IGNITION Staff
An amusement park where you can sample ramen from all across Japan
by IGNITION Staff
Since opening its doors in 1994, the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum has served as the place to go for Ramen-aficionados — a Ramen amusement park, so to speak. At this amazing museum, visitors can sample Ramen from all across Japan!
Each year, more than one million people enter the museum’s doors with 10% to 15% of them visiting from abroad (sometimes up to 40% on busy days); no doubt this is in part due to the increased popularity of Ramen overseas.
Of course the selection of Ramen offered at the museum is nothing short of plentiful, with signature recipes/shops being gathered from across Japan. But what makes the experience more interesting is the 1950's theme of the museum. The 50s were the most exciting times in recent Japanese history; instant Ramen was invented, the Tokyo Tower was completed, and the first 10,000 yen bills were printed.
The museum recreates the streets and shops from that buzzing era to offer a unique way to enjoy various styles of Ramen.
Let’s take a closer look inside.
1F: Museum Shop
Once you’ve bought a ticket and made your way inside of the museum, you will be greeted first by the museum gift shop. Here, you can find all kinds of Ramen related goodies including key rings, t- shirts, cooking utensils, chopsticks and instant ramen.
There is also a Ramen information section at the corner of the museum shop. Here, visitors can see a simple timeline of Ramen history, a map of where various Ramen styles come from, as well as samples of bowls and utensils from actual Ramen restaurants.
B1F: Time-travel back to the ’50s
From B1F to B2F is where you’ll find the 1950’s themed streets and shops. Nestled within this spacious open ceiling 2-floor area is also where you’ll find various Ramen stalls the museum has to offer.
With the open ceiling/floor design, B1F has a 50s themed alleyway lining the inside walls of the museum. Besides the Ramen stalls and replica houses, there are also a traditional candy shop, where you can find classic kinds of candy such Mizuame, (‘water candy’ that you eat by twirling it on a stick) which is particularly popular to visitors from abroad.
B1F Ramen
There are three types of ramen provided on B1F: Sumire, Shina Soba-ya and Nidai-me Genkotsu-ya. All the Ramen shops in the museum operate on a ‘food token’ basis. This is a system that you will have to buy a token for the Ramen you wish to have prior to taking a seat at a table.
Shina Soba-ya
Known best for their Shoyu Ramen (Soy sauce based Ramen), the recipe is an original created by the late Minoru Sano, a man heralded for mastering as the heart and soul of Ramen. The rich and flavorful soup is made using chickens reared by Sano himself, that is served along with men (noodles) made from a special flour. It’s nothing short of perfect.
Nidai-me Genkotsu-ya
After the first Genkotsu-ya closed, the owner’s son reopened the business as Nidai-me Genkotsu-ya (2nd Generation Genkotsu-ya). It is known for its distinctly Japanese flavored soup, made from dried tuna and kelp. The flavor is subtle and light, yet not at all bland.
Sumire
Sumire is one of the most highly regarded Miso Ramen restaurants in Japan. Their Ramen is quintessentially Sapporo style, with a rich and aromatic miso based soup served together with thick chijire-men (wavy noodles). Sumire is an absolute must-eat for Miso Ramen fans.
B2F Food Court
Taking the main stairs from B1F to B2F brings you out to an eating area with surrounding shops/stalls that also provide some alcohol. As expected, there is even more Ramen being served down here, as well as some otsumami to go (smaller bite size dishes to have with drinks). These can then be eaten at the open-space table area in the middle of the floor.
Okinawa food and drinks are also offered at the central seating area including Orion Beer and Sata Andagi (Okinawan donut).
B2F More Ramen
At the museum, mini/smaller sizes of ramen are available at each of the Ramen shops/restaurants so that visitors can sample a wide variety during their visit.
Komurasaki
The renowned Komurasaki was established back in 1954 and originates from the Kumamoto prefecture. Kumamoto Ramen is a signature Kyushu style of Ramen alongside with Hataka Ramen. Tonkotsu (Pork chop/ pork on the bone) soup is the star of show here, and with garlic added in to the mix, it makes an appetizing delight.
Ganso Najimatei
In Kyushu, the birthplace of Tonkotsu Ramen, Najimatei’s Ramen has a huge following. The base for their Tonkotsu soup remains unchanged ever since their opening in 1987! This delicious soup is then paired with thin, straight men to create their unique Ramen.
Muku Zweite
In its hometown in Germany, this Ramen shop attracts foodies from across Europe including France and Italy. Here, the men is made using an interesting combination of durum flour (often used in pasta) and pizza flour. Mixed with a rich Tonkotsu Shoyu base soup, it’s a delicious bowl of what can only be described as Yokohama house-style Ramen.
Casa Luca
For a limited time only, Italy’s popular Ramen shop Casa Luca will have a stall at the museum. Some of the favorites include Tonkotsu Ramen with an Italian twist and their Milano branch best seller, Pepperoncino Ramen.
Ryu Shanghai (Main store)
Around the same time Miso Ramen first showed up in Sapporo, Hokkaido around 1960, Ryu Shanghai in Akayu, Yamagata also had a similar bowl on their menu. The shop’s Kara Miso Ramen (spicy miso base Ramen) and thick noodles has become their trademark having a taste that you will never get bored of.
Today, Japanese Ramen is eaten all around the world with each resteraunt adding their own unique twist to traditional recipes. And whilst the Ramen museum is only able to offer you a fraction of what’s available within Japan, it’s still a great place to sample the many different styles out there.
But remember, some of the stalls/shops are only for a limited time so make sure you do some research before you go to make sure you don’t miss out!
(photo: Daisuke Hayata translation: Atsushi Fujii)
Originally published at ignition.co.
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