けやき - Keyaki, Sapporo

コーンバター味噌ラーメン - Corn Butter Miso Ramen

   I generally try to avoid writing a second post about the same place, but when you've come all the way to Hokkaido you sometimes have to make exceptions. I hadn't actually planned to go to Keyaki again, but on a subzero New Year's Eve there weren't a great deal of choices. The guys at Keyaki obviously didn't see the new year as a reason to shut up shop and were open until well past midnight. We had arrived at around 8, just early enough to avoid a surge of customers, but not early enough to avoid the queue altogether. Thirty minutes or so in Sapporo seems longer than in Tokyo.

   I went with a different choice to last time and opted for the butter and corn as extra toppings. It didn't make a great deal of difference, to be honest. I think it was all about the warmth of being inside and the hot soup this time. Pretty great ramen. The only criticism I have of this place is that the counter has at least one too many seats - it is doable, but eating with your elbows tucked in isn't the most enjoyable way to demolish a bowl of ramen.

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ラーメン蜂屋 - Hachiya, Asahikawa

しょうゆラーメン - Shoyu Ramen

    One of the nicest things about domestic travel in Japan is sampling the local food and, on top of that, the regional variations of ramen. It is especially enjoyable when you can visit the place that was one of the pioneers in establishing a city's ramen tradition. And so it was with Hachiya which began life in Japan's coldest city in 1948、albeit after starting as ice-cream shop. (Hence the 蜂 - as in hachimitsu, honey.) Why not try some gyoza too!

   Hachiya is in a little alley just off one the main streets in Asahikawa, among a slew of other eateries and bars, not too far from Asahikawa station and easy to find - You've got to love the grid steet planning in Hokkaido! The wall is covered in autographs from celebrities that have popped in over the years. There was a customer inside the restaurant who had clearly recommended the place to their fellow diners who was taking great delight in their enjoyment. 

   So this is what old ramen looks like! One of the key points of Asahikawa ramen is the layer of oil on top of the soup that traps the heat in and keeps your noodles warm in the minus temperatures of winter - Not such an issue in the air-conditioned modern world, but a tradition worth keeping. Interestingly this bowl started off really good, then went great then back to really good - I'm not sure what this means but I usually enjoy the first few slurps the most. Thank you!

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けやき - Keyaki, Sapporo

味噌ラーメン - Miso Ramen

     One would think that a good idea to escape the summer in Tokyo would be to head to the cooler climes of Hokkaido, however there are a few things that could turn this seemingly brilliant plan on its head. Firstly, Sapporo can be pretty hot itself in summer - we were rather lucky in that respect though. Secondly, Sapporo is famous for its miso ramen which seems to be pretty much everywhere throughout the city and is much more suited to wintertime eating.
    Keyaki seems to be one of the more famous shops so that was where we headed (after a slight detour which led us to a massive car park and a ramen shop which was closed for the duration of our 4 days in Sapporo). A bit of a queue, but nothing to worry about. Inside the store led to another flaw in our plan - It was like a sauna inside. But once you're in, there's no turning back. Not even if you try - with your elbows locked into your waist and shoulder-to-shoulder with your neighbour you're stuck.

   My friend went for the chashu-men.

    Not ideal for a hot day but still a great bowl. There is nothing lacking and it doesn't feel  as if there is anything unnecessary either. A nice spice that only kicked with a few mouthfuls of soup and among the rest of the usual suspects in a bowl of miso ramen including some pieces of ground pork floating around. The chashu was also full of meaty goodness.

    It was definitely a sweaty experience but well worth it. There are definitely a few more I'd like to try up this way in the future.

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