Hakodate Shio Rāmen Goryōkaku

this place had been on my list since our last trip to tokyo but we finally made it! we arrived just before noon and were sat within 20 mins. as a note, the line outside is split in two when it’s long so check around the corner. food was delicious in its simplicity. you also get so much chashu! lovely owners and a very cute shop.

We ended up here because another Ramen stop nearby had a long wait and there were only a few people ahead of us here. I’m so glad that happened because this was not only one of my favorite ramens in Japan, but on of my favorite meals. The owners are incredibly nice Ana the Ramen was element and light, but still had a beautiful depth of flavor. I’d go out of t way to come back here!

The pleasantness of shio ramen coupled with the seafood taste of Hokkaido…very nice Soup: kombu, shio, probably hotate - umami packed and so comforting to drink Noodles: thin straight, pairs well Toppings: probably the weakest point, the menma felt cheap and the char siu was kind of dry, but don’t let that discourage you, this place is all about soup and noodles.

Pictured is the 塩らーめん + とろろ昆布 / shio ramen + tororo kombu. (ig @wei.oframen for my ramen log 😳) I'm glad I made a stop at Hakodate earlier during this trip to Japan so I have something to compare this bowl with. This light shio broth still packed a bunch of flavors. I really love the subtle squid notes every slurp. I feel like it's a touch more refined than what you would find in Hakodate, but given the higher price point in Tokyo, ig it's expected. I ordered the extra tororo kombu as the toppings because I saw pretty much everyone does it on social media lol. I like it but the slimy texture once it soaked up the broth can be intimidating to some.

Really small ramen place that only sells one specialized Hakodate shio ramen. Even though small and it sits only 7 customers at full capacity, you don’t feel claustrophobic or tight at your seat. The owners are really nice and the chef speaks English. English menu is available as well. The ramen costs only 750 yen that comes with noodles, bamboo shoots, garnishes, and two slices of charsiew (roasted pork slice). You can pay more for additional toppings. I added a soft boiled egg at 100 yen. The soup is simple and yet tastes great. Noodles are cooked at the right firmness and the charsiew is amazing. Order at your seat and you pay after the meal at your seat as well.

The soup was amazing, light, but flavorful. I rarely finish the soup these days. But here is one of the exceptions.

Very good and delicate bowl. The soup is light but complex and deep in umami. The egg is fantastic; the noodles very smooth. It's not flashy but very good.

Serves Shio Ramen 🍜 while admittedly not my favorite it has a nice mild taste. The people working there (owners?) are kind and speak some English. There's also an English menu available.