吉祥: Bowl #11

The train pass we purchased for the weekend of traveling only works on Saturday and Sunday, so, unfortunately, today we stuck a little closer to home for some Ramen. On the way up toward the mountain towns is what can only described as a rest area near the highway toward Nagano. I have come to notice that whenever there is a holiday weekend (like this weekend was) droves of people flock to these roadside restaurant and gift areas. Today’s Ramen shop was tucked in the middle of the area and we were lucky enough to find a parking spot among the fleet of family minivans.

吉祥 (Kissho) was quite a large shop with a variety of seating options. There was a wait for small tables as well as the traditional Japanese kneeling tables, but we were able to be seated right away at the counter area which is Husband’s favorite place to sit. The menu was a little confusing, there were many options to choose from and it took a few minutes to translate what was written and then decide on what to order. Since the magazine promoted the 塩 (shio), or salt ramen, it seemed only appropriate to try it out.

Sitting at the counter area did not afford us a clear view into the kitchen as there was a pretty high partition between us and the action. Husband did stretch to sneak some peeks over the wall and around the piles of bowls that lined the top of the ledge. With the dream of opening our own Ramen shop someday, he likes to glance into as many kitchens as he can to view their operation. With quite a large kitchen, 吉祥 had a lot to take in. From giant stock pots of simmering stock to flat top gyoza grills, this kitchen was set up to offer more than just one type of dish. There were also no less than six people working this expansive kitchen all at the same time, quite a difference from some of the small, two-man, mom and pop shops we have previously been in.

With so many people working to serve the rushes of customers, it was no surprise that our food did not take very long to arrive at our seats. The塩 Ramen boasted a light, clear broth with definite notes of seafood added to the combination of the chicken and pork based soup. While all around flavorful, this was definitely not a heavy, rich broth. The noodles were ho-hum; thin and chewy, but at least they held the broth well. The meat was a nice surprise. At first glance the chashu looked to be the dry, flavorless little bricks that have been seen floating atop some standard bowls of Ramen, but 吉祥 offered some juicy, tasty slices of flavorful pork.

Having been pleased with his last two bowls of ramen, Husband decided to be adventurous again and order something he hadn't tried before.  This time Husband opted for trying out the 焼き味噌つけ麺 (yaki-miso tsukemen), or grilled miso tsukemen dipping noodles, in his attempt at experiencing variety.  The bowl of cold noodles was the perfect size as were the pieces of menma.  The noodles themselves were thinner and a little stuck together forcing Husband to wiggle each bite apart with his chopsticks before dunking them into the piping hot miso broth.  Two slices and two chunks of well marinated and braised pork lay atop the noodle pile as well as the usual sheet of nori.  Just like the regular Ramen, the meat also looked as if it was going to be plain and boring, but to a welcome surprise was moist and flavorful, complimenting the broth nicely after a quick splash.

Husband wasn't sure what to expect from yaki-miso flavored broth, but it only took one bite to know he had made a good choice, describing the onion and ground pork filled liquid as “a mildly savory, Japanese take on Thanksgiving” as it had an almost turkey dinner quality to it. The 塩 Ramen had great balance and was not overbearing or too filling after a weekend full of rich and savory bowls of soup.  This made three bowls of noodle goodness in a row after a small slump during the work week, as well as granting the stamp book its eleventh mark. Now for a couple days off from the challenge before we have another great weekend full of new cities to be explored and new bowls of Ramen to be eaten. 

吉祥 (Kissho)

Shio Ramen with piled on toppings and extra chashu.

Yaki-miso tsukemen.