Challenge: Round Two!

Guess what time it is!

I went over the my local bookstore to pick up the magazine about my town and what did I find? The new edition of Komachi magazine and it's front cover announcing the 2015 Niigata Ramen Rally. Of course, I bought it. Will I be dedicated enough to collect all the necessary stamps again? Time to get myself pumped up!

After the first flip through it was already clear that they bumped their game up. The shops are broken down and categorized by their specialty and then again by their location. It really makes it easier to look up a certain spot, or a certain type of soup. Even the stamp book got a bit of a rework and is a little more user friendly. Also, instead of all the individual coupons for the free services offered by each shop, they included a Rally Participant card. So now you just present that card and get the free offering. It is much quicker than shuffling through a pile of little coupons.

It seems that the Challenge became more popular among the shops too. Just in my city there are eight more participating restaurants. This will mean a lot less travel required. I do admit that travel was half the fun of last year's experience, but it definitely became a bit stressful when it came down to collecting those last few stamps. All in all, I am pretty excited. I can't guarantee a post about EACH shop I visit as there are quite a few repeats from last years' challenge. I will promise to tell you about new shops that I try and any interesting stories that come up. Challenge 2015, let's go!

Game On!!

五十家 - Myoko, Niigata

The little elusive shop at the bottom of the hill. When we first started coming up to Mt. Myoko it was necessary to explore all the possible routes to make the ascent. 五十家 (House fifty) sits at the bottom of the mountain, just off the highway on one of these roads. I noticed it and made a mental note to try it someday. That day took longer than would have been expected. But, since it is located on one of the lesser traveled routes up the side of the mountain, the restaurant was quickly pushed out of my mind.

When it came time to pick a place for dinner, this poor little shop was constantly overlooked. On the rare chance we went past it we had either just eaten or it was closed. After talking to our local friends it was learned that the place is actually pretty popular. Apparently, the chef had once tried to stop serving ramen to focus on other dishes but it only took a few weeks of customers coming in and asking where the ramen had gone for him to change his mind and bring it back to the menu. Determined to see what I had been missing, a point was made to have dinner there on a night they were sure to be open.

Luckily, we pulled up to find that it was indeed open for business. The inside of the restaurant is small and intimate; offering counter seats, tables and traditional low Japanese-style tables. We opted for a small table near the front of the restaurant and began looking over the menu. Even though the ramen is in high demand, the chef still offers many other dishes such a stir fry, karaage (fried chicken) and even pizza. Since I am forever on a ramen quest, and it had such a good reputation, there was no question what my meal would be.

A bowl of chashu-men arrived at the table on a little tray; steaming and smelling amazing. The first thing that caught the eye was the perfectly overlapping ring of tender chashu pork slices. The soup was a light, clear brown with a wonderful layer of fat glistening on the surface. Simmered to perfection, the flavor of pork was rich but light, and not overbearing. After diving into the soup and breaching the barrier of pork slices, I found wonderfully chewy, curly yellow noodles. Noodles are so important to a great bowl of ramen, and五十家offers a variety with great texture and just the right thickness. A small pile of seaweed and a handful of sliced green onion sat on top and tied the whole bowl together. We left feeling satisfied, knowing it would not be too long before we returned for another round. 

Look at that glistening broth!

Excellent noodles.

ニューミサ (New Misa)

New Misa is a shop that Nick and I often visit when we are in need of a good bowl of Ramen. Situated on the main highway that runs through Myoko, it gets very good customer traffic. So good, in fact, that New Misa is just that… NEW Misa. The original shop is just a minute or two down the road and a mere fraction of the size of its (bigger) little sister. New Misa is cavernous on the inside and when the shop is crowded it can be very loud with the voices of satisfied customers.

The Misa shops (the third of which was visited by us on the Ramen Rally Challenge) are famous for their miso Ramen. Creamy, savory miso broth, chewy noodles and a towering pile of sliced onion makes up their signature dish. But at New Misa they don’t just serve noodles. Offering non-soup dishes like tonkatsu pork cutlet, gyoza dumplings and curry, there is a something to satisfy any appetite.

Though the miso Ramen is very good and certainly a must try for any first timer or miso-lover, Nick and I really enjoy ordering their shoyu (soy sauce) variety as well. The broth is rich and savory; the smell of pork and salt instantly makes the mouth water. And it does not disappoint. After a few spoonfuls of broth it is time to move on the curly mass of noodles.  The texture and thickness are perfect and the broth clings to each bite.

Unlike the miso Ramen that comes piled high with slices of raw onion, the shoyu ramen is more simple and without frill. Broth with noodles topped by some slices of tender, braised chashu pork and a small mound of finely chopped green onion is what you will get. No muss, no fuss. Just a great bowl of noodles.

ニューミサ (New Misa)

Shoyu Ramen

Noodles!