decided to stick with the recommendation as it looked very good.

The bowl that arrived was of a style Husband really enjoys, tonkotsu shoyu.  Creamy pork broth mixed with a shoyu dashi then topped with little bits of half melted pork fat is what makes this ramen delicious.  Sure there was chopped onion, strips of menma, decorative naruto, and a sheet of nori, but the salty fatty broth was all you really needed.  Within the murky brown liquid were average size noodles, not too soft or too chewy, which held the broth rather well.  Nice big pieces of chashu floated on top, with little pools of broth collecting on them.  The meat was thinly sliced and broke apart each time you squeezed them with the chopsticks.  This was just the meal husband needed to shake off the pain in his knee and venture on to the next shop.

Only five bowls left after this one!

源次郎 (Genjirou)

Thick and fatty tonkotsu Ramen.

ちょび吉: Bowl #24

Round two of Ramen shops in Niigata was underway after a lengthy train ride. Upon arriving in Niigata, we had to backtrack a little to get to the desired neighborhood. The train station where we unloaded was merely a blip in a sea of family homes. Clearly a suburb of the larger city, the area was full of residences and small restaurants to feed the local families. Poor Husband was nursing a sore knee after his previous weekend spent playing in a soccer tournament, so the twenty minute walk to the first shop was a little rough and slow going.

Being a very sunny Sunday afternoon it was not at all surprising to find a queue of people waiting to eat lunch at ちょび 吉 (Chobi-kichi). Luckily the waitlist did not have too many names on it and it was possible to be seated ahead of a larger family by taking an empty counter seat. The small dining room smelled heavily of ginger and was humid with steam from the many boiling pots in the open kitchen. The love of ginger was plainly laid out with their special titled “Super Ginger Heaven Ramen). After checking out the unique hand-written menu, the decision was made to try the bowl that was shown in the Komachi magazine.

Thankfully, my Ramen did not take too long to arrive in front of me. Steaming hot, the scent of ginger and garlic wafted up from the lovely blue and white patterned bowl. Wherein a deep brown broth flecked with puddles of melted fat enticed the first taste. Upon trying the first spoonful of soup, it was apparent this soup would be one for the favorites list. The sweetness of the ginger and bite of garlic mixed well in the soup that also packed quite a meaty punch. It wouldn’t be surprising if the soup was flavored with the liquid that is leftover after braising chashu pork. The meat itself was divine. So tender and crumbly, the large chunks made me think they had just given up when trying to cut uniformed slices and just chopped it into bite sized pieces.

The noodles were wonderfully soft, but still had great texture. Originally yellow in color, the rich concentration of the soup soaked into the noodles turning them a golden brown color. The extra toppings were fairly standard; chopped scallion, steamed spinach, a sheet of nori and a slice of naruto. Also present was a full egg that had been soft cooked and then marinated. It delivered another pack of rich soy and ginger that only added to overall dish. Every bite was as full of flavor as the last and it was not long before the bottom of the bowl was beaming back at me.

Stamp number twenty-four was given for a truly delicious bowl of Ramen. But this was not the end of the Niigata Ramen Adventure: Round Two. Not wanting to befall the same fate as last time, when we only had one bowl in the city, we headed off towards another stamp. 

Waiting outside ちょび 吉 (Chobi-kichi) with other hungry Ramen-lovers.

Mouthwatering broth, savory toppings and saturated noodles. Good to the last drop.

濃次: Bowl #23

Just a couple minutes down the road, we came to the second stop of the night. When we entered 濃次 (Koiji) we were immediately welcomed and told to sit wherever we pleased. Of course, we opted for the seats near the kitchen where we could scope out the scene. The wait staff instantly brought us water and asked if we were ready to order. Since the menu required a little more time to decipher, the server told us to call her when we had decided what we wanted to eat.

In a flash, not only did the server come when we were finally ready, but two servers came, both standing as close as possible to Husband.  He felt in of awkward having two people standing in his bubble so he quickly ordered the chashu-men. When the deep, steaming bowl arrived, hungry Husband almost forgot to let me snap a photo before diving in.  The broth here was wonderful and hot, dark and rich in flavor, yet thin with a fine layer of fatty oil on top.  Sliced onions and chopped, steamed greens accompanied the usual tender menma and sheet or nori.  Six pieces of chashu, which had been cooked until it fell into little pieces when attacked by the chopsticks, laid just below the hot soup.  In the depths of the bowl were thin noodles with decent chewiness that kept a good grasp on the flavor from the broth.  Despite burning his tongue a bit, Husband left 濃次full and satisfied.

At the register, we presented the book for its twenty-third stamp. Clearly, we have gotten to the point in the challenge where people start mentioning how close the finish is, and to keep going. It is nice to hear the encouragement. Not much further to go!

濃次 (Koiji)

A nice display of toppings lying atop noodles in a rich, brown broth.

Just another angle.

しま: Bowl #22

A little outside of Nagaoka is a small city named Sanjo. After working six kids classes straight through the morning and afternoon, Saturday night called for a Ramen adventure. The two-day train passes for Niigata prefecture came in handy again and we headed out to find dinner. Leaving the small train station, we were deposited right in the middle of a pretty busy little neighborhood. People were moving from the train station to various nearby restaurants or down the dark, narrow streets toward their homes. It was a only a few blocks and one left turn from the front of the train station to しま (Shima), the first stop of the evening.

The shop was planted in a small strip of businesses, tucked discreetly into the corner, with a strip of red lanterns hanging near the door to indicate there was Ramen to be had inside. The interior was small and cozy, only two small tables and a strip of counter making up the entire seating area. The smell emanating from the kitchen prompted the thought of meat. And sure enough, after sitting down at the end of the counter, the pan of resting, braised chashu sitting right in front of me confirmed the notion.

After ordering 中華そば (Chuka-soba), the only other gentleman sitting at the counter area nearby began asking me if I was a teacher at an English school that apparently resided on the second floor of the building. It took a while for him to believe that I had indeed traveled all the way from Joetsu to Sanjo JUST to eat Ramen. Even after pulling out the stamp book and showing him the dedication to the challenge he still seemed surprised. The couple who own the shop became immediately enthused and asked to look over all the stamps that had already been earned. Thankfully, and surprisingly, my Japanese sufficed to hold a pretty decent conversation. After teaching English all day, it is always pleasing how much Japanese I can remember and use.

Quite promptly, the noodles arrived. 中華そば is really just another name for Ramen. According to the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum (which, amazingly, I have not visited yet), the two names are interchangeable. 中華 translates to “Chinese” whileそば means “soba”, or noodles. Chinese noodles. That is what it boils down to. Since Ramen was originally adapted from Chinese noodles it is only obvious that this name was used before eventually being beaten out by the more popular title of “Ramen”.

Anyways, back to the noodles at hand. The broth was a deep brown in color and smelled heavily of meat.  With the first taste it was obvious that the wonderful pile of meat sitting on the counter was not just for show, it was to be a prominent feature of the whole dish. With how rich and hearty the soup tasted, it was surprisingly clear. Floating within the broth were yellowy, chewy noodles. This seems to be the usual style when the noodles are labeled as中華そば. Lying on top of the curly noodles were the wonderful slices of pork. Thankfully, the chasu was just as wonderful as had been expected; tender and packed full of smoky flavor. A small pile of green onion shreds and a piece of naruto fish cake provided the finishing touches to a wonderful bowl of Ramen. I ate the whole thing.

The shop owner happily gave the book its twenty-second stamp. It took another five minutes to leave because she and my new friend at the counter kept asking questions about the challenge and my general life, but finally the last” goodbye” and “thank you” were given and it was off into the night.

しま (Shima) with its inviting red lamps.

Heaven in a tray.
Smoky, savory and juicy, this pork was worth it.

The full bowl. A wonderful balance of meaty broth and chewy noodles.

そらや: Bowl #21

Feeling ambitious and not wanting to only visit one shop on a trip out of town, we headed toward the second shop of the night in Tokamachi. After consulting the map, we ended up near the same shopping area as the first shop we visited many weeks ago. Finding the building was easy, but finding the restaurant was not. Apparently, the owners had opened a new shop across town and I had not read the fine print that mentioned this in the magazine. So, back in the car, we headed back towards the edge of town that we had just come from.

Finally, it was time to eat at そらや (Sora-ya). Nice lighting and a nice use of noodle cooking baskets in a display next to the open sign gave the new shop a very inviting atmosphere. After ordering at the ticket machine, we sat down at one of the few remaining open tables in the fair sized dining room. Already having eaten a full bowl of noodles, I was not feeling overly ambitious to try and take on a dish with full toppings. The standard shoyu-Ramen was just the right fit.

The soup was really interesting. Rich brown in color and clear, there was deep notes of meatiness to the stock as well as a strong shoyu flavor. The aftertaste of the broth lingered and added to the overall taste of the dish. The noodles were thin and tender, perfectly balanced with the lightness of the soup. Just the right amount of extras was displayed atop the twisting noodles. Two pieces of chasu pork, some strips of menma, floating slices of green onion, a sheet of nori and a slow cooked egg half offered the perfect variety of toppings to finish off the bowl.

Twenty-one stamps down, only nine bowls left to go!

そらや (Sora-ya)

Ramen baskets hanging next to the "open" sign.

Delicious and simple, this soup made for a great second dinner.

新平: Bowl #20

Husband returned from a weekend-long soccer tournament and had his mind set on a nice long nap, but I had other plans. On the first visit to Tokamachi, where we trekked through a rice field, there was not enough time to visit more than one restaurant before having to return to the station to catch our train home. With two more shops available for stamping, we set off for the small town again, this time by car. The trip was not too long, but the typhoon that was passing nearby had brought drenching rains to our part of the country.

新平 (Shinpei) would have been easily accessible on our first adventure if we had not gotten lost. Located just down the street from the train station, it was pretty easy to find. When we entered the shop, the first thing we noticed was the really appealing interior. The white walls with dark wood floors and accents were modern created a warm feeling. The dining room only offered a few tables and a single counter area. We were seated at one of the tables along the front wall next to the windows. Beyond the counter area, we were able to somewhat see into the open kitchen. 

Husband was extremely sore from playing in six soccer matches over two days and could barely walk at even an old man’s normal pace, but he could definitely still put down some noodles.  Not wanting to chance a disappointment he ordered the a shoyu chashu-Ramen bowl with a little twist. Added to the, already flavorful, soup was an extra shot of aged soy sauce.  A nice dark broth packed with flavor immediately brought some life back into the near defeated man. 

If he had to guess, pork with a bit of chicken made up the stock.  The noodles were a bit thicker and held the soup very well, but were a tad bit chewier than Husband would have liked them to be.  This made every bite more work than he was anticipating.  Tender menma, bitter dandelion greens, nori, and naruto fish cake rested neatly on top of the noodles next to the thinly sliced chashu.  The meat was a step above plain, but not outstanding, by all means still an enjoyable still.  All in all a nice shop with a refreshing post soccer bowl of ramen.

Since Husband had gone for the bowl with all the extras in the attempt at bringing him back to life, I decided to stick with just the classic shoyu ramen. Pretty similar in presentation only mine was not quite as dark in color and was lacking the extra slices of pork that were fanned out around the edge of Husband’s bowl like a hand of cards. The soup was hearty, packed full of meaty flavor. While Husband did not enjoy the texture of the noodles, I thought they were pleasantly chewy. 

After finishing the first of two bowls of the night, the book was given stamp number twenty. Only one-third of the challenge left. Ten more bowls of Ramen to sample.

麺や新平 (Shinpei)

Aged shoyu chashu-men.

Standard shoyu-men. Rich, flavorful broth with a nice array of toppings.

Officially 2/3 of the way through!

食堂ミサ: Bowl #19

The day started out a little shaky as Husband and I had attended a live heavy metal show at a local music hall. What was already pretty entertaining was made even more so by the group of about ten elderly people that showed up and were, in fact, not in the wrong place. Watching the band, while the peeking at the group of senior citizens bobbing their head to the screaming music, definitely made for a memorable night. The next day, we kept with the musical theme by attending an outdoor, live DJ show at a park in a nearby town. After mingling and having a couple beers, our group agreed that we should get some Ramen.

In the hopes of such an occurrence, I had remembered to bring the stamp book with me. One of the last remaining shops in the Joetsu vicinity was located in the roadside shopping area, the same one that we had previously visited for an earlier adventure. Conveniently, it was not too far from the park where we had been watching the DJ. The strip of stores and restaurants was not as busy as it had been before; this weekend was not a holiday. The shop, 食堂ミサ (Shokudo-Misa) still had a fair sized group, I learned that the shop is actually pretty popular and the owner runs more than just the one restaurant.

Wanting to follow the recommendation of the Komachi magazine, I ordered their signature 味噌 (miso) Ramen. Having never been a follower of such soup, there is not much ground on which to compare. When the soup arrived, the first thing anyone would notice was the pile of onions creating a small mountain atop the noodles. The slightly overbearing scent of garlic accompanied the obvious aroma of the onions. The two, along with the already salty and almost sweet flavor of the味噌, combined to create an interesting bowl of Ramen.

The noodles were good, but there were really not enough of them to compete with the sheer amount of onions that covered the entire bowl. While I do not hate onions, there seemed to be just too many to finish. The slice of chashu was a nice finishing touch; it was tender and juicy but a little lacking in taste.

Husband was not in the Ramen mood, especially when he was told the restaurant offered katsu-curry-rice. He is a sucker for that breaded pork cutlet sitting on a mound of rice and slathered in hearty curry gravy. He happily ordered it, hoping for a nice filling lunch, and was given a platter of food. The order also included soup and salad on the side. Needless to say, Husband stuffed himself and was full for the rest of the night.

On the way out the door, the book was given stamp number nineteen. This shop will stick in my mind due to the pile of onions on my Ramen, and because when the shopkeeper stamped my book, she accidentally held the stamp upside down and now there is one little “bowl” that stands out. With only a handful of weeks left, the challenge is nearly two-thirds of the way completed. It is now time to gear up for the final haul. 

食堂ミサ (Shokudo-Misa)

Garlic-y, onion-y Miso Ramen.

Not Ramen, but Husband's curry platter was definitely photo-worthy.

花果山: Bowl #18

Another early Thursday off, what should be done? Well, Ramen of course. The original destination that was planned on for dinner ended up being closed, but luckily there was a second shop just a couple blocks away. And it had parking! When we entered the quiet dining room of 花果山 (Kakazan) we were welcomed with the classic いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase) greeting and seated at the counter. Being two of only three customers it was easy to take time to look around and observe goings on of the couple running the place. After ordering, the two set to work in perfect harmony creating our dinners.

Husband had not eaten since early in the day and was eager to put a large amount of noodles in his stomach. The magazine pictured an amazing looking tsukemen with a neat twist, so that’s what he went for.  As usual the meal came in two bowls; one full of cold, thick noodles which were not all clumped together (a pet peeve of Husbands).  Also in the noodle bowl were tender menma, steamed bok choy, shredded nori, and a generous amount of chashu due to Husband taking advantage of the extra meat option.  The meat itself was quite tasty having been braised first then grilled over coals just before serving, giving the chashu a rich smoky flavor and allowing the meat to sweat just enough to bring more of its juices to the surface.  The second bowl full of the piping hot broth was also delicious and plentiful.  The dark soup full of minced garlic, shoyu, nori, what we believe was tenkasu (tiny bits of tempura batter), and a little bit of oil was rich, smooth, and perfect for a rainy day, or a starving husband. 

As for the twist there was one other component to the broth which gave it strong roasted sesame tone.  Just before the meal came out Husband was given a small mortar full of roasted sesame seeds, a wooden pestle to grind them with, and the instructions to mix the newly made powder into the soup when it came out.  Being both delicious and interactive made this choice a recommended repeat option by Husband.

Tempting as it was, my decision was to go for an all-in-one bowl of Ramen. The menu was a little difficult for me to understand without my kanji translator, so the result was pretty much point at one and hope for something great. Well, it was great. Later research revealed that this shop uses a chicken base for their soups, and the Ramen I was served proved that to be true. Thick and creamy, this soup reminded me of homemade cream of chicken. With just a few spoonfuls of the broth I was transported to my childhood kitchen, sharing steaming bowls of chicken soup with my mother on snowy days. That is most likely where my love of soup dishes stems from. Rich and savory, every last drop of broth was consumed.

As for the toppings, just like Husband, my delicious, chewy noodles were topped with menma, bok choy, nori and chashu (though far fewer pieces than his extra order). A pile of shredded onion and a few slivers of red pepper added the finishing touches. It all combined to create a wonderfully hearty dish that filled my empty stomach. 花果山 is certainly worthy of a repeat visit, especially when the snow arrives.

To finish off a great meal, the book was granted stamp number eighteen. Only a few weeks of Ramen-eating left on this challenge. Thankfully, there are so many variations and personal touches to each bowl of Ramen from every different Ramen chef. Otherwise, this challenge would have gotten old pretty quick. 

花果山 (Kakazan)

Grilling up the chashu to put atop the Ramen.

Sesame seeds to crush and add to tsukemen broth for extra flavor.

Tsukemen noodle bowl. The noodles are concealed by the
 amount of chashu that comes as an extra order.

Rich, flavorful tsukemen broth.

Creamy, chicken-y Ramen. Good to the last drop.

真登: Bowl #17

It has been a pretty busy week and there has not been much time to do any leisure activities, let alone sit down to write about the last shop on the trip to Nagaoka. But the time has come to think back to, what can arguably be called, the best bowl of Ramen out of the four shops we tried in the city. For a mid afternoon break we ventured to the edge of town and visited the Niigata Prefecture Museum of History. For only about five dollars we got to view what life looked like for the ancient inhabitants of our area. As well, there was an interactive exhibit on what it used to look like in winter when the snow was as tall as houses, complete with tunnels and dangerous looking icicles. After the museum, and a quick trip to a bookstore, it was time to head to the final destination.

The first time we had tried to stop at 真登 (Masato) for lunch there was a line wrapping almost all the way around the side of the building. Arriving just before five, when they re-open for the dinner shift, meant the line was shorter, but there were already a handful of customers in queue. The bowl of Ramen pictured in the Komachi magazine had me looking forward to trying it; many other people obviously feel the same way. Listed on the 塩 (shio), or salt, Ramen page is Masato’s signature bowl, and that is what I decided to try.

After ordering at the ticket machine we were seated at the counter where we were able to oversee the kitchen operation. The kitchen was separated from the dining room by only the counter, giving it a wonderful open feeling. With very a very clean design and a modern color scheme, the shop was very inviting and comfortable. Luckily, we were one of the first few people to order and it did not take very long to receive a delicious looking bowl of Ramen.

With the first glance it looked like a well put together bowl of noodles, but after starting in it turned out to be so much more. The broth was light and clear with a delicious chicken flavor. For being塩 Ramen it was not overwhelming with salt flavor, the balance was perfect. The noodles were thin, straight and tender. There is always praise to be had for the noodle that grabs hold of the broth and ensures you never have a flavorless bite. As one of my most admired Ramen chefs, Ivan Orkin said, “You should never have naked noodles”. His book Ivan Ramen is great. If you love cooking, even if you don’t care about Ramen, I definitely recommend it for a good read.

Now for the toppings! The pork was juicy and tender, the edges coated with a crust of various spices. Obviously a rub, the seasoning permeated the meat and gave it a peppery flavor with almost a hint towards smoky. The menma, steamed greens and onion added crunch and texture as well as letting me pretend that they could be considered as a real servings of vegetables. Finally, the crown jewel of the bowl was the perfectly cooked, gooey, savory boiled egg. Always my favorite topping, this egg shot to the top of the list as the best of the best. It is always obvious which Ramen shops takes the time to find the exact cooking time to create the boiled egg that has a firm, tender egg white, and a soft, creamy yolk. The only thing I would wish to change about this bowl of Ramen would be adding another egg on top.

When every last drop of soup was gone, I had to ask about the free CDs that were stacked near my chair. There was a local punk rock band that said the disc was free to take, but the case was empty. Interested, I inquired if there were any more. The chef himself came out from behind the counter, where he had been busily making bowl after bowl of noodles for the steady stream of customers that had been coming in since opening time, to tell me that he was all out of that particular CD. He was very apologetic and asked if I planned to go for all thirty stamps. After confirming that that was indeed the goal, he asked that I come back to his shop with one of my free Ramen vouchers and that he would have a CD waiting for me. I agreed. After getting stamp number seventeen we left Nagaoka, even though it is not the closest of drives, Masato will definitely be worth making another trip. 

真登 - Masato

A very nice looking bowl of shio Ramen.

From another angle to direct focus to the perfectly cooked egg.

Matsuno: Bowl #16

Nagaoka is known for having many options for delicious Ramen. It is no surprise then that there are fifteen different restaurants to choose from when it comes to collecting Ramen Rally stamps. The real challenge is deciding which shop to visit. Having already eaten at two participating shops, we only had thirteen to choose from for Nagaoka: Round Two. Craving something a little spicier, Husband was intrigued by a bowl that was pictured on a page in the magazine that boasted spicy Ramen varieties. While it is handy having the map of each town with the shops already pinned for one’s convenience, the detail is not the greatest and sometimes it can take a few swings around the block before finding the right place. We drove past a large shopping area twice before finally realizing we were behind the establishment we sought.

武者気 (Muja-ki) Matsuno had a picture of an amazing tsukemen on the wall which got Husband really excited, but when he tried to order it the restaurant was out.  Back to plan A then, a spicy bowl of tantan-men.  The bowl that came to the table was relatively large and bright red.  The soup was also a beautiful red color which definitely hinted towards the flavor of spicy chili oil and sesame paste.  Average size noodles with a soft texture lay below the surface in a tangled mess.  Pouring the red broth over the noodles coated them, dying each strand pale orange.

 A hefty amount of cabbage and bean sprouts also hid in the depths, as well as dark strands of seaweed.  On top of the steamy liquid was a pile of crumbled ground pork and a generous amount of chopped green onion.  The flavor was decent, nothing outstanding, but certainly enjoyable.  Like most of the “spicy” dishes in Japan Husband rated this one at an American low medium, hot enough to give you a little sweat on your brow, but not enough to cause you to run for the water pitcher.  This bowl was good for the experience, though I don’t think it will be a repeat order.

Unfortunately, Husband has felt a little let down with his attempts at spicy Ramen. He loves to feel the burn and in the States it is easy for the spicy-lover to find a sizzling meal. Japan does not have the same affinity for heat; many of the dishes that Husband has sampled that claimed to be spicy were merely warm by his book. After three tries in search of something that brings tears to his eyes, he feels keen to write off the tantan-men as simply a peppery, chili flavored soup. On the way out the door, the book was stamped for the sixteenth time, officially past the halfway mark and on towards the finish line.

武者気 (Muja-ki) Matsuno

Rich, orange soup piled with various toppings.

The Ramen Fair

Now that the challenge is halfway over, and there is still another month before it draws to a close, Husband and I decided to stay in town for the weekend. The knowledge of my love for Ramen is not unknown to those around me, and it has spread even further with the news of my stamp mission. Everyone from friends to students has wanted to share with me their favorite restaurants as well as Ramen related events in the area. This weekend, a small, but popular shopping and restaurant area located on the outskirts of Joetsu played host to a Ramen Fair. It was the twentieth anniversary of the event and who am I to pass up some new bowls of noodles to try.

The event had started in the early afternoon and when we arrived right around five o’clock there was still quite a large crowd in attendance. After purchasing our ticket for our bowl of Ramen we perused the stalls that had been set up for each participating shop. Stretching out from in front of the opening to each counter were lines that had been roped off in order to shuffle people towards their desired soup. Luckily for us, we seemed to have arrived at the lull between the early crowd and the late comers so we were able to merely walk up to the counter offering the Ramen we wished to sample.

We decided to each get a different bowl in order to be able to trade off and each taste two different soups. The best part about this fair was that Ramen chefs from other parts of Japan were present and cooking soups that are served in their shops. せたが屋 (Setaga-ya) is a restaurant located in Tokyo, their name is a play on the name of the ward in which the restaurant resides - 世田谷区 (Setagaya-ku, or Setagaya ward). The last kanji in the restaurant’s name is屋 (ya) which means shop or store. The soup which they were offering had a cloudy broth that was definitely made with pork and fish components in the stock. The flavor was rich, but a little too fishy for my preference. The noodles were so-so - a little thin and sort of tasted like dried noodles brought back to life, which they may well have been. One great part of the dish was the three different cuts of meat that came floating on top. Each piece of chashu was unique; one was fattier, one lean, and the last was darker meat. This little tasting platter of meats was the highlight of overall okay bowl of Ramen.

The second bowl that was selected for tasting was from a shop that has a branch in each Nagano and Nagaoka. The soup was clear and a rich brown color. Using only chicken stock and adding a nice shoyu dashi, or flavoring, created the well balanced broth. Sticking with their chicken campaign, one of the toppings was also a slice of chicken. The typical slice of chashu pork was also present, as well as sliced leeks and menma. The noodles were similar to the first bowl - thin and a little flavorless, but at least they did hold the soup nicely. Husband and I took turns trying both bowls of Ramen and we did agree that the preference leaned towards the second. Fish components are often used in Japanese cooking as bases for soups, but you do not always end up tasting the flavor in the end product. While sometimes it is not a bad thing to have a slight fishy taste, we both agreed that the soup from the first bowl of Ramen did not quite have the right balance for our palate.

After draining our bowls, we walked around the rest of the festival. There was a stage set up with some music, dancing and prize giveaways, but what made Husband most excited was the sight of his favorite food truck. Local to Joetsu is a から揚げ (Kara-age), or fried chicken, restaurant that also likes to make appearances in the festival circuit. Built out of a tiny, little van, they pump out delicious fried chicken like it is nobody’s business. Hot, juicy and bursting with flavor it is served in a cup, coated with your choice of seasoning from garlic salt to curry powder. We shared a small, 5-piece cup of garlic salt chicken while we watched children scream and clamber over each other as the DJs threw prizes from the stage before heading home with full bellies. 

Ramen Fair corral.

Choices.

Our selections.

Bowl one: Fishy stock and an array of pork.

Bowl two: Clear broth made from only chicken.

七鐘屋: Bowl #15 - Halfway there!

The visit to Nagaoka was not over after just one Ramen shop. Wanting to make the most of our time there, we set off in search of the second bowl of the day. First we stopped outside a shop called 真登 (Masato), but it had a line out the door and down the side of the building. Even though we did not feel like waiting in line at that time, we did indeed mark this restaurant as one that is clearly worth visiting later. Something good must bring crowds of people there to wait in line for noodles.

On the north end of the city, we found our second destination. There was also a line at 七鐘屋 (Nana-ya), but with only two people ahead of me it seemed far more manageable. The interior of the shop was crowded with a variety of table arrangements and every seat was full. We must have just missed a big turnover because, though there were so many people seated, almost everyone was waiting for their lunch. So, while there were only two people waiting before me, the wait did end up being about twenty minutes. Gradually, food started to leave the kitchen and a couple groups of diners finished and headed out.

We had already chosen our order from the ticket machine at the front door, and in the attempt to get the line moving the hostess/waitress/food runner/busser had already taken ours to the kitchen. The first groups of people to leave had been sitting at larger, traditional kneeling tables. We were asked if we minded sitting with another couple at one such table and, eager to get our lunch as soon as possible, we happily obliged.

The Komachi magazine’s recommendations have not been wrong yet, and it seemed like a good choice at this shop as well. The 尾道ラーメン (Onomichi-Ramen) was brought out in a lopsided ceramic bowl, steaming, and smelling of rich shoyu. On first inspection, the broth was a deep brown in color with flecks of fat floating around the surface, and after lapping up a few spoonfuls was actually rather clear and light. The toppings were not overwhelming. A few pieces of chashu pork accompanied by some menma bamboo shoots, sliced green onion and a lone half of boiled egg. The menma was really impressive - they must have been soaked in some chashu braising liquid offering a wonderfully strong shoyu flavor.

The noodles were thin, but had good texture as well as their own unique taste. A lot of times, the noodles are simply there to soak up the broth, but at 七鐘屋 they actually brought their own sort of bready notes into the mix. The couple sitting with us at the table even commented on the noodles being rather unique and delicious. The woman had ordered the same Ramen as me and it was nice to hear that she was enjoying it as much as I was. The two were also on the Ramen Rally Challenge, but when the waitress took our books for stamping I noticed they only had one or two marks. Clearly they are not as gung-ho about getting thirty stamps by the end of October. The stamp that my book received was number fifteen, halfway to the finish line.

七鐘屋 (Nana-ya)

Savory Shoyu Ramen.

Thin, but tasty noodles were hidden beneath the layer of tender chashu and marinated menma.

北斗: Bowl #14

Deciding to forego the Echigo Two Day rail pass for the weekend meant traveling in search of Ramen stamps by car. The car leased to me by my work is tiny, fuel efficient, and comical. It sounds like a go-kart, and goes just a little faster. A little over an hour away is the city of Nagaoka; a medium sized city about half way between Joetsu and Niigata. The weather was lovely, and we did not feel like paying tolls, so we headed north up the coast and enjoyed the view of the ocean.  Once we arrived in Nagaoka we decided to divide and conquer, no use wasting another travelling day by only eating at one shop.

The first one we selected was more towards the center of town. Following the small map included in the stamp book, as well as using our cars super handy GPS, we headed off in the right direction. Apparently, we crossed a bridge that must have been built recently as it was not yet programmed into the GPS. It was pretty amusing to watch the little arrow that represented our car as it flew across a large river and landed on the other side. The shop was easy to locate, but parking was not. Clearly a popular spot in town, the whole lot was full of cars and it took about 15 minutes of waiting before someone left their spot open for me to park.

北斗 (Hokuto) was a busy little shop. After seeing a bowl of the shoyu ramen pass by we both knew we had to have some, so we got in line for the ticket machine and anxiously awaited our turn.  Tickets in hand Husband and I then got in the que to be seated.  Finally after about ten minutes of watching amazing looking bowls of ramen fly by we got two seats at the counter style island in the middle of the room. The wait was nice for Husband who got to stand and stare into the kitchen, watching the ramen magic happen.  Another ten minutes went by then the lone waitress zipped over with our steaming hot noodles.

It took but one sip of the broth to understand why北斗was so popular.  The semi clear, but dark and rich soup was delicious with a good balance of shoyu and pork just the way we both like it.  Thinner, chewy noodles laced the bottom of the bowl bringing a healthy coating of the broth with every slurp.  On top of the noodles were green onions, a few strips of fairly tender menma, the classic sheet of nori, some nicely steamed spinach, and a decorative slice of naruto. The meat had lots of flavor and was cut in thick diced chunks, but still tender, separating easily with a pinch from the chopsticks. All in all this was a great choice, a very satisfying ramen indeed.

It is clear that the creators of the Komachi magazine really did their homework when it came to choosing which restaurants to host in their Ramen Rally. Almost every bowl of noodles that has been consumed thus far has had great flavor and an obviously fine-tuned recipe. It feels a little monotonous writing such great reviews of all the dishes that have been sampled on this adventure, but it is really hard to knock something that has undoubtedly been tried, tested and mastered. With my own dream of opening a Ramen restaurant some day, this grand tour of Niigata Ramen shops has been enjoyable not only as a consumer, but as a student as well. Our trip to Nagaoka was not over after just one shop, and coming soon is the story about the bowl that brought the challenge to its half way point!

The shop entrance with the name in Kanji and Romaji.

Delicious Shoyu-men.

Typical Ramen counter setup.

誠や: Bowl #13

The end of a busy week called for a Ramen dinner. Husband picked me up after my last class of the day and we steered our trusty EK Wagon towards the coast. Heading south along the shore offered spectacular views of the setting sun and the crashing surf. Opting for the scenic (and free) highway led us through many shanty seaside towns that looked as though they were minutes away from being invaded by pirates. Houses and buildings were crammed into the side of the hills; only the narrow highway preventing them from tumbling into the rolling ocean. After thirty minutes of winding curves, we came upon (and passed, at first) a small shop standing alone on the side of the highway

.

誠や (Makoto-ya) is just outside downtown 糸魚川 (Itoigawa) city where restaurants are famous for using squid ink in their recipes. The restaurant we decided on for dinner did offer つけ麺 (tsukemen) with squid ink noodles for dipping, but when we arrived the button for this dish was flashing a red “X” meaning they were sold out for the day. Feeling a little let down, as well as really hungry from my long day, I ordered my favorite chashu-men. Once our tickets were submitted, we were seated at the counter where we got to watch the one man show that was kitchen at 誠や.

The bowl of chashu-men was just as would be expected. A standard array of toppings lay atop a bed of thin, flat noodles that were floating in a clear, yet flavorful broth. Sipping the soup felt warm and comforting, the kind of feeling that true soul food creates. With the noodles doing their job of wearing the soup like a warm winter coat, each bite was a perfect combination of chewy and savory. Tender slices of chashu, nicely marbled with fat, blanketed the top of the bowl. The menma had a unique flavor, almost smoky and were not as fibrous as others I have had before. The complete product was well rounded and had no negatives to weigh down the positives.

Having started a new job remodeling a ski hotel and doing a lot of grunt work all week, Husband was very hungry.  On the ticket machine there was an option for a tonkotsu shoyu ramen that cost more than all the rest of the bowls.  On the verge of starving he decided to go for it and was glad that he did.  The ramen was amazing!  A creamy, tan colored broth rich with pork and shoyu flavor, dashed with black pepper and piping hot covered the same flat soup hugging noodles.  Menma, that was nearly as tender as the meat, poked up out of the murky liquid along with green onions, sliced garlic, pork fat niblets, and some stringy form of dark seaweed not yet encountered on our journey.  None of this was the best part though…  Resting across the top, daring you to take a bite were three long strips of braised then charred pork belly.  The three oversize pieces of triple thick bacon like goodness were exactly what poor Husband needed after a long work week. He inhaled the bowl in its entirety.

After we finished our dinner it was time to leave and make the drive back home. I had forgotten to take a picture of the outside of the shop, as is my tradition. Unfortunately, the sun was well past set and there were no outside lights to illuminate the store front or sign. I was able to snap a somewhat dim shot when Husband pulled the car out and faced the headlights toward the building. The drive home felt thankfully shorter than it took to get there as Husband and I were both eager to start our weekend, which had four shops in Nagaoka on the schedule. Those posts will be coming soon!

Our drive along the coastal highway with quite an impressive sunset.

Perfectly balanced chashu-men.

肉増し (Niku-mashi) - Extra meat Ramen.

The dim and grainy picture of the building taken in the glow of the car's headlights.