Miso ramen shop Shingen is a Sapporo favorite, loved by both locals and tourists. Their signature dish is a mellow white miso ramen. Having had this ramen in person, I was excited to try their official premium instant ramen. How does it stack up? Let's find out! White Miso Ramen in Snowy Sapporo Shingen has two main locations. The flagship shop is in Ishikari City, right above Sapporo. The Sapporo City shop is much easier to get to. Furthermore, they carry English menus at the Sapporo location. The inside is small and unassuming, with an L-shaped counter for customers. It's the perfect ramen ..read more

Instant Miso Ramen - consider these 5 the very best from Japan! From a unique miso ramen with milk and curry to a spicy miso ramen from the North, these are the cream of the crop. 1. Red Ball Spicy Miso Ramen - Akayu Yamagata in Northern Japan is known for its snowy winters and picturesque hot springs. But they're also known for tasty ramen. In fact, Yamagata boasts 5 different ramen styles. One of these styles is a spicy miso ramen that hails from the city of Akayu. All of its wonderful traits are found in this official instant version. This includes a rich soup and toppings like green laver ..read more

In terms of ramen etiquette, the ramen world is relatively laid-back. But if you do these 7 things, you'll convey a deeper understanding of Japan and its wonderful ramen culture. Furthermore, you'll better enjoy your ramen and properly blend in like a local! 1. Start with the Soup This is more a recommendation than a requirement. Many Japan ramen shops dedicate a crazy amount of time to making the soup. Therefore, it's best to enjoy the soup by itself first (before the noodles). They'll give you a renge (deeper soup spoon) for that initial sip. In addition, you're welcome to drink straight f ..read more

Michelin Star Instant Ramen - yes, there's technically such a thing. As one would expect, it's nothing short of amazing. Consider this an in-depth review of the world's only Michelin Star Instant Ramen! The Michelin Star - Some Background Nakiryu is only one of two Tokyo ramen shops that can boast having a Michelin star. Nakiryu serves several styles of ramen, including shoyu (soy sauce) and shio (salt) ramen. But it's their spicy tantamen that's garnered the most attention. This is for good reason. Their Tokyo style tantanmen is complex and deliciously layered. The flavor pendulum constantly ..read more

The Tokyo Ramen scene is a deep one...there are literally thousands of shops to choose from! But we've sifted through them to deliver you this Best 10 Tokyo ramen shop list. Furthermore, each of the 10 shops below are known for different ramen styles. We're covering everything from rich miso ramen to Michelin star spicy tantanmen. Let's get to it! 1. Classic Shoyu Ramen at Harukiya To start things off, we're zooming in on classic shoyu (soy sauce) ramen. In 1910, the first ever ramen shop served this style. While they're no longer around, Harukiya (春木屋) is. They opened in 1949 and are still g ..read more

Yukikaze is one of Sapporo's top miso ramen shops. They're celebrated for their thick and rich miso ramen. But how does their official instant ramen stack up? Yukikaze - Some Background Ramen shop Menya Yukikaze (麺屋雪風) is in Sapporo, Hokkaido. They're smack in the middle of Susukino, the city's largest and most popular nightlife district. It's no surprise that they're open late (until 3 am, except on Sundays). Yukikaze's award-winning miso ramen feature a thick and rich soup. Does the instant version do it justice? Let's find out! Yukikaze - Instant Miso Ramen Instant ramen heavyweight Nissin ..read more

Gluten Free Instant Ramen - there aren't a whole lot of options out there. Furthermore, the ones that exist aren't very good. Nor are they authentic. Amid this backdrop, Japanese company Kobayashi Seimen has risen to the challenge. Their gluten free instant ramen includes three tasty flavors - miso, shoyu and tonktosu. These three are also MGS free! Gluten Free Instant Ramen - Breakdown of the Three This "Gluten Free Meister" product is sold as the packet style of instant ramen. In other words, the packets include soup and noodles (no toppings). Let's see what the three flavors are all about ..read more

Ichiran Ramen is often towards the top of a tourist's "Japan things to do" list. But is this famous pork bone ramen chain a tourist trap? Let's weigh in! Ichiran Ramen - A Little Background Like a lot of pork bone (tonkotsu) ramen heavyweights, Ichiran hails from Fukuoka City, Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. It got it start as a humble food stall in the 1960s. Fast forward to present day - Ichiran has 80 restaurants worldwide and is one of the most recognized ramen brands out there. Their massive flagship tower in Fukuoka is a testament to this success. But let's dive right in. Is Ichiran Ramen a ..read more

Rounding up Japan's Best Instant Ramen isn't easy. There's PLENTY to choose from, whether it's the ramen style or the company producing it. Even as someone who grew up in Japan and has eaten A TON of instant ramen, it was tough coming up with this top 5. But here it is! From deliciously spicy ramen from a Michelin star ramen shop...to silky smooth pork bone ramen, we've got you covered! All instant ramen on this list are the "premium", fancier bowl-shaped ones. 1. Hakodate Shio Ramen - Uniquely Fluffy Topping We're starting off with a clear, salt-seasoned (shio) ramen from company Yamadai. Ev ..read more