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  • Sapporo! It's the capital of Hokkaido and it's also famous for having the best bowl of miso ramen

  • in all of Japan.

  • But what makes it so good?

  • Probably because it's so cold out here

  • Nothing warms you up like a hot bowl of ramen.

  • And when you're here, you can not miss this place,

  • Ganso Ramen Yokocho

  • or "Ramen alley", it's filled with old ramen shops

  • with history going back to the 1950's!

  • It's ramen time!

  • Let's do a quick drive by of Ganso Sapporo Ramen Yokocho, the original ramen alley

  • Its history goes back to 1951

  • Millions of bowls of ramen have been served here

  • There are 17 shops in the alley serving all kinds of toppings, sometimes in creative ways

  • The first place I tried is called Menya Kunimitsu and they have this, the Hokkaido-mori Ramen, loaded with seafood

  • The Big Hokkaido Ramen has a big price tag for a small bowl

  • But the crab legs and massive scallops make up for it

  • Corn and butter are a Sapporo ramen theme as well

  • (intense ramen slurping starts)

  • Just look at that big scallop

  • Good ramen! But maybe too complex and 1600 yen seems too steep a price for me to try it again.

  • Once in a lifetime and DONE

  • We're going to try this shop, they have a classic bowl of Miso ramen

  • COME ON

  • This is Aji no Kanryu, serving traditional bowls of ramen since 1965

  • It's what I'd call the Sapporo Ramen Alley classic

  • It's a big, inviting shop located at the entrance of the alley

  • Let's get up close and personal with Aji no Kanryu's popular corn-butter ramen.

  • The moyashi bean sprouts are pan fried

  • then the "Tonkotsu" - pork bone soup stock, which is made daily

  • and mixed with chicken and ten vegetables is added.

  • Then the homemade miso, blended with the soup, to match perfectly

  • You add it like this, in a ladle, so the miso doesn't burn on the bottom.

  • Mix that up.

  • Then, get the noodles ready.

  • Sapporo egg noodles.

  • Yellow in color, and devastatingly beautiful

  • Add the miso soup

  • and moyashi to the bowl

  • the toppings

  • Negi and Menma

  • Chashu steak

  • a little sea weed

  • oh, don't forget the butter and corn...

  • a lot of corn!

  • Eat it fast.

  • Slurping is a sign to the Chef that you like it.

  • So slurp!

  • Simple CORN BUTTER RAMEN.

  • But there is nothing simple about it.

  • The taste is a world of awsome.

  • You won't get bored with this one.

  • If you wondering: "WHY?"

  • Here's your answer:

  • The thing with the butter corn ramen is that

  • you have this added taste from the ingredient:

  • the corn, the smell, the sweetness of that,

  • as well as the extra fat from the butter

  • it really adds to the galaxy of flavors inside this ramen

  • This Miso Ramen

  • Miso Ramen is famous in Sapporo

  • But what is it? And why?

  • I heard that Sapporo Miso Ramen

  • ...it was a while ago...

  • was introduced at a department store

  • during a Hokkaido Fair

  • and from that became a big hit.

  • That's how ramen in Sapporo has an image of miso.

  • An honest Ramen Chef

  • Sapporo puts the soul in each bowl, no matter the ramen

  • "ITADAKIMASU"

  • So, eat another bowl.

  • Miso Ramen

  • Sapporo style

  • A lot of celebrities have come to Hanaryu looking for that perfect Sapporo ramen

  • Including this guy

  • I was surrounded by celebrities who have come to eat here

  • But who cares about them?!

  • It's all about the RAMEN, man!

  • And they make it good.

  • CORN, BUTTER RAMEN In the bottom of my stomach.

  • Complete.

  • We're not done yet.

  • Let's move on to another shop.

  • The alley has so many kinds of ramen

  • that it can be hard to pick a place to start.

  • There's no reason to limit yourself.

  • Expand your mind and taste buds more with variety.

  • I was in the mood for... spicy

  • And this place

  • had what I was after.

  • This is TESHIKAGA RAMEN

  • There is usually a line at the door

  • but there aren't many people in the early afternoon

  • It's famous for its char grilled CHASHU pork steaks

  • They have a special ramen

  • only available here

  • SPICY GRILLED PORK MISO RAMEN

  • Yum!

  • No more butter and corn

  • Time to get serious

  • A massive grilled pork steak

  • with extra diced spicy pork

  • GINGER

  • NEGI

  • WOOD EAR MUSHROOMS

  • and a half boiled egg

  • that melts in your mouth

  • HANJUKU TAMAGO, baby!

  • Wow!

  • Now, that's a bowl of ramen!

  • TASHIKAGA uses three times more TONKOTSU - pork bone

  • and boils it at low temperatures for over 20 hours

  • The taste?

  • Add here my:

  • "Ramen is a galaxy of flavors!

  • speech plus.

  • I wish it were a little bit spicier

  • But not bad at all!

  • That char grilled meat taste and the CHASHU won me over

  • I like the counter service here.

  • It can get social

  • Met some skiers from down under on a ramen run.

  • Simply awesome.

  • Thumbs up for the SPICY GRILLED PORK MISO RAMEN

  • SAPPORO in winter brings a lot of snow.

  • What can one do on a cold day like this?

  • Well...

  • The best way to stay warm

  • And survive a snow storm, is...

  • eat another bowl of ramen.

  • Well, not quite a snow storm.

  • But it's a good excuse to keep going

  • so, when you're in SAPPORO

  • put RAMEN on your list.

  • Next time: we unbox one of Japan's luxury fruits

  • the white strawberry

  • Japan makes 80% of the world's deserts strawberries

  • Making it a paradise for berry lovers

  • So, how does a ten dollar strawberry taste?

  • Subscribe to find out.

Sapporo! It's the capital of Hokkaido and it's also famous for having the best bowl of miso ramen

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