Hakodate, situated at the southern tip of Hokkaido, is a charming port city where abundant nature, history, and culture blend together. It opened its port in the late Edo period, retaining a streetscape influenced by Western culture. Many historical spots like the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses and Goryokaku Fort are scattered throughout the city. Moreover, the night view from Mount Hakodate is considered one of Japan’s top three night views, with the winter night view, known as the “Million Dollar Night View,” being particularly exceptional.
Hakodate Ramen is renowned for its clear broth made from seafood and its medium-thick straight noodles, featuring a light salt flavor. This article introduces recommended ramen shops in Hakodate City, including the standard Hakodate Ramen.
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10. Shin Hakodate Shio Ramen Ryuho 龍鳳 大門横丁店
Located just a 3-minute walk from Hakodate Ekimae Station is “Shin Hakodate Ramen Ryuho.” The interior boasts only six counter seats, maintaining a compact atmosphere. This renowned establishment, frequented by many celebrities, is famous for its salt ramen featuring chicken and pork broth infused with golden chicken oil.
The precious chicken oil, which can only be extracted from 100g of a whole chicken, is meticulously harvested and aged for several days to achieve its golden hue. The golden salt broth, while light, stands out with the rich umami and depth of flavor from the chicken oil. The noodles, made from specially ordered twisted medium-thin noodles, complement the soup excellently with their smooth texture.
The toppings include chashu pork, greens, naruto fish cake, bamboo shoots, and green onions. The chashu pork comprises two types: pork belly and pork thigh, allowing diners to enjoy a contrast in textures.
The side menu’s dumplings are popular for their thick skins and generous filling, offering a delicious accompaniment to the ramen.
Shin Hakodate Shio Ramen Ryuho Details
9. Hakodate Ramen Houran 函館ラーメン鳳凰
Established in 1950, “Houren” is located approximately a 5-minute walk from Hakodate Station and is also close to Matsukazecho Station.
It’s a Chinese restaurant in the heart of Hakodate that has been preserving the city’s flavors.
They make their broth from pork bones and chicken bones without using any vegetables. The soup, with a ratio of 90% pork bones to 10% chicken bones, has a clear and refreshing appearance, yet it has a sharp taste reminiscent of the nostalgic flavors of the past. The noodles are homemade and made from straight, thin noodles with a chewy texture.
The chashu pork is flavorful and well-marinated, while the bamboo shoots are slightly sweetened.
Their specialty shumai dumplings are generously seasoned with meat, offering a substantial and popular choice with each piece being sizeable.
Their noodle menu includes not only salt ramen but also soy sauce, miso, wonton noodles, chashu ramen, vegetable ramen, and yakisoba, ensuring a wide variety of Chinese dishes typical of downtown Hakodate.
Hakodate Ramen Houran Details
8. Rinsan りんさん
Founded in 1948 and operated by three generations of the same family, this longstanding ramen shop welcomes both tourists and regular customers.
Their soup is a blend of dashi made from bonito flakes and kelp, combined with chicken bones and pork bones. The ingredients for the broth are meticulously sourced, sometimes directly from fishermen, and the pork bones are prepared after the blood is removed, ensuring a thorough and time-consuming process.
The noodles are thin and straight, with a firm texture that complements the soup well.
Their side menu features finely chopped chashu pork, green onions, and eggs mixed into a richly seasoned fried rice, moist and fragrant, evoking a nostalgic taste.
The handmade dumplings are prepared in the Taiwanese style, with plenty of juicy filling bursting in the mouth, providing a satisfying bite.
Both the ramen and side dishes offer a taste of the past. They also offer unique menu items such as kake chahan (rice topped with broth) and zasai ramen (ramen with pickled mustard greens), which are also popular among customers.
Rinsan Details
7. Menchuubo Ajisai Main Branch 函館麺厨房 あじさい 本店
This is one of the famous Hakodate salt ramen shops. The clear soup, inherited from the previous generations, is excellent, attracting fans from all over the country.
The recommended menu item is the “Ajisai Shio Ramen.” The soup is based on locally sourced kelp from southern Hokkaido, combined with pork bones, chicken bones, dried small fish, and scallops, creating a perfectly balanced and deep flavor! A generous amount of green onions complements the soup well, enhancing its deliciousness.
The noodles are thin and straight, cooked to a firm texture, providing an excellent chewiness.
The chashu pork consists of one slice of pork shoulder and two slices of pork belly, with just the right amount of fat, making it delicious.
While preserving the tradition of salt ramen made with natural rock salt, they also come up with new menu items.
Menchuubo Ajisai Main Branch Details
6. MANMARUTEI 中華そば まんまるてい
Located about a 20-minute walk from both Fukabori-machi Station and Keibajo-mae Station is “Chuka Soba Manmarutei.” Here, you can enjoy ramen made with exquisite Japanese-style broth known for its delicate and refined flavor.
The soup features carefully crafted Japanese-style broth made from Aomori Shamorokku brand chicken bones, vegetables, and seafood. The noodles are specially made in-house with 100% Hokkaido wheat, and each menu item comes with a specific noodle thickness to perfectly complement the dish—thin straight noodles for ramen and medium-thick noodles for tsukemen dipping ramen.
The main toppings include pork belly chashu, komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach), nori seaweed, and green onions. Special menus come with an extra slice of chashu and seasoned egg.
Their ramen menu includes soy sauce, salt, and miso flavors, along with unique options such as ramen made with dried squid broth and weekday-exclusive dishes not found in other shops.
MANMARUTEI Details
5. Hakodate Shio Ramen Shinano はこだて塩らーめん しなの
Located just a 3-minute walk from Hakodate Station is “Hakodate Shio Ramen Shinano.” Their ramen menu includes salt, soy sauce, and miso flavors.
The soup, simmered slowly for 5 hours with chicken bones and pork bones, is rich in animal-derived umami. The specially made thin noodles perfectly complement the soup. Toppings include chashu pork, menma (bamboo shoots), half-cooked egg, spinach, naruto (fish cake), and wheat gluten.
The chashu pork, marinated in a soy sauce-based sauce, is tender and flavorful.
Their side menu is diverse, with their juicy dumplings standing out, filled generously with meaty goodness. Additionally, their thinly sliced pork belly bowl, seasoned with a special salt sauce, is superb. They offer set menus pairing the salt ramen with the pork belly bowl, providing a satisfying combination of light ramen and savory pork belly.
Hakodate Shio Ramen Shinano Details
4. BLUE TRAIN Ramen & Gyoza ブルートレイン
The retro blue train-themed ramen shop, “Blue Train,” catches the eye. The interior, renovated from old Japanese National Railways train cars, consists only of counter seats and is adorned with rare railway items, creating an irresistible space for train enthusiasts.
Run by a friendly and warm-hearted owner, the broth here is made by simmering pork marrow bones with locally sourced Makombu kelp and vegetables from Hakodate Minamikayabe for about 2 hours. What sets it apart is the addition of homemade burnt pork back fat, adding depth to the flavor. The noodles, a medium-thin straight type called tamago-men, are sourced from Okada Seimen and complement the soup excellently. The main toppings include chashu pork, green onions, and menma (bamboo shoots).
In addition to ramen, they offer other items such as miso ramen, ramen with butter, and side dishes like gyoza and fried rice.
BLUE TRAIN Ramen & Gyoza Details
3. Hakodate Menya Ichimonji Hakodate Main Branch 函館麺や 一文字 函館総本店
This popular establishment offers a wide range of ramen options, from light chicken-based to rich pork bone-based, appealing to customers of all ages.
With a desire to create noodles that stand up to the rich soup, they make their own noodles daily. They carefully select noodles to match each flavor profile, using thin noodles for salt and shoyu ramen, thick noodles for miso and tonkotsu ramen, and flat noodles for tsukemen, showcasing their dedication to detail!
Their recommended dish is the “Shio Ramen.” The base of the soup features Aomori’s five-grain-flavored chicken and Makombu kelp from Minamikayabe, Hokkaido, creating a luxurious blend. The special salt seasoning is generously infused with clam, shijimi clam, and flying fish dashi, resulting in a rich and complex flavor profile.
Hakodate Menya Ichimonji Details
2. Chinese Kitchen Ajitaka キッチン中華 あじたか
Located in Goryokaku-cho, “Ajitaka” offers the taste of Hakodate’s salt ramen, which has been served since the Showa 20s when the previous generation operated a food stall. The cooking method has remained unchanged since then.
Priced at only 650 yen per bowl, you can enjoy the nostalgic flavor of Hakodate’s salt ramen, known for its light taste. The soup is made by simmering pork ribs and trotters, along with vegetables like green onions, for about 4 hours. The straight noodles from Deguchi Seimen have a chewy texture and a distinct wheat flavor. Toppings include chashu pork, menma (bamboo shoots), green onions, and wheat gluten. The chashu pork and menma, seasoned with a soy-based sauce, are intentionally mild to balance the light soup.
In addition to ramen, rice dishes, and side dishes, they offer unique creative menu items with artistic names, such as “Picasso Ramen” with braised pork and boiled egg, and “Gogh Don” topped with braised pork flavored with a special miso sauce, which are popular choices near the art museum.
Chinese Kitchen Ajitaka Details
1. Jiyouken ラーメン 滋養軒
Located just a 5-minute walk from Hakodate Station, this shop offers delicious salt ramen in a convenient location. Its reasonable pricing, with the option to enjoy exquisite ramen for the price of one coin, adds to its charm, making it popular among a wide range of customers, from young to old, and both men and women.
Among Hakodate’s salt ramen, the clear soup stands out in popularity. Their recommended dish is the “Salt Ramen.” To achieve the high clarity of the soup, they simmer it for 4 hours without bringing it to a boil, continuously skimming off any impurities. The result is a delicately crafted, beautifully clear soup that is truly exquisite! The toppings are kept simple to not interfere with the soup. The chashu pork is lightly seasoned and tender, while the medium-thick straight noodles complement the soup perfectly.
Jiyouken Details
Conclusion
Hakodate is renowned for its salt ramen, which boasts a rich and flavorful taste despite its lightness, thanks to the fresh seafood used in the broth. In addition to the places mentioned here, there are numerous other shops where you can enjoy salt ramen in Hakodate. So, when you visit Hakodate, be sure to savor the Hakodate ramen experience!
