Ramen is quite simply Japan's premiere fast food. It is something of a national obsession. Yearly guides to the best ramen-ya are published in all of Japan's major regions. Famous ramen-ya are promoted in tourist brochures right next to cultural and historic landmarks. Outside these local legends, crowds gather at lunch and dinnertime, willing to line up regardless of the weather, sometimes for as long as an hour. Ramen stadiums, featuring five to ten ramen-ya from all over the country, are a common feature on the upper floors of department stores.
The basic dish is noodles in soup, with condiments like grilled pork, bean sprouts, leek, and bamboo shoots — but the variety of flavours found in this simple dish are endless. Many restaurants, izakayas, karaoke halls, and amusement parks serve ramen, but the best ramen is found in speciality ramen-ya. These are usually small, with 10 to 20 seats at a bar and three or four tables. Their menus are sparse: ramen, fried rice (chahan, yakimeshi), Chinese dumplings (gyoza), and beer. Ramen-ya are casual places where you can sit down, order, eat, and leave within fifteen to twenty minutes, and for under 1000 yen.
Diner vs. boutique style
There are two styles of ramen-ya. Diner-style places tend to have plastic or formica tables, metal stools, and bright lighting. They are often quite old, cheap (400 to 600 yen), and have small menus. Boutique-style ramen-ya are newer — natural wood decor, atmospheric lighting, more menu options, and prices in the 700 to 1200 yen range. A key point: the quality of the soup has nothing to do with the price. Soup is cheap to make in quantity, and its quality depends entirely on the skill of its maker. The higher cost at boutique places usually reflects better toppings, particularly the chashu.
Ordering
Many ramen-ya have a ticket vending machine near the front door. Buy a ticket, then hand it to your server once you sit down. The buttons are always in Japanese, but if you can read hiragana and katakana you should manage. Upper rows are the different kinds of ramen. Rows are often sorted by soup type, columns by topping type. Simpler, cheaper items on the left, more elaborate on the right. Anything under 400 yen is an additional topping, side dish, or drink.
How to eat it
Ramen is eaten with chopsticks and a Chinese-style spoon. Use the chopsticks to pick up noodles and toppings, and the spoon to drink the soup. If no spoon is provided, just pick up the bowl and drink from it. The Japanese slurp their noodles quite loudly — it is something of a challenge to eat ramen with chopsticks and not slurp at least a little. After finishing the noodles and condiments, feel free to drink the remaining soup from the bowl.
Soup types
Shoyu — A dark, relatively clear soup coloured by soy sauce. Often made from fish stock. The flavour can range from strongly fishy to mild and salty to slightly sweet and tangy. Shoyu ramen is the main style in the Tokyo area and the default at non-specialty restaurants.
Shio — A thin, light soup with a slightly salty flavour, often made with pork but not enough to make it thick or cloudy. Shio ramen relies more on the condiments. Tanmen, featuring stir-fried vegetables, is often served with a shio-style soup. Hakodate on Hokkaido is known for its shio ramen.
Miso — A cloudy, salty, strong soup deriving much of its flavour from fermented soy paste. The flavour varies dramatically depending on the type of miso used and the stock it goes into. Often served with a heavy dose of vegetables. Sapporo on Hokkaido is famous for its miso ramen.
Tonkotsu — A thick, cloudy soup made with a heavy dose of pork. The colour ranges from pale white to dark brown. Fish, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, or chicken can be added depending on the region and shop. Usually the richest and heaviest style. Fukuoka is famous for its Hakata Ramen, a pale tonkotsu served with thin egg noodles.
Noodles
Two main types: yellow egg noodles (thin, firm, slightly curly) and white flour noodles (soft and wide). Egg noodles were traditionally more common — the type found in dried ramen packages — but flour noodles have been gaining popularity.
Common toppings
- Chashu — Slices of grilled pork, ramen's luxury topping. The most expensive item at most ramen-ya is the Chashu Ramen with four or five slices.
- Menma — Soft brown bamboo shoots, one of the most common toppings.
- Moyashi — Bean sprouts, either stir-fried or blanched.
- Negi — Japanese leek, usually cut very fine, served raw or fried.
- Nori — Squares of dried seaweed placed in the soup just before serving.
- Naruto — White fish cake with a red spiral pattern, served in thin slices.
- Tamago — Hard-boiled egg.
- Corn — Boiled separately and added before serving. Bataa-kon Ramen (butter corn) is common in Sapporo-style places.
- Cabbage — Chopped and stir-fried, or shredded into the soup. Common in tanmen and miso ramen.