梅花亭 (Baikatei in Shiga Prefecture)

梅花亭

Baikatei is one of Shiga Prefecture's most celebrated shops. If you narrow your search down to Nagahama on the east side of Lake Biwa, this is the one to hit. I went for the sake kasu ramen (酒かすのらーめん) as recommended by the staff, but found out later they are better known for their snapper dashi ramen (天然鯛だしそば). I can assure you the one I ate was excellent.

Baikatei is a consistent winner on both Tabelog and Ramen Walker's annual grand prix. 

Very, very good. I am a sucker for well-made sake kasu ramen, as the number of places using it as an ingredient can fit on one hand.

The shop's teppan fried rice looked good, so I found room in my extra stomach for an order. Basically, you "cook" the egg yourself. Gyoza, homemade karaage fried chicken, a few kinds of rice bowls, even anindofu dessert are all on the menu. 

Though the shop feels ancient, it has only been open since 2008.

And though I am obviously a fan of this one, I have to warn you that it is kind of a pain to get to. Lake Biwa is cool and all, but it's over an hour to Kyoto and over an hour to Nagoya, making this shop a positive pain for non-locals.

ピラニアラーメン (Piranha Ramen at Ninja Cafe in Asakusa)

ピラニアラーメン

Yes, this is ramen made from Piranha.

I made a YouTube video here with thoughts of it going viral. That didn't happen.

I try not to be too negative about ramen I eat. Something that isn't the best for me is often someone else's favorite bowl on the planet. I tend to be a bit of a noodle nerd, but I realize that many people are fine with overcooked, soggy 麺. But this one was really bad. I definitely don't want to be labeled as a critic, telling men and women who devoted their lives to cuisine how to do their job, but this was awful.

I am convinced that they made some error. We were some of the first customers of the day, as I lined up thinking this would be much more popular than it was. There were a few press there before the general public, so I know we weren't the first to eat it.

All good, though. I hope they at least broke even on this Pirahna endeavor.

Official site here.

杭州飯店 (Koshu Hanten in Niigata)

杭州飯店

Koshu Hanten is a full-on legend shop. One of the founders of Niigata-style seabura ramen. Seabura (背脂) is pork back fat, and the stuff covers bowls in this massive prefecture. I've heard that the hard-working rice farmers of this part of Japan needed something to give them the energy for long days in the fields. Whether that is true or myth, you'll find a lot of pork fat in Niigata.

Koshu Hanten has around 85 years of experience. From humble beginnings as a yatai food cart to this.

Insane gyoza and tasty gyusijinikomi, beef tendon stewed in Japanese sauce, along with the ramen make for one of the most decadent, calorie-riddled meals I've had in a while. Could you say no to all this good stuff?

Sure, you could just go for ramen. I visited with a group of four adults and two children. Crushed it all.

The noodles here are on the thick side and a bit uneven. Noodles are obviously an integral part of any bowl of ramen. While the Tokyo trend is refined, something like the seabura ramen at Koshi Hanten is a breath of fresh air.

The owner is a character. The third or fourth generation, he carries on the tradition. Obviously, he's happy to be ranked so highly in Ramen Walker magazine.

And he rides a badass Harley! Always good to see another #ramenrider out there.

Sorry, but this shop is a tad out of the way of any touristy spots in Niigata. Tsubame has many metal-working factories, so maybe you'll come for that. Otherwise, hop off the bullet train, grab a bowl, and head on your way.