祥気: Bowl #30. The Final Bowl!

Well, here it is! The last bowl of Ramen on the Komachi Magazine Ramen Rally Challenge was eaten at a nice shop called 祥気 (Shouki). Tucked in among some big-box stores in a busy shopping area, Shouki was intimate and inviting. After being seated at the counter, I ordered my last bowl of Ramen (for this adventure, anyways). The 中華そば (Chuka-soba), or Chinese style Ramen, was the bowl that was recommended in the magazine.

Light in color, the chicken based broth was clean and flavorful. After a day of eating Ramen it was a nice to finish up with a less heavy dish. The noodles were yellow and thin, adhering to the traditional Chinese style. The toppings were few but balanced. Two slices of chashu-pork lay under a small pile of grated scallion, and a few strips of steamed greens were placed alongside. The unique touch was the detail done to the menma bamboo shoots. Instead of the usual blocky, chopped pieces, Shouki offered their menma in long strips that looked as though someone had curled them like Christmas ribbon. They rimmed the edge of the bowl, the twisty design bringing a little something extra to the visual display.

When every drop of the tasty soup was gone, it was time for the last stamp in the book. It was very exciting to approach the counter and show that my challenge was complete. The cashier was not as enthused as I was; he merely said ‘Oh, wow, you’re done’ and handed it back to me. Not that I expected a party or anything, but a little more enthusiasm would have been nice.

Either way, it is over. After trying so many different types of Ramen, each with their own unique recipes and flourishes, it has only left me wanting to try more! As well, it has reinstated my desire to someday own my own Ramen shop and serve the world my own special dish that has been slaved over and perfected. Time to keep practicing!

Thank you to everyone who was at all interested in my reviews. It has been fun writing about the differences that were experienced from each bowl that was tasted. I do not plan for this to be the end of my Ramen blog, just the end of this particular chapter. Hopefully you have all learned something about this simple yet deeply complex dish, and will keep returning to read about any interesting shops or Ramen-related experiences that happen in the future. 

祥気 (Shouki)

中華そば (Chuka-soba)

Closer shot. Such nice detail.

A final shot of the stamp sheet!
Sorry, I hadn't had a chance to write in the rest of the names.

大貴: Bowl #29

In all honesty, the fine points of this shop have been forgotten. Clearly is has taken too long to get around to writing this post, my apologies in advance for its vague details and short length. What is remembered is that the dining room at 大貴 (Daiki) was quite busy and it took a little while to get a seat at the counter. Thankfully, it didn’t take very long to be served a piping hot bowl of their shoyu Ramen.

The broth was inviting; a rich scent of pork and soy sauce wafted up from the dish. It was just as delicious as one could hope. The bowl was topped with a few slices of chashu pork, some steamed greens, menma, nori and thinly sliced scallion. Though they are standard toppings, the combination creates diversity and adds depth to what would otherwise be just a bowl of noodles. Feeling a bit rushed because of the busy lunch hour, it did not take long to finish off the whole bowl and head to the cash register to get the second to last stamp. Only one stop left to go before completing the Ramen Rally Challenge!

大貴 (Daiki)

Shoyu-Ramen.
Hearty pork broth flavored with soy sauce.

麺場ふうらいぼう: Bowl #28

One of the main reasons I knew I had to finish this blog, not just because it is good to finish things that you start, was to write about this shop. Nagaoka really surprised me with the number of amazing Ramen restaurants that were listed in the Komachi magazine. Each one had their own unique signature. With the second visit to the area, it was time to finish off this challenge once and for all.

The first stop we made was to a shop that ended up being closed, good job to me for checking the printed hours and holidays beforehand. In the end, I am thankful they were not open. As soon as I entered 麺場ふうらいぼう (Men-ba Fuuraibou) the theme of the shop was very clear. The inside was designed after a garage. Tables lined the walls under the windows, circling around a central counter area that enclosed the kitchen. The staff was dressed in coveralls, just like what is worn in a car shop. Metal and cement were the main building materials present, with wooden accents for a touch of warmth.

Once my order of the house Ramen was placed it was time to sit back and watch the finely tuned (pun intended) staff at their perfectly timed routine from my seat at the counter. When my Ramen arrived, it was easy to see the payoff for their almost robotic actions. The bowl of steaming hot soup was topped with a nice array of carefully laid toppings. A tangled mass of noodles lay twisted underneath a single slice of chashu pork, some greens, grated scallions, menma and a pinch of red pepper shreds.

The noodles themselves were wonderfully cooked; just the right amount of chewiness with their own distinct wheat flavor. The broth was rich in color and just as flavorful; just the right balance of salt and soy sauce. There is something so satisfying about diving in to a bowl of steaming hot Ramen. Even if you burn your mouth on the first few slurps that is how you know it is worth it. Before I knew it, my spoon was scraping the bottom of the dish. Completely satisfied, it was time to acquire stamp number twenty-eight and head off for the penultimate bowl of Ramen.

麺場ふうらいぼう (Men-ba Fuuraibou)

Watching the noodle pot bubble and boil.

One of the best bowls on the challenge.

Delicious, thin, straight noodles.

A clear sign of a delicious dish.

王華飯店: Bowl #27

Bowl number 27 came from a small Chinese restaurant on Joetsu’s bar street. The two of us have walked past it a number of times while out on a weekend night and Husband had commented on wanting to try it sometime. Well, the night finally came. Many of the restaurants and bars on the street look as though they were once residences, and it is quite likely that they were just that. 王華飯店 (Ouka-hanten) is no different. The parking area is just a small cave that barely fits two cars, just like a garage in a family home. After squeezing past both of the cars that were parked in the “lot” we entered the small dining area.

It was still pretty early in the night, so the restaurant, along with the street outside, was empty. Our little group was seated at a really big table for just the three of us. After learning that most of the menu was Chinese dishes, Husband was ready to chow down. I stuck with my challenge and ordered chashu Ramen.

The soup was clear but flavorful. The noodles were the traditional Chinese style; yellow in color and very squiggly. Their consistency was pleasant with just the right amount of chewiness. The chashu pork was pretty ordinary; the taste was nice but was nothing spectacular. Overall it was a nice, basic bowl of Ramen. The boys ordered various Chinese dishes and said that they were quite delicious. Stamp 27 was added to the book and another trip to Nagaoka was planned for the next weekend to finish out the adventure. 

王華飯店 (Ouka-hanten)

House chashu-men

Noodle shot!

If anyone is still reading this, hopefully you haven't given up on me, or think that I gave up on my goal. I did finish the Komachi Magazine Ramen Rally Challenge of 30 bowls by October 31, but with my busy schedule writing about the last few shops sort of fell by the wayside. Alas, I have vowed to finish what I started! So stay tuned, check back soon, and get excited! I will fill you in about the end of the adventure.

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.