The Legend of Sapporo Ramen

Chicago has hot dogs. New York has pizza. Philly has the cheesesteak. And Sapporo has ramen. Well, maybe that’s not a perfect analogy; Sapporo is only one of numerous locales in Japan famous for region-specific ramen. However, as anyone who’s munched on a Chicago-style deep-dish pie will surely tell you, all pizzas are not created equal.

I’m going to go ahead and assume that anyone reading this blog is already familiar with the concept of ramen but if you think I’m talking about those instant noodles you lived off of in college, do us all a favor and educate yourself (actually, Juzo Itami’s Tampopo would be a much more fun introduction but it’s sadly out of print-Netflix it if you can). Anyhow, Sapporo is famous for a few varieties of ramen but the most well known is probably their take on miso ramen; armed with an extra spicy, oily broth, it’s just about the only thing that can combat the harsh Hokkaido winter.

My first encounter with Sapporo-style miso ramen was at a joint in Misawa near Ryan’s house and ever since then, I had been longing to try the real deal. So it should come as no surprise that we hit up a number of joints over the course of our three days in Sapporo.

Here we see the first bowl of Sapporo miso ramen that I partook in, from a small ramenya (ramen shop) next to the Hundred Beer Bar. While it was surely a good bowl and a little spicier than the Sapporo-style ramen I had in Misawa, it wasn’t really the life-changing experience I had been anticipating. Next!
While exploring the Esta building next to Sapporo station, Greg somehow convinced Leo and myself to join him for a bowl at their 10th floor ramen complex. While it featured eight separate ramenya set in a fake promenade, the place seemed a little too tacky to actually be any good. Oh, how wrong I was. The bowl of miso ramen you see above was, without hyperbole, the best bowl of ramen I have ever had. It was also the only genuinely spicy food I have had thus far in Japan. The minute it was set in front of me, I foolishly downed a spoonful only to be propelled into a fit of coughing. At times I almost felt like I was struggling with the broth but I’ll be damned if I didn’t enjoy every minute of it.
Of course, no discussion of Sapporo ramen could be complete without mention of ramen alley (ramen yokocho). Since the 1970s, this narrow alleyway crammed to the gills with ramenya has served as the central locus of Sapporo ramen culture.
Here’s the joint Leo and I chose-the interior is pretty typical of a ramenya, in case you’ve never been. Customers sit at stools in front of the counter space that forms a perimeter around the preparation area. As ramen is fast food, this arrangement is designed to maximize both space and efficiency.
We were told to try the seafood ramen and that’s what we did. I have to say though, despite all the hype, ramen alley didn’t really live up to its reputation in my opinion. Sure, this bowl of ramen cost the equivalent of $15 USD (about double the normal price) and was topped with a virtual coral reef’s worth of seafood but the key element-the broth-was somewhat bland and left a lot to be desired. Just goes to show that you don’t always get what you pay for.