This is a morning ramen at Asahikawa when returning home. I had the morning ramen Shoyu Ramen and small rice at Asahikawa Ramen "Koguman" in Asahikawa City, Nishiki-cho 15-chome 2963-43 (850 yen). The Shoyu Ramen had green onions, bamboo shoots, shredded chashu, and quail egg on top. Instead of the usual seasoned egg, they used quail eggs this time. This is my 15th visit to Koguman. The restaurant continues to operate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The owner, Miyuki Mama, is working hard. The restaurant was featured on a TBS TV program last September. Despite the initial rush, things have calmed down, but they still had many customers during Golden Week. The visit this time was limited in terms of egg usage due to a shortage. When you open the door, you are greeted by a large stuffed polar bear. The condiments on the table are a mix of black pepper and shichimi togarashi in the same container. You use it by turning it upside down. The noodles in the Shoyu Ramen were the usual Sato Seimen's low-water, medium-thin, twisted Asahikawa noodles. The soup had a slightly higher salt concentration this time due to the addition of shredded chashu, but it was delicious when eaten with the small rice. This year's Koguman Festival (5th anniversary) is scheduled for August 12-13. It was a delicious meal. Thank you.

Series is finally coming to an end. I've never eaten so much ramen in a few days in my life... Several times a day, and all of them are soy sauce-based. In the city, there are many old dining halls and soba shops where you can also eat delicious ramen, but if I go to all those places, there's no end in sight and it feels like no matter how many lives I have, it won't be enough... Asahikawa has a lot of ramen shops where you can eat delicious ramen, even though the number of shops has decreased significantly from the past. My friends have told me that the ramen served in the high school cafeteria was really delicious, or the ramen at that ski resort was delicious, or the ramen at the prefab hut ramen shop was delicious. So, this time, I'm focusing on ramen specialty shops that have been in business for over 50 years (including affiliated shops). Yes, specialty shops. I'm not going to show any favoritism or have any obligations, so I'm going all out! Soy sauce, shoyu... it's too much trouble to convert, so it doesn't really matter... So, let's go to Chapter 6 of the Soy Sauce Ramen Edition. Chapter 6: Asahikawa Ramen Koguman A few years ago, this shop opened near my home. (It used to be a place called Ta*aya that served delicious tempura, but that's irrelevant...) It's not an old shop, but tracing its origins, it might be a chain of old shops? I'm not sure about that. Even though it's near my place, I had never been there before, and even after it was featured on TV, I still didn't feel like going... But this time, it was a good opportunity, so I decided to visit. Why was I so stubborn about not going there? To be honest, I had a preconceived notion that it might be just like the chain stores or their spin-off stores that exist in large numbers in the city... I thought, if it's a branch of Kum*t or Ko*ma Group, I always get delivery from them... However, this time, my concept was completely shattered... The shop has been quite popular among locals since it opened, and it always seemed crowded, so I visited at a time when it wouldn't be too crowded... But one after another, customers kept coming in. The shop was almost full in no time. The clientele is mostly local. Some customers would come in and order without saying a word, just using their fingers... I've seen this at a ramen shop near my childhood home before, but this is how regular customers are. It showed me a nostalgic scene. So, you can expect this ramen to be really good... I ordered right away. Myself: Soy Sauce Chashu, Wife: Soy Sauce. After a while, the ramen was served! The Soy Sauce Chashu looked really amazing in a good way... And my wife's soy sauce had a quite cloudy soup, which was the impression. But, you know, the ramen at the ramen shop near my childhood home used to have a layer of solidified fat like this on the surface. This feeling is nostalgic. Let's eat before it gets cold! First, the usual mixing... Oh, but I can't mix it without removing this first. It's hard to remove the chashu, and more and more keep coming out... The chashu is in a large number, and the chashu that was chopped into pieces appears underneath, the phenomenon of double chashu... The chashu is so tender that it's difficult to hold with chopsticks, and it's cooked so tenderly that the fatty part is melting and the lean part is falling apart... Oh no, it's so tender that I might stretch the noodles if I take too long to remove the chashu. But personally, it's a bit too rich... Or rather, it has a bit of a junk food feel to it. I managed to mix the soup and... Wow, amazing broth. Pork bone...

Before, there used to be a sushi restaurant, but now a ramen shop has taken its place. Intrigued by the review on Bananaman's Sekkaku Gourmet, I decided to visit. As soon as I entered the shop, it was hot... like a steam room (the outside temperature was 32 degrees that day). Ramen is meant to be eaten in a comfortably air-conditioned space, but since I had come all the way to Asahikawa, I decided to tough it out. The menu was extensive and I was indecisive. As a green onion lover, I was curious about the Negi Ramen, but no one had written a review about it and it was very expensive! I ended up choosing the Miso Vegetable Ramen with ginger topping. It cost a total of 1,000 yen. When the bowl arrived, it was huge! It had bean sprouts, Chinese cabbage, and lots of my favorite wood ear mushrooms. The menma was lightly flavored and crunchy, which I liked. I wondered when I would finally reach the noodles, but in the meantime, I enjoyed the vegetables. The subtle seasoning of these vegetables paired perfectly with the soup. The miso broth had a nice balance of garlic sweetness and saltiness, which complemented the vegetables well. And the noodles were the reliable Asahikawa thin noodles. Yes, it was delicious. I didn't think I could eat it all, but I kept going. It would have been even more enjoyable if it had been cooler (^^).

After watching Bananaman's Sekkaku Gourmet, my husband wanted to visit a restaurant called Koguman. It was always crowded, so we never had the chance to go until today. Even though it was just after opening (during the second lunch service), the place was packed with customers lining up one after another. The ramen had Asahikawa-style noodles, thin and firm which I liked. We ordered the vegetable ramen, soy sauce ramen in large size, and miso ramen in small size, and all of them were delicious! The soup stayed hot until the last drop thanks to the layer of oil. I would love to try the omurice and fried rice next time. Thank you for the delicious meal. We will definitely visit again.

The customer service, hospitality, and training for new staff are all top-notch, thanks to the leader who is a person of integrity, creating a pleasant atmosphere for both customers and staff. With such a leader, it's no surprise that the ramen they make is delicious. I will definitely visit again. I ordered the special serving of Asahikawa Ramen soy sauce flavor - the portion size is amazing. I also tried my friend's soy sauce ramen and hormone miso, and they were all of high quality.

I visited the restaurant based on a friend's recommendation. It was lunchtime, so both the parking lot and the inside of the restaurant were almost full. I ordered a soy sauce ramen and fried rice set, but due to the crowd, I had to wait for about 20 minutes. The ramen and fried rice were both a bit heavy with a strong oil flavor. I heard they also serve early morning menus, so I would like to try that next time.

In 2023, during the so-called "Golden Week" when my wife and children are not around, I decided to indulge in some morning ramen. Asahikawa ramen, abbreviated as Asahi Ramen, is what I had for breakfast. It's not very exciting. To add another one, it's like Mao Asada having morning ramen! (laughs) So, I visited "Asahikawa Ramen Koguman" which opens at 5 am, a rare gem of a shop. The interior had a few customers at the counter and later a family arrived at a table. The lady owner, who resembled Asako Ito, was running the place alone. Therefore, the towels and water were self-service, and customers write their orders on a form to give to the owner. I actually wanted to have morning fried rice, but it wasn't on the morning menu. Disappointing. I ordered a regular soy sauce ramen (small size) for 700 yen, minus 50 yen for the small size, totaling 650 yen (tax included). The soup had a strong pork bone flavor, which was quite intense. It was delicious, but honestly, eating it in the morning was a bit tough. The noodles were the usual low-hydration type. The thinly sliced pork was good, but the bamboo shoots had absorbed the smell of the refrigerator, which was unfortunate. The egg had a good flavor throughout. Overall, the soup was overpowering, making it hard to fully appreciate the quality of the toppings. While it's a valuable place to have morning ramen, I couldn't find much other positive value beyond that.

Hormone ramen (miso) for 1,050 yen including tax, with an additional 100 yen for changing to spicy. Curry set for 1,100 yen with an additional 50 yen for changing to miso. The hormone ramen had a generous amount of tender hormone meat that was very delicious. I changed it to spicy, which was moderately spicy, but personally, I would have preferred it even spicier. The garlic flavor was also nice. The curry rice in the set was quite generous in portion, with a spicy kick to it. It felt like it was quite spicy, maybe even made from a retort pack? Not sure. The kotatsu seating area was spacious and warm at the feet.

The culture of having ramen for breakfast, known as "Asa-ra" has become well-established. In this series, we introduce a restaurant that offers "Asa-ra." In the second installment, we have "Koguman" in Asahikawa. ================================= ◆ Asahikawa also had the tradition of "Asa-ra"♪ "Koguman" is a rare morning ramen shop in Asahikawa. What sets them apart is their opening hours, starting from 5 am, which is earlier compared to the usual 6 am opening time of ramen shops in Sapporo. The shop is run by the female owner, Araki-san. It is located in Nishiki-cho 15-chome, Asahikawa City, on the west side of the city, close to AEON Asahikawa Nishi Store. There are parking spaces for 5 cars in front of the shop. It's 7 am, and I enter the shop with a cute bear illustration on the curtain that says "Natsukashi no Aji Asahikawa Ramen." As I take a seat at the counter, I look at the menu. Despite being a morning menu, they offer a wide variety of options. Apart from Asa-ra, they also have lunch and dinner menus. The morning menu is somewhat limited but still comparable to a regular ramen shop. They even have a one-coin ramen for students. The morning shift is handled by the mom alone, so you need to mark the ramen you want on the order sheet and hand it to her. "Koguman" opened independently from "Asahikawa Ramen Koguma Group Toyooka Store" in 2018. They continue the authentic Asahikawa ramen taste from the popular ramen chain "Kumako Chain" and its derivative "Koguma Group." They were ranked second in the shoyu category at the "Asahikawa Ramen Grand Prix 2022" and were featured on the popular Sunday night show "Banana Man's Sekkaku Gourmet" last year. The ramen arrives in less than 5 minutes. The soup with oil floating on top, topped with diced chashu, green onions, menma, and seasoned egg, looks impressive. The bowl has a bear mark and a three-color lightning pattern, an original raised bowl with the "Koguman" mark and bear cub mark, a remnant from the Koguma Group era. The soup is delicious, with a blend of bonito and fish flavors and an oily film, typical of Asahikawa ramen. The slightly firm, medium-thin noodles absorb the soup quickly. The chashu, menma, and seasoned egg are all tasty. The seasoned egg half is a special bonus for Asa-ra customers. The soup goes well with the green onions. Surprisingly filling, with a good amount of toppings. Despite that, the noodles and toppings disappear quickly. I finish every drop of soup and feel warm and satisfied. It was my first time having "delicious, nostalgic, authentic Asahikawa ramen" in the morning, but it felt familiar. It's a regular Asahikawa ramen, not a special version for breakfast. Despite being a morning meal, it's a hearty and satisfying bowl. It warms you up from the inside out. Next time, I might try the second most popular "shio" flavor. A popular and delicious local restaurant. Thank you for the meal♪ ※188th bowl in 2022/Total 813th bowl (Visited on December 20, 2022) (Posted on September 5, 2023)

I finally got to visit the gourmet paradise. I ordered soy sauce fried rice while my friend ordered salt fried rice. As always, we tasted each other's soup. My friend mentioned that the salt could be a bit stronger, but for me, both the salt and soy sauce were perfect. Especially the soy sauce had a good balance of broth and sauce, neither overpowering the other. The toppings were chopped green onions, bamboo shoots, and char siu, but none of them were too overpowering. The real stars were the soup and noodles. My friend said that the bamboo shoots lacked presence, but I thought that kind of subtle flavor worked well. The fried rice also had its own unique taste, and overall, I would definitely come back again. ✌️

Fried rice set (soy sauce) for 1100 yen. The regular Asahikawa ramen. It's a taste that doesn't get boring, easy to eat, and not disliked by many people. The noodles are firm and curly, which is delicious. The fried rice has a slightly unique seasoning, which was a bit subtle for me as I prefer the usual salt and pepper flavor. It's tasty, but the sweetness bothered me a bit. The soup and fried rice are both generous in portion, so I think it's good value for money. Today, they were out of curry, so I'd like to try the curry and spicy miso next time. There are water, disposable chopsticks, toothpicks, tissues, shichimi (Japanese seven spice) & pepper, and wet wipes available at the counter. The menu is diverse, not just ramen. When you sit down, you receive a cup and a wet towel. The service is good. It's impressive that two people can handle this operation while providing good customer service. However, since there is only one chef, it takes a reasonable amount of time to serve the food. It took me about 30 minutes. I was impressed by a young man sitting next to me who folded his hands before eating and said "itadakimasu" (I humbly receive) and after finishing eating, he said "gochisousama" (thank you for the meal) out loud.

I went to Asahikawa for some business and it was getting late at night, so I searched for a place near my destination. I found this place that was previously featured on a gourmet show by Banana Man, and it was close by. I arrived at around 7 pm and ordered the Asahikawa-style ramen, while my friend ordered the spicy version. It was amazing! Probably the best Asahikawa ramen I've ever had! We shared both bowls and the spicy ramen was also really good! Sometimes TV shows can exaggerate or feature places that aren't actually good, but this place was truly delicious. I would definitely want to visit again when I come back to Asahikawa. Thank you for the delicious meal!

Banana Man's nationwide TV broadcast has made this restaurant famous overnight (apparently it was already popular locally). They even serve breakfast ramen from 5:00 am (quite early, isn't it?). The restaurant is run by a female owner who has appeared on TV before, along with two female staff members. They also manage student dorms on the side and offer ramen for only 500 yen to students. They seem to be working hard, and I hope they continue to do so in the future. I visited the restaurant at 17:15 on a weekday (they open at 17:00) and there were already about 10 people waiting outside. After waiting for about 10 minutes, my friend and I were lucky to be seated ahead of four other customers waiting for a table. The interior of the restaurant has counter seats and raised tatami seating, giving it a local izakaya feel. I ordered the "Shoyu Ramen" for 700 yen, and it arrived in less than 10 minutes. The slightly cloudy soup had a thin layer of oil on top, was light with a hint of pork bone flavor, but lacked depth in taste. The noodles were classic low-hydration curly noodles, with a generous portion. The toppings included well-seasoned chashu, salted bamboo shoots, green onions, and were simple overall. Overall, it was a gentle and light Asahikawa ramen, but personally, I found the soup lacking in richness compared to the same dish I had at another well-known Asahikawa ramen shop, "Ajitei." Perhaps this is the traditional, beloved ramen style in the area. It seems like the restaurant is working hard, offering affordable ramen to students and managing student dorms. I wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

A ramen shop I've never been to before. There are still so many more to explore. There are various bear-themed shops in Asahikawa. This time, it's Koguman. I've never been here before. Oh, this is where it was. That's what I thought when I saw the place. But I rarely pass by this street, so it must be a new route for me. This sign is so eye-catching, it's hard to miss. If I see this sign, I'll know. This must be a new route for me. The parking lot... I probably parked in the right place, which is part of the property. There are so many options. I remember reading an article about ramen prices in Asahikawa going up to 1000 yen due to the rising cost of wheat. When you add toppings, it can go over 1000 yen. It's unavoidable. By the way, Shoyu and Salt ramen are 700 yen. Koguman ramen is also 1000 yen, the same price as Katsuramen, but I'm curious about the toppings on Koguman ramen. Rice dishes and sets. I'm curious about the Katsudon. The Katsuchahan also looks tempting. Sets start from 1100 yen. It seems like you have to be prepared to pay over 1000 yen for lunch in Asahikawa. In Tokyo, it's probably a common price. Opening from 5 a.m. is amazing. This shop is open from 5 a.m. I remember the phrase "morning ramen" becoming popular some time ago. Could this be the shop that started it all? Even though it's morning, the prices are the same. Curry set for 1100 yen. Since it's my first time at this shop, I decided on Shoyu ramen. I was debating whether to get a small rice or a set. In the end, I went with the curry set. I still feel a bit hesitant about paying over 1000 yen for lunch. They mentioned that the Shoyu is on the richer side, but my taste buds may have adjusted to Asahikawa's flavors. I didn't think it was that strong. I actually thought it could be even stronger. The broth had a strong umami flavor, and I found it to be light yet rich. The Chashu had a strong flavor that was well infused with the soy sauce. It was tender and packed a punch. The toppings included menma and green onions. The menma was slightly thin. The curly noodles were just that, slightly curly. They interacted well with the broth. I thought they were firm with a good bite. The mini curry was small, but the rice portion was slightly generous. The curry itself wasn't very spicy. I sprinkled some shichimi on top. It could be just the right amount for morning curry. By the way, it seems they also serve curry in the morning. It was listed as 400 yen, so with 700 yen + 400 yen, you get the set for exactly 1100 yen. Wait a minute, what was that? The side dish provided was a yellow Fukujinzuke. For a moment, I thought it was takuan. I can't remember if it was Fukujinzuke or takuan anymore. If you're curious, please go and verify it yourself. And please let me know in the comments. Thank you for the meal. ⇒ I'm curious about the taste of the fried rice and katsudon.

The ramen in the 2nd place in the spring 2022 ramen competition was only 500 yen for the regular soy sauce flavor. It was delicious, but the table wiping cloth smelled musty, and the seat/table area smelled bad the whole time we were waiting. The taste was good, but the smell was even worse, very disappointing.

In the past, this used to be a sushi restaurant, so there are counter seats and a large raised seating area where 6 people can sit. We sat in the raised seating area, which was a bit too spacious for just the two of us (laughs). We ordered the spicy miso ramen and salt ramen. The spicy miso ramen was indeed spicy, but surprisingly delicious. The noodles were thin and had less moisture, which is popular among the people in Asahikawa. The chashu looked firm but was actually tender and tasty. The salt ramen had a hint of seafood aroma and had a stable soup base in the tradition of Asahikawa ramen. Next time, I want to try the soy sauce ramen.

Morning ramen. It's great that they open early, perfect for those who wake up early. The staff are friendly and provide excellent service with a smile. The Shoyu Ramen was smooth and flavorful, with a refreshing aftertaste. The chashu was melt-in-your-mouth tender! The quality of the ramen was amazing considering how affordable it is.

On 22/02/19, I had "Shoyu Ramen for 650 yen" for lunch on my day off. It was a Saturday afternoon after running errands. I visited this place that ranked high in a certain newspaper's ramen grand prix. As expected, the place was almost full when I entered (sad face). I managed to grab the last seat at the counter. After wiping my hands with a hot towel, I first read through the menu. The top item, Shoyu Ramen, was surprisingly priced at 650 yen. I decided to go for it. This ramen was so gentle. The flavor base was the Asahikawa Shoyu itself. However, the mouthfeel was really soft. It felt like the strength of tonkotsu was rounded out by chicken bones. The sauce was also on the milder side compared to other places. The noodles were the classic low hydration wave noodles from Asahikawa. They mixed well with the soft soup and tasted delicious. The thick slices of chashu had a distinct flavor. When dipped in the soup, they would easily fall apart. The menma was a simple salted type. I slurped up the ramen effortlessly. It was a perfect finish, of course. When I paid, I received a complimentary pineapple candy and left. The taste was truly nostalgic as the sign promised. It seems like they also have a good selection of set meals here. I was eyeing the fried rice set that the lady next to me was eating during my meal (laughs). Next time, I'll definitely go for a set meal!

After finishing the annual task of removing snow from the roof of my parents' house in February, I decided to treat myself to some ramen! Recently, my parents have been going to this place for morning ramen and they really like it. It's a cozy little shop run by a friendly female owner. Surprisingly, it was quite busy for a weekday at this time. There were many interesting menu options, so I had a hard time deciding what to order. I ended up getting the Katsu Ramen (miso) for 1,000 yen. The large bowl was filled with plenty of soup. The miso soup was mild for Asahikawa ramen but still had a nice garlic flavor that made it easy to enjoy. The noodles were the classic Asahikawa style and were deliciously chewy! The crispy pork cutlet soaked in the soup was incredibly tasty! This hearty Katsu Ramen really helped me recover my energy. I'll definitely come back when I visit home again, as they have a variety of interesting menu items like morning ramen that I'd like to try.

It seems that the restaurant is open from 5 am to 8 am. The shop is clean and well-maintained. The female owner's customer service was good. The Shoyu Ramen costs 650 yen and has a mild taste. Personally, I found the soy sauce flavor a bit too strong for my liking, but trying other flavors may change my opinion. If you're looking for a place to have morning ramen, I recommend this shop, especially if you're in Asahikawa. Comparing it to New Home Run for soy sauce ramen is inevitable.

Ramen shop located in Nishiki-cho, Asahikawa City. This place is famous for serving morning ramen, with morning ramen time from 5:00 to 8:00 in the morning. It's rare to find a ramen shop that operates during these hours. Of course, they also open for lunch and dinner. This time, I visited after work. The shop is run by women only. The trademark is a bowl with a drawing of a bear. It feels warm and cozy. The menu is quite extensive. I was thinking of getting a set meal, but I found a ramen menu item that I wanted to try - "Gyoza Ramen (Shoyu)" (1,000 yen including tax). The combination of gyoza and ramen is quite unique, isn't it? The bowl arrived in about 10 minutes. First, I tried the soup. It has a rich flavor with a hint of pork bone. I later found out from the shop owner that they also use chicken bones. The soup is hot with a good amount of lard. The noodles are Asahikawa noodles with low water content, and they go well with the delicious soup. There are five gyoza on top of the ramen. The gyoza has a chewy skin and is cooked perfectly. It tastes even better when dipped in the soup. The other toppings are salt-free bamboo shoots and green onions. I think the gyoza is the star of this ramen, so these toppings are just right. While it's common to eat ramen and gyoza separately, they taste delicious together! I really liked it. There were other menu items that caught my eye. I might come back again.