One of the greatest things about Japan is the country’s near-limitless ramen options. Between the wide variety of regional stylesand toppings, you could eat a different bowl every day if you really wanted to.
There’s cold ramento chill you out during summer and even vegan ramenif you’re into that. Some people prefer tsukemen, noodles you dip in a separate bowl of broth, while others love abura soba, ramen with little to no broth. Practically every ramen shop boasts an original recipe, so you may as well try them all.
That being said, it can be a chore ordering your ramen of choice without knowing Japanese. Thankfully, with Japan being the Blade Runner-esque future country of tomorrow that it is, most ramen shops have simple and easy to read machines that let you order their delicious noodles with the simple push of a button. Yes. That is what constitutes living in Blade Runnerin my world.
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Ramen in the machine
Once you make your order, a ticket will pop out. Just hand it over to the chef, and in a couple of minutes, you’ll be wharfing down noodles and slurping like a native.
Ramen らーめん ramen Cold dipping noodles つけ麺 tsukemen Miso ramen 味噌ラーメン miso ramen Soy sauce ramen 醤油ラーメン shoyu ramen Salt-based ramen 塩ラーメン shio ramen Chicken ramen 鶏ガララーメン torigara ramen Spicy Sichuan-style ramen 担々麺 tantanmen Chilled noodles 冷やし中華 hiyashi chuka
Now, the last thing you want to do is hold up the line because you want to use this as an opportunity to study Japanese.
The hungry band of salarymen behind you can only passive-aggressively sigh so much until the cook comes from behind the counter to assist you. Then you’ll end up pointing at pictures on the wall, and grunting kore(this) like you’re Disney’s Tarzan.
Ramen toppings (and beer)
Any good ramen enthusiast knows how important toppings are. The flavor can change considerably depending on what’s put in the bowl. There are tons of different toppings, but here is a quick list of the classics. May as well order an ice-cold beer on the side while you’re at it.
Marinated egg 味付玉子 or 味玉 ajistuketamago or ajitama Roasted pork チャーシュー chashu Bamboo shoots メンマ menma Green spring onion 青ネギ aonegi Seaweed 海苔 nori Draft beer 生ビール nama bi-ru
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