狼スープ (Okami Soup in Sapporo, Hokkaido)

味噌ラーメン専門店 狼スープ



Check any rankings of miso ramen in Sapporo and you will find Okami Soup; Wolf Soup.



As expected, the walls, and even the ceiling, are covered with autographs of celebrities, both local and national, who have slurped this bowl.



This solid bowl. Okami Soup has been compared to mega-famous Hokkaido miso shop Junren, and I can see the similarities. But, for me at least, Okami takes the cake. The soup has a bit more kick to it, and relies less on a heavy amount of ginger for the impact. I am in the minority for my blase feelings toward Junren, but if my feelings about Okami are any indication, then a fan of the former will be a huge fan of the later.



Official Site Here





北海道札幌市中央区南11条西1-5-1
Hokkaido, Sapporo-shi, Chuo-ku, Minami 11, Nishi 1-5-1
Closest station: Nakajimakoendori

Open 11:00-17:00
Weekends until 20:30
Closed Wednesdays

味の大王 (Ajinodaio in Muroran, Hokkaido)

味の大王



We finished work in Muroran with about 30 minutes to make our train. Is this enough time to hit up the original Muroran curry ramen shop? I gotta try! チャンス!!



Remember, this is Hokkaido, and Hokkaido runs on Hokkaido-time. The elderly chef took his time, even stopping for a few minutes to chat with a family that wandered in. He had obviously known them many years ago, as the conversation was focused mainly on how big the daughter, now a college student, had become.

The soup is made in small batches. Four bowls at a time. The wok is thoroughly cleaned, and the prep starts again. There were at least eight people ahead of my order. If I missed this train, it was more than two hours until the next one. Hokkaido-style.



But sometimes you need to slow down. Not everything is a rush-hour frenzy to get in and out in record time. Here is a shop, where old friends come for a nostalgic meal, and everyone has a grin, and everything is right with the world.

I'm sure as hell not going to upset this balance by encouraging the chef to pick up his pace.



The ramen was good, surprisingly so. Just enough homemade curry paste mixed with the thick soup. Nothing as epic as Sapporo miso, but I have to give it to Muroran and their 4th Hokkaido style.

Slurping at maximum speed, trying not to splash the potent curry soup on my clean shirt, I finished the last of the noodles, and drank as much of that amazing curry as possible. Then I ran.



Time to spare!



A successful ramen adventure indeed!



I should note that this isn't the original Ajinodaio, which is located near Muroran Station proper.



北海道室蘭市中島町3-25-9
Hokkaido, Muroran-shi, Nakajimacho 3-25-9
Closest station: Higashi Muroran

Open 11:00-20:40
Closed Tuesdays

富士ラーメン (Fuji in Muroran, Hokkaido)

富士ラーメン



Muroran is an oft overlooked city in Hokkaido, just south of Sapporo. Formerly a bustling port, it is now one of Japans many cities that are falling by the wayside. But, like many random corners of Japan, Muroran has a history of ramen.



Created in 1965 by the shop Ajinodaio, the curry ramen here reflects the naval connections of the port city. Many ports in Japan boast some sort of curry, as curry was a sailor's staple. And though the curry ramen in Muroran has withstood the test of time, it remained unknown to the rest of Japan until, in 2006, a large PR campaign was launched. The muroran kare ramen no kai, Muroran curry ramen group, set out to educate the country on Hokkaido's 4th ramen (after Sapporo miso, Asahikawa shoyu, and Hakodate shio).



Half real thing and half marketing, this led to too many curry ramen shops. I tried to go to the original, but they had run out of soup for the day. The next closest place to my hotel was Fuji Ramen.



Located in the middle of the red light district (another hobby of sailors worldwide) you'll find a few sushi shops and this curry ramen.

Nothing too special, as expected. Definitely not a bowl that would sell you on an entire style.

In Hokkaido ramenya style, Fuji Ramen serves plenty of other options. You aren't stuck with the curry; shoyu, shio, and miso are all there.





北海道室蘭市中島町1-15-20
Hokkaido, Muroran-shi, Nakajimacho 1-15-20
Closest station: Muroran

Open 19:00-3:00am
Closed Sundays