Steph C.
Yelp
I was determined to get some good ramen in Sapporo, so I made my way to Ganso Ramen Yokocho with my mother and cousin on a frosty Wednesday night at the end of January. This Ramen Yokocho, or Ramen Alley, was exactly what it sounded like, an alley full of ramen shops a short walk from Susukino Station. It was easy to spot, with a bright, colorful sign at its entrance.
The alley was short, but there were almost twenty individual shops in there, most of them tiny and crowded with people. I would've found the number of choices overwhelming, but we'd come with a recommendation for Shimijimi and its clam ramen. That place was full, so we ended up waiting outside, in the alley, surrounded by the rest of the restaurants. It was actually a cute, pleasant place to wait despite the cold, the whole alley crowded with signs and menus and the general glorification of all things ramen.
Shimijimi was phenomenally good. I don't know if it was really the best one or if every shop here is on the same level (there isn't much online about Shimijimi). If I lived in Sapporo, I'd make a point of finding out through rigorous research. I'm a little sad I was only able to try this one spot.