As a Japanese American noodles and specifically ramen have been a part of my cultural upbringing, though born and raised in the States my passion for ramen began during a year (1979?) stint in Kyoto. My mother intentionally based ourselves in an old Kyoto neighborhood to take advantage of the rapidly closing window to experience and live in Old Japan. Sure there were vending machines and vehicular traffic, but the roads were tight and the houses old. No hot water, no doors (just sliding panels/shoji), no heat/ac and the bathrooms were located down an external/exposed hall that wrapped the garden (imagine going at night, in the winter, bedroom on the 2nd floor).
Many daily necessities would be obtained via carts that were either pulled by hand or bicycle. During the day vegetables, fish, tofu, etc. and at nights ramen. This was a special treat, for one I would have to be awake at 10-11p, so the entire process was enthralling. Waiting for the sound of the chime/bell ringing in the street, walking outside w/your money and bowl, seeing the ramen cart wheeling along, it’s steam trail lighted by a paper lantern with katana characters spelling ‘ramen’. The ramen was made right there, noodles into a pot of boiling water, soup into your bowl and toppings from small stainless steel containers. I imagine that I would not consider the ramen ‘good’ today…but at that time it certainly cemented the fact that ‘Top Ramen’ (and Cup O’ Noodles which I consumed almost daily in my youth) were a farcical representation of the real thing.
After college I spent 2+ years living in Japan, where ramen could be classified as a QSR (Quick Serve Restaurant aka Fast Food). It’s ubiquitous, cheap, generally fast (once you get a seat) and need I say, done properly delicious. *Though on the flip side vs. QSRs ramen is made from scratch with fresh, usually ‘whole’ ingredients, is highly varied from shop to shop and region to region and provides the same health benefits attached to Chicken Noodle Soup .* So while in Japan I began to make a concerted effort to visit ramen shops whenever the situation presented itself, as well as make some special trips to sample highly recommended shops. My two favorites/staples were Kin-Ryu in Osaka (which is no longer top-notch) and Kitakata Ramen in Yokaichi were I lived (it’s a chain around the Kansai region, though menu is slightly different among shops).
Kin-Ryu for their soyu ramen (only choice is toppings) and the fact that they had bowls of great Kimchee that you could add to your heart’s content (so maybe it was for their Kimchee Ramen?). Kitakata for their Negi Ramen (negi=green onions), their noodles were always good (firmness, taste) their broth very light in color, taste and fattiness, but the star was the way it all worked with ‘ra-yu’ oil (Chinese hot oil ‘lao yu’?) marinated long onion slices. These were shredded into fresh, crispy strips and heaped on top. This is a technique/topping that I have not encountered since.
Upon returning to the States (1998) I found that I was far more sensitive to the lack of quality ramen then ever before. For years I would relay the state of ramen in the US to friends as such: Pizza is everywhere in Japan, just like the States. You even have Dominos, Pizza Hut, etc. in every large city/neighborhood/mall. BUT like ramen in the US, no matter what/where I had pizza in Japan it just tasted….funny (and this isn’t even w/mayo, fish flakes and tuna as toppings). In the US for years no matter where I ate ramen it just tasted different, inauthentic…
Luckily this is beginning to change. Today in many cities ramen shops are popping up and getting noticed by the mainstream, some of the longest waits in NYC are endured at ramen shops such as Totto and chains like Boom and Wagamama are becoming mall anchors. It is at a point that when travelling one can generally be satisfied and at times rewarded for seeking ramen shops in many major cities.
So…if you’ve made it this far, this is a long-winded way of saying that the Ramen Ranger is place where I’ll write my personal thoughts/reviews of ramen shops that I have a chance to visit. I am based in Seattle so there is definitely a lot more for PacNW’s or folks coming to visit our lovely area than other cities…but I’m hoping folks that encounter this might suggest worthy shops too.
Tags: japanese, japanese food, japapnese restaurants, noodles, ramen, restaurant
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