まゆみの店 (Mayumi's in Suzaki)

鍋焼きラーメン まゆみの店

I may be obsessed with the stuff, but when I saw a sign for nabe-yaki ramen at a generic tourist stop I was stumped.

This shop. sitting above a local bank/gift shop, sold everything from hamburgers to fried rice. I was running late to my campsite, but my ramen research led me to discover that this area, Suzaki, created it's own style of ramen. My research also led me to a better looking shop.

That's Mayumi, a nice lady from the countryside who has been serving up nabe-yaki for some time now. By the way, nabe is a clay pot, usually reserved for stews. The earthen ware is heated, and the ramen served inside. Mind your fingers... is something almost no one does, and shouts of itai can be heard. Ouch!

Followed by sighs of umai. It's delicious.

Very similar to it's neighbor, Tokushima ramen, Suzaki ramen differs with the noodles and toppings. The noodles are cooked very firm, and will continue to cook inside the hot pot. The egg, too, will cook. Quick decisions need to be made. I dipped my noodles in the egg Tokushima style, then ate the egg white hard. Good stuff!

I was a bit shocked to see that this sleepy seaside town has it's own ramen map with over 30 shops serving nabe-yaki ramen. It made me realize that the adventure will never be over.

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高知県須崎市栄町10-14
Kochi-ken, Suzaki-shi, Sakaemachi 10-14
Nearest station: Tosashinjo

Open 11:00-21:00
Closed Thursdays

いのたに (Inotani in Tokushima)

中華そば いのたに

Tokushima ramen. And this is the shop that started it all.

Tokushima is located on the eastern coast of Shikoku. From a food point, the island is most noted for it's udon, mikan oranges, and katsuo tuna. All of which are excellent.

Inotani decided to break ground though, and now there are countless Tokushima-style ramen shops around the prefecture. But make no argument, this is the spot where it all started.

Very crowded. Nearby is both a ferry port and a bridge connecting Shikoku to the mainland, so this shop is a bit of a destination for people visiting. The parking lot in front was filled with motorcycle riders. My kind of place.

What constitutes Tokushima ramen? It's a deep shoyu soup topped with fried pork and a raw egg. A lot of hot oil on top keeps everything piping.

Dip the noodles into the raw egg and forget all about oranges and fish.

U-what now?

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徳島県徳島市西大工町4-25
Tokushima-ken, Tokushima-shi, Nishidaikumachi 4-25
Nearest station: Tokushima

Open 10:30-17:00
Closed Mondays

吹田ラーメン (Suita Expressway Stop Ramen)

吹田ラーメン

Golden Week is a special time of year in Japan. Special because it's one of the 3 big holiday weeks. Along with Obon and New Years, this is when people get to take a holiday. I am no exception, and I took a 10 day trip to the island of Shikoku. Although my trip was dedicated to the Daishi, I made sure to make time for the dashi.

If you get that reference, leave a comment. Otherwise read on to hear about some mediocre highway rest stop ramen.

I'm not aware of the Suita area having it's own style of ramen. I'm not even sure where Suita was, no that I am back from my trip. Somewhere near Osaka.

Shoyu that served it's purpose, to fill me up.

Japan's highway system is scattered with parking areas. Since you cannot get on and off the highways without paying the extortion-like tolls, people need a convenient place to eat. These road stops often boast a lot of local flavors, making a cross country trek a bit of a gourmet adventure. But I have yet to have a really good bowl. Preliminary research shows nothing. But I'll keep riding, and I'll keep eating.