Hokkaido is best known for its national parks, ski resorts and onsen (hot spring resorts). The largest Japanese prefecture is not only famous for jaw-dropping views, but also boasts a range of incredible local produce. From beer to potato, corn, dairy products and seafood, traveller can expect to see many shops around every corner selling food made with local produce.
One thing that travellers should not miss when they are in Hokkaido is the Butter Corn Ramen.
For those who have been to Sapporo (or are planning to visit Sapporo), you would probably have heard of Ramen Yokocho before. I initially planned to try the ramen there as well but according to a few locals, Ramen Yokocho is over-rated and locals do not usually eat there. They recommended my friends and I to visit Keyaki Ramen instead.
If you are a ramen-lover and you want to try both , fret not as both ramen shops are located in the same area – known as Susukino 🙂
Housed in a tiny shop along the bustling Susukino district, Keyaki Ramen prides itself in serving only miso-based Ramen. Like the usual Ramen shops in Japan, you have to use the vending machine to buy your ramen.
Never used the vending machine before? Here are 5 simple steps to buy your food from the vending machine:
- Insert your money
- Select the ramen that you want (there are 6 types for you to choose from)
- Select the topping for your ramen (egg, Char Siu, butter, corn etc)
- Get your change and ticket
- Pass the ticket to the staff
A 15-minute wait is the norm here as the soup is individually made by the chef, so be patient! 🙂
Don’t forget to add butter and corn to your ramen as it’s the specialty here in Hokkaido! I would assume that most of the ingredients (at least the corn and butter) are sourced locally!! 🙂
The garlic ramen features curly and thin noodles in a bowl of hot miso soup – made from three different miso pastes (light wheat miso, a well-fermented miso and rich brown rice malt miso), a blend of pork, pork fat and chicken shimmered for more than 10 hours. The dish is then topped with a generous serving of fried garlic and vegetables for added crunchiness.
I personally quite like Keyaki Ramen as it does not have that strong pork broth taste. But if you prefer your ramen to have that strong flavor then maybe Keyaki Ramen is not for you – although I will still highly recommend you to try it when you are in Sapporo! 🙂 It is definitely not your usual ramen 😀
Keyaki Ramen
Address: 3 Minami 6 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo,
Hokkaido, 064-0806, Japan
Opening hours: 10.30AM - 04.00AM (Everyday)
Click here to visit its website