箱根大観らーめん (Hakone Taikan Ramen at the Toyo Tires Turnpike)

箱根大観らーめん



First bowl of 2014. And what a stinker!



But tradition dictates that on January 1st, we ride. The route is usually up the Hakone turnpike. When the sky is clear, the views of Mt. Fuji and the ocean are spectacular. And though it is cold, it is always a great way to start the year with some friends.

And though the ramen was bad, the latte at the cafe was good, and the my friend's "Mt Fuji curry", though it looked like something left outside overnight, was pretty tasty.



From Odawara, next to the sea, you pay a 500 yen toll and ride one of the best roads in the area. About 1000 meters elevation gain. Here's a random video I found on YouTube:



But unlike that video, the recent cold left quite a bit of snow on the sides of the road, slowly melting, and giving a chance of black ice on the curves. So while sport bikes can really fly up this hill, today was a cautious ride.



Oh, man was this one bad. It tasted like it came from a can!



Upon further inspection, it totally did! Wow, I've never seen industrial sized cans of concentrated ramen soup before, in all my years of ramen hunting.



New Years resolution: no more bad ramen! Stay tuned, my next couple reviews break that tradition pretty quickly!



Thank you as always to everyone I ride with. Another New Years resolution is to kick the Ramen Riders into full swing, with some great riding and great eating.



And even an official logo! Free stickers to the first person who can identify where I stole this logo idea from!



Official Site of the Toyo Tires turnpike



神奈川県足柄下郡湯河原町鍛冶屋955
Kanagawa-ken, Ashigarashimogun, Yugawaramachi, Kajiya 955
Closest station: No way

Open ??