The three specialities of Asahikawa

Asahikawa Ramen (Asahikawa Ramen Aoba)

Speaking of Asahikawa's local cuisine, you can't miss Asahikawa ramen, which is well-known nationwide. Along with Sapporo's miso ramen and Hakodate's salt ramen, it is one of the three major ramen style in Hokkaido. Asahikawa ramen represents not only Asahikawa but also Hokkaido.

Almost every tourist who have visited Asahikawa for sightseeing or business have eaten Asahikawa ramen a least once.

There are various theories about the origin of Asahikawa ramen, but the oldest ramen shops in Asahikawa are "Hachiya" and "Ramen Aoba," built in 1947.

Specially "Ramen Aoba," a ramen shop said to be the at the origin of the double soup: a blend of a meat-based soup and a seafood-based soup, which is a characteristic of Asahikawa ramen.

Asahikawa ramen is known for its soy sauce ramen, but nowadays there are many ramen shops such as "Yoshino" and "Santouka" that have miso ramen and salt ramen as their signature dish. So you have no choice but to compare and eat different type of ramen in that case!

Name: Asahikawa Ramen Aoba
Address: Asahikawa-shi 2-jōdori 8-chōme hidari 8 ni-jō building meitengai
Phone: 0166-23-2820
Business hours: Mon-Sat 9:30-14:00 & 15:00-19:30
Sundays and public holidays 9:30-14:00 & 15:00-18:30
Regular holiday: Wednesday
Parking: None

Asahikawa Soy Sauce Yakisoba (Menmaru)

"Asahikawa Soy Sauce Yakisoba" is a relatively new local speciality that made its first appearance at the "Kita no Megumi Marché" held in 2010. In 2011, the "Asahikawa Soy Sauce Yakisoba Association" was established.

Many famous local yakisoba shops like "Fujinomiya Yakisoba" and "Yokote Yakisoba” have restaurants all over the country, but "Asahikawa Soy Sauce Yakisoba" is still not widely known.

Some shops at festivals and events may serve "Asahikawa Soy Sauce Yakisoba," but not many restaurants have it in their standard menu.

“Menmaru” is one of those rare shop, affiliated with a noodle-making company, it is located in the building of the supermarket "Western Kawabata" at 7-10-1, Kawabata-cho.

The Asahikawa soy sauce fried noodles of "Menmaru" are at a relatively reasonable price at 550 yen, excluding tax. You can also take-out.

There are several rules to the Asahikawa soy sauce fried noodles:
-You have to use rice flour noodles made from Asahikawa’s rice flour.
-You have to use a soy sauce from Asahikawa
-Your dish must contain a least one ingredient made/raised in Asahikawa or in the northern part of Hokkaido

Asahikawa soy sauce Yakisoba of “Menmaru" is made put pork from Asahikawa or Northern Hokkaido, various vegetables like carrot, onion and cabbage, with a hot spring eggs ( called onsen tamago in Japan, it is slowly cooked eggs, something in-between the soft-boiled egg and the raw egg) on the top.

If you mix the egg, the yolk will be entwined with the noodles and it will create a delicious harmony.

Name: Menmaru
Address: Asahikawa-shi, Kawabata-chō, 7-jō 10-chōme 1 Western Kawabata store
Phone: 0166-55-0765
Business hours: 11:30 - 20:00 (Monday only until 17:00)
Regular holiday: Open all year round
Parking: Yes

Asahikawa Soy Sauce Horumen (Itetsuan)

"Asahikawa Soy Sauce Horumen" is a local cuisine that combine Asahikawa’s "Soy sauce ramen" and "horumonyaki".
In Asahikawa, there are other shops which use horumonyaki as ingredients for their ramen, so when it appeared/became a trend our writer thought:
"Do they really need to brand that?”

Our reporter went to eat the “Asahikawa Soy Sauce Horumen” at "Asahikawa Ramen Ittsuan" in the Asahikawa Ramen Village.

There was a poster of “Asahikawa Soy Sauce Horumen” in the store: one store closed and there are five restaurants where you can eat.

"Asahikawa Soy Sauce Holmen" is delicious, the horumon used is odourless, soft and plump, mainly because the meat company Yoneya Sangyo is involved.

Recently, "Asahikawa Soy Sauce Horumen" has less exposition than before, but we are rooting for them!

Name: Itetsuan
Address: Asahikawa Ramen Village, 11-4-119-48 Nagayama, Asahikawa
Phone: 0166-47-7855
Business hours: 11: 00-21: 00
Regular holiday: Wednesday
Parking: Yes

Conclusion

This time, we introduced Asahikawa ramen, Asahikawa soy sauce fried noodles, and Asahikawa soy sauce horumen, the local cuisine of Asahikawa. People who come to Asahikawa for sightseeing or business will probably eat Asahikawa ramen, but be sure to try Asahikawa soy sauce fried noodles and Asahikawa soy sauce horumen too if you got the chance!