A Hokkaido shoyu (soy sauce) ramen variant from Asahikawa, the sister city 90 minutes east of Sapporo. Curly noodles in a dashi-and-soy broth with a lard layer to keep heat through winter.
Where to eat it: 2 restaurants across 1 city.
Asahikawa shoyu ramen developed independently of Sapporo miso ramen, codified by Asahikawa's Ramen Aoba in 1947 with a double-soup of pork bone and seafood-stock dashi seasoned with soy. The bowl earned Asahikawa its place as Hokkaido's second ramen city by the 1980s. Sapporo's ramen counters now serve Asahikawa shoyu bowls alongside Sapporo miso, giving visitors the regional comparison without leaving the city; the Asahikawa bowl stands as the Hokkaido shoyu reference.
Common allergens: Gluten, Soy, Pork
Tip from the editors. Don't skip the lard layer; it's the Hokkaido winter touch that distinguishes the bowl.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
The origin shop for Sapporo miso ramen. Founder Morito Omiya created the miso bowl here in 1955; the menu still leads with the original broth.
Signature: Miso ramen, Shoyu ramen
Order: Miso ramen, served the same way since 1955.
Tip: Closed Mondays; the lunch line builds around 12:00 and there are no reservations.
The miso-ramen counter consistently ranked top of Sapporo Tabelog at 3.96. Saimi blends three white misos with a clear pork-bone base; queue early.
Signature: Miso ramen, Spicy miso ramen, Salt ramen
Order: Miso ramen with extra ginger ground tableside, the Saimi house gesture.
Tip: Three minutes from Misono subway; queue from 11:00 weekdays. Closed Mondays.
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