After my sub-par experience at Aji No Karyu, I knew I couldn’t leave it at that. I had to eat at least one more bowl of ramen in Sapporo so that me and the city could part on good terms.
The bowl of ramen at Sapporo Ichiryuan was just what the doctor ordered. It was mind-blowing; it was easily one of the best bowls of ramen I’ve ever had.
Their specialty is something they call genki no deru miso ramen, which is a bowl of miso ramen that’s so incredibly flavourful, it’s like a bolt of lightning straight to your forehead. It’s intense, but in the best way imaginable.
I’m not even sure I can fully describe the flavour; oddly enough, it tastes almost of black olives, like a really good tapenade. But there’s so much more to it than that, from the deep miso flavour to the amazing porky richness. That’s not to mention the bits of toasted garlic, which add nice little pops of intensity to liven things up.
It’s the type of ramen that’s basically impossible to get sick of — it has a rich, savoury depth with flavours that just keep going and going and going. Just when you think, okay, now I’ve surely plumbed the depths of what this soup has to offer — nope, here’s some more flavour for you to discover. It’s remarkable.
Even the chashu is more of a flavour-punch than you’d expect, though it’s slightly dry — my one (very minor) knock on an otherwise superlative bowl.
You’ve probably noticed from the photos the ramen is topped with scrambled eggs instead of the standard boiled egg. This is one of those things that feels like it could be the product of a chef trying a bit too hard to do something different. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it… right?
In this case: wrong. The scrambled eggs are perfectly cooked, with a creamy, silky richness that you couldn’t get from a boiled egg. I’m certainly not saying it’s better than a traditional ramen egg — just delicious in its own amazing way.
The thick noodles are cooked perfectly; they’re right on the verge of being underdone, a delightful tightrope walk that produced some of the most satisfyingly toothsome noodles I’ve had in a while.
Everything here works so well: the fresh crunch of the bean shoots, the chew of the noodles, the creamy eggs, the ultra-rich soup, and of course, the absolute fireworks show of flavour. It’s a spectacular bowl of ramen.
Location: 〒060-0004 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chūō-ku, Kita 4 Jōnishi, 1-chōme−１ ホクレンビル地下1階
How to find it: It’s on the bottom floor of a building just around the corner from Sapporo Station. Just look for a doorway with a sign that says “Pearl Town,” and then head down those stairs.