Hokkaido's Top Rated Ramen.

I was gonna write a huge big blurb about Hokkaido's amazing food. But it's not worth it. It detracts from the point.

Hokkaido is know for a lot of stuff after all.

But the thing I like best?

Ramen.

Ramen.

Ramen.

When I say Ramen, I ain't talkin' bout those cheap noodles you buy for 10 cents a pack, the sort of thing college students live off of. Nope nope. Ramen is a soup noodle indeed, but a gourmet legacy of pure Japanese idealism; taking established ideas from other cultures and tweaking, augmenting them. The result is just unique to Japan, and completely utterly perfect in it's composition of simplicity and complexity. I mean, soup noodles, how different could they be?

Very.

There's a lot of good soup noodles around Japan. But, in my humble opinion, they just don't come close to Sapporo.

Sorry guys, I know you all thought Tokyo just ruled the Japan world in terms of everything. Wrong-o.

In fact, a fair amount of people agree. Two of the top ramen shops according to the website tabelog in the entire country are located in Sapporo. Just Sapporo.

Of them, I have been to the best one in Hokkaido, #4 in the country. And here's what I have to say about it.

Now, before I begin, yes it's true: I did a vlog a while ago about Ramen in Sapporo. But good lord, did I know so little of the possibilities that existed. The shops I had visited before pale in comparison in all ways to these legendary ramen gossip machines that top the charts.

Sumire, Junren, Ramen Yoshi, Akaboshi, just to name a few. Restaurants that are packed, talked about through the word of mouth of individuals. Yes I am name dropping here. Ugh. But what about the top rated ramen shop in Hokkaido? Number Four in the country?

The NAME, is 麺 eiji. Noodle Infant. Bahahaha.

This tinsy tiny shop is located in the "Hiragishi" district of Sapporo, which is a good 20 minute train ride from the Sapporo Station.

Indeed, there ain't much goin' on here. But it's still fairly busy

There's one thing you notice as soon as you walk in though. Not the small size (about 8 seats), or how the shop was completely full just 10 minutes into service. Nope, none of those things.

Everything is pink. Everything. The counter wood is a light shade of pink, the walls, the seats. Everything is in a shade of pink. You'll have to mind my lame iphone camera though.

Even the chopstick holders and napkin boxes.

So... pink huh? I assume this is because the word "Eiji" can mean infant, though I really have no idea. Yes I translated it that way earlier, but the word "Eiji" on the sign is written in Roman characters, so the meaning is truly unknown. But the place is pink. Well... can't let that scare me. Off we go.

Like many Ramen shops, both popular and not, you order with a vending machine style device. Insert your money, push the appropriate button for the type of ramen you want, and a ticket comes out. You hand said ticket to the cooks, they make your food, and you're good to go. Slurp your noodles, enjoy your meal, and no tip or extra cash to pay.

I had trouble deciding. The top button says "most popular", and it was a seafood pork bone broth soup. Which by all means sounds totally delicious, but I love miso ramen far more. Still, it's hard to pass up a recommendation, so I stood in front of the machine playing it out in my head. Of course, because I am foreign, they assumed that my "staring at the ticket machine not buying" status meant I was illiterate. Sigh. That's another story entirely.

So I caved and purchased the recommendation. 850 yen. This is what came.

Omggggggg

There's a lot of good to say about this bowl of noodles. It comes with raw diced onions, long onions, hand made noodles, slow roasted pork, and that dark orange jelly like stuff, collagen. The broth is rich but not overly thick. The noodles are house hand made, which like any restaurant that sells noodles, is rare, and they are perfect, slightly eggy, just cooked right. The pork is tender, but not totally fall apart mushy like some, it's maintained it's texture. The raw onions are sharp, kind of a nice bite in comparison to the smooth mellow soup. It brings thoughts of gravy to be honest.

That dark collagen, which tastes like pork essence, slowly melts into the soup, making it even richer and delivering a crazy mouth feel.

In a word, it's a very very good bowl of noodles. I can easily see why it has the #1 spot.

But do I really think it's the best bowl of ramen in Hokkaido?

I'm not sure.

I mean, it's legitimately expensive. 850 for a bowl with no egg or extra meat is expensive. And this wasn't even the most expensive one on the menu, some dishes are more than 1000 yen. At places like Akaboshi, which is also a top 10 ramen joint, 500 yen gets you ramen, and for an extra 50 yen, special sliced roasted chicken on top. Egg is included in the 500 yen price.

But I guess my biggest nag is just the flavor. The most popular flavor isn't miso? Which was invented in Sapporo? This doesn't make sense to me! Why aren't people begging for Miso? Is their miso subpar or something?

The thing is it's actually a trend in ramen shops period. Quite a few of the top ramen shops sell a variation of this pork seafood broth as their main style. 

Which I don't totally like.

Some people just won't enjoy this result. It's very... 濃い. Rich. thick. Can't translate that word well, but that's what it is I say!

But I think it's worth checking out at least once.

New Vlog: Spicy cookies

Who in the world makes a cookie with such flavors as garlic and curry?


 
If embed isn't working click the link below to go directly to youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfXnxm31Kjw

Ishiya Shiroi Koibito online shop (In Japanese only)
https://www.ishiya-shop.jp/

There's CHOCOLATE in EVERYTHING!!

Yikes Mike, what are you exaggerating about now?

And ANOTHER food blog? Obsessed much?

Now that I've gotten the general criticism I'm bound to hear out of the way, let's dive right in to this morsel.

Japanese people love chocolate. I think this isn't really anything amazing as far as statements go; it seems just about everyone loves chocolate. Who could blame them? It's sweet, which is our favorite taste on the tongue*, it's rich and full of luscious fat, it smells awesome, and c'mon, chocolate TASTES good!  Do I even need to explain this? Bleh...

I like to think people in Japan tend to push the food envelope, perhaps paradoxically, in that they just make really weird ingredient combinations. Nothing seems terribly original about sticking two seemingly mismatched ideas or ingredients together, but making it WORK? Well... that's a different story.

I already covered the "chocolate covered cheeto" at this blog. That's a good example. I figured it was a fluke, because it actually kind of tasted good.

But chocolate in Japan is popular! And not just in chocolate bars y'all!

If anything some of the chocolate ideas I've seen have been frightening.

I will now provide two examples.

Introducing, chocolate instant ramen.

Mmmmmm, doubly richhhh

Basically, this is an instant ramen, miso flavored, that includes bits of chocolate, and a mini chocolate bar that you melt on top. A bit of research and you'll find that this ramen is actually based on one served a restaurant in Tokyo, who made it during the valentines season chocolate craze. The restaurant's website said it was made to appeal to women if I remember correctly.

Ah, Japanese men not being able to like chocolate, tsk tsk.

Honestly I didn't even this thing till stumbling into a convenience store, looking for a quick lazy lunch. 

Boy, did I find one!

The package says this is a combo of Ghana, a brand of chocolate bar here in Japan, and the Ramen restaurant. (Which isn't in Tokyo, so sorry, their miso just isn't up to snuff as is, but I digress). I always dig these company combos though.

Regardless... erm... how does chocolate mixed with miso ramen taste?

Erm... to be frank. Not bad. Miso in itself has a sweet component, and the richness builds on the protein salty heaviness of the broth.

It's still kind of gimmicky though.

Assuming you know Japanese, more thorough info can be found here: http://www.lotte.co.jp/news/news794.html

My second product is also fairly gimmicky.

Royce' (with the apostraphe, yes!) is a Chocolate company based here in Sapporo, they are devilishly famous for such goodies as chocolate covered potato chips and Nama Chocolate, or "Fresh Chocolate", which is so temperature sensitive and smooth you have to refrigerate it, lest it melt into chocolate goo.

Royce also makes, as you see in the above picture, a pre-made heat 'n' eat curry. They're a chocolate company, and they sell a curry. What do you think that means?

YES, it has chocolate in it (along with other hokkaido items like milk and cream). Any making it couldn't be easier!

Step one, remove pouch from box

Step two, heat pouch in boiling water (you can also pour out the curry and just nuke it)

Step 3, serve!

出来たぞ！

Looks good!

Does it taste like chocolate? Isn't chocolate and curry weird?

Well... it doesn't really taste like chocolate at all. Very faint, a bit of a cacao bitterness. Very rich though, which was expected

Why yes, those little pools of yellow cocoa butter fat are DELIGHTFUL.

I suppose chocolate and curry isn't that odd either. You can buy chili flavored chocolates, and even some curry powder seasoned chocolate bars from places like vosages, an exotic chocolate company in Chicago.

But I think it's just a tad bit audacious to just make curry with chocolate. Ramen and curry take some balls in my opinion.

Balls of steel.

You gotta admit, the Japanese make some weird, and at times, heroic food.

I just wish I were more... blown away.

-----------------------

Lame footnote, see asterisk

*biologically, sweet taste buds sense carbs, evolutionary advantage to seek sweet as brain is primary glucose user, can't function without carbohydrate. Will break down fat and muscle tissue to make carbohydrates blahblahblah I'll stop.

Okinawa in Reflection (Yes this post is also too long)

Why yes, I do realize that this is 2 weeks late.

Yes, I did get back home on the 19th, so I HAVE been putting it off.

Why though? Because I'm lazy? Well naturally yes, but perhaps more importantly, Okinawa is hard to define and blog about.

To write an entry about this place wouldn't do it justice. And I don't say that because Okinawa is some amazing magical Japanese wonderland where Unicorns poop rainbows, but more because the place is... different.

On mass scale.

For one. Okinawa is a VARIETY of islands. To say I've gone "there" is in itself fairly audacious, because the sheer number of islands are all different. You have islands like "Okinawa Island", which includes Naha, the capital of the prefecture, as well as a fairly large city of around 700,000 people, but then conversely, the "Yaeyama Islands", which are something like 90-95% uninhabited forests with no real cities at all.

I know this is a running theme in my blogs, but a country's "culture" as an idea is one that is hard to define. Okinawa has been blessed with a history that is somewhat separate from Japan, which gives it a variety of characteristics that are otherwise rare in Japanese culture.

But it's still Japan!

How are we getting away with saying "this is how all Japanese people act"?

As an example of differences, first thing I noticed right off the bat.

Buildings have COLOR. Pinks and greens and yellows and reds, Naha is less than inspiring in terms of size or even cleanliness, but some of the buildings in Okinawa just have the most audaciously bright colors I've ever seen.

A Bright Blue with Pink Driving School in Itoman Okinawa

Random house with bright blue and red accents

This sort of stuff seems arbitrary at first, but to me it's striking. Places are just more vibrant.You don't see color like this really anywhere, let alone in Japan. And these shots are all on Okinawa Island, the most touristy spot of them all.

It's quite touristy alright. And at times very grimy and dirty. But everyone knows you have to go elsewhere to see even a glimpse of what this place is like.

Naturally of course, Ryukyu cultural influence is a large part of what Okinawa was today. These islands weren't always Japanese, after all, in fact Japanese involvement with Okinawa is (I believe) only around 400 years. The people of the Ryukyu culture left behind many interesting sights such as castles and temples, which in all honesty, look nothing like anything else found in Japan.

Ryukyu King's hide-away near Castle in Naha

Shrine on Kumejima Island.

So the architecture stems out into quite a variety not really noticed on the main-land. Naturally the differences don't end there.

Nature in Japan has, to be honest, always been awe inspiring. Some of the parks that I've seen here take extreme detail in terms of showcasing the beauty of nature. Okinawa is no exception to this framework, yes, but there are characteristics that seem different.

For instance, a lot of the roads and areas just have lush plantlife sprouting up all over the place.

Sometimes it's almost TOO much.

Furthermore, Okinawa's Peace Memorial Park, dedicated to those who fell in the Battle of Okinawa (including foreigners), is absolutely stunning.

Incredible flowers.

Extremely Scenic

Very spacious and open

Just off the coast, atop a large hill near memorial graves

The area around the Park. There are wind farms around here.

The park, mind you, is located on a spot where tens of thousands of Okinawans committed suicide to avoid imprisonment and or slaughter, as directed by the Japanese government. The beauty of the place then, is rather humbling.

This sense of old world naturalism, stone, ivy, is further implimented as you go out to smaller islands. Consider Kumejima, which I went to and stayed overnight. I think the following image summarizes the island well.

Small clusters of towns surrounded by dense jungle like nature and beaches. Very picture esque. Also very different from Naha, with its big city layout, large arcades and shopping areas. Even Okinawa has separate cultures within itself.

As well, Okinawa has quite a bit of American influence due to the bases located on the main island.

This very American, 1970s diner like "West ward Sightseeing Drive In Restaurant" is located just outside of the park. Notice the crazy crumbled sign. The menue clarifies on it's American influence

It's hard to see, but steak sandwiches and eggs are included on the menu. (Steak sandwich was tasty by the way)

Other forms of American influence CERTAINLY include food.

(Oh god I will try not to talk about food too much, an entire blog about okinanwan food is here)

Many American fast food restaurants not found in Japan can be found in Okinawa.

That's an ad for A&W in Japan.

Food in general tends to skew from the Japanese norm. Sushi isn't very popular here, since sashimi quality fish isn't found off most sub tropical climates (so I've heard), instead a mixture of tropical foodstuffs and chinese/japanese cooking techniques. Unique ingredients like bitter melon, fruits, SPAM even. Pork is immensely popular in Okinawa; I think it was in each one of my meals in some manner or the other. Taco Rice, a combo of taco seasoned beef, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, over rice, is also popular. Remember that this food is certainly influenced by American military occupation. Soldiers get HUNGRY!

Okinawan Soba is not really soba, more like ramen and udon combined. Pickled ginger, slow cooked pork belly and sparerib, seafood broth.

THAT PORK WAS TASTY!! With mango Juice fyi.

Okinawa is just... different. Even the islands are different from one another!

It's beautiful, and horrifylingly touristy. And was a lovely time. I'll miss it.

Especially AFRO NEST UGH YOU KINGS OF FOOD AND DRINK!

Toodles, more on my life... later. This post is long enough. I'm sure I didn't cover enough about Okinawa, but still, I think this captures a few glimpses.