Shingen

The snow festival was coming to a close and I had one final day to say goodbye to Sapporo before heading back to Kansai. That day, like any good day, would start with a final bowl of ramen. Like the day before's Keyaki, Shingen was another highly ranked miso ramen shop I had researched, and so I shed a single tear and prepared to replace it with salty miso broth.

ようやく雪祭りが終わったので札幌に「さよなら」と言わないとだめでした。でも、最後の日にもちろん最後のラーメンを食べないとだめでした。けやきみたいに信玄がインターネットで調べた評価がいい味噌の店でした。

Information
らーめん信玄
Hokkaidō, Sapporo-shi, Chūō-ku, Minami 6 Jōnishi, ８丁目

The Bowl
A rich, classic miso. The medium yellow noodles and soy-sauce tasting chashu were what you'd expect, done well. More simple than Keyaki; it reminded me more of Sora, except where Sora fell flat, Shingen delivered.

コクがよくてクラシックな味噌でした。黄色い中麺があって、しょうゆっぽいチャーシューが特別じゃありませんでしたけど、よくできました。けやきよりシンプルでした。空のようなスタイルでしたけど、空よりほんまにうまかったです。

Would I Go Again?
I would probably explore other well-ranked Sapporo shops before making a return trip.

また札幌に行く機会があったら、たぶん他の評価がいい店に行ってみたいなと思っています。

Should You Go?
This was a solid miso, so yes.

けっこうおいしかったので、行ってください。

Keyaki

Day two of my Sapporo trip to the Yuki Matsuri. Day one had soup curry for lunch, and an OK-but-disappointing bowl of miso ramen for dinner, so I was hoping to beat that. Unlike the previous day's shop, this one would be one that I had hand-chosen from a few lists I looked at online before venturing to Hokkaido.

Keyaki is a small shop right near Susukino Station, one of the more popular stations and very close to the festival's ice sculptures. Of course that meant there was a long line, and of course that meant it was freezing.

Information
けやき
Hokkaidō, Sapporo-shi, Chūō-ku, Minami 6 Jōnishi, ３丁目

The Bowl
Now this is the miso ramen I came to Sapporo for. Bright orange, the broth glowed with warmth to heat my tongue up after being in the cold for so long. It was rich with just a little bit of a spicy kick. It reminded me of some of the better miso places I had tried in Tokyo. The noodles were thin, curly, and chewy. There were tons of veggies, too: kikurage, menma, cabbage, bean sprouts and onions. A balanced and delicious meal!

Would I Go Again?
Yeah, it was really good.

Should You Go?
If you're in Sapporo, then yes.

Ramen Sora

Every year in Sapporo a giant snow festival is held called the Yuki Matsuri. I've wanted to go since I moved to Japan, and this year the festival overlapped with a three day weekend. It was destiny; my brother and I booked our flights and went.

Sapporo is famous for many different kinds of foods: soup curry, seafood, crab, jinguskahn, and of course, miso ramen. Which meant that while we were there, my brother and I would be hitting up as many shops as we can.

The night I arrived we met with our host who took us to the Sapporo Ramen Republic, a collection of shops not unlike the Raumen Stadium in Canal City or Tokyo Ramen Street. I wanted to get the most authentic miso possible, so I did some scouting and decided to go to Ramen Sora.

Information
らーめん空
Hokkaidō, Sapporo-shi, Chūō-ku, Kita 5 Jōnishi, ２丁目

The Bowl
What awaited was a decent but not amazing miso. It was rich and hearty, but also covered in a layer of oil. The noodles were medium, curly, and eggy. The menma and egg were decent, but the super thick piece of chashu stood above the rest, fatty and delicious.

Would I Go Again?
Nah, this was nothing special, especially in Sapporo.

Should You Go?
There are better shops in this city.