Chapter Five: Hachiya 5-Jo Sohonten Why not the main store on 3rd street? Well, who knows why? Personally, I always decide to come here for ramen at Hachiya. When I was in high school and took the bus, I would often stop by here, but as an adult, if I ever go out for ramen in the city, it's always here. It's been a few years since I last visited, but the interior of the restaurant hasn't changed much, and this dining style really brings a sense of calmness to someone born in the Showa era like myself. I remember a time when I was a new working adult and visited this store for work. During the break time in the shop (while they were preparing), I parked my car in the parking lot and entered through the front entrance like normal. Suddenly, a loud voice shouted, "Where did you come in from?! You shouldn't be entering from there!" I was scolded for entering through the wrong door. It was a valuable lesson for me at the time, and I've been careful ever since. I even thought about quitting my job because I was so scared. Thank you for that experience. Now, let's order: - Myself: Shoyu ramen (normal charred) - Wife: Shoyu ramen (dark charred) I realized that I've only ever had the dark charred ramen at Hachiya, so this time I decided to try the normal lard ramen. The dishes arrived in about 10 minutes, and the dark charred ramen had a strong impact with its appearance. On the other hand, the normal ramen had a simple and rustic feel to it. Let's dig in before it gets cold! The soup is surprisingly mild at first, but then the animal and seafood broth flavors kick in, especially the fish. I can taste the bonito more than the dried sardines, and the kombu adds a Japanese flavor to it. It's mild at first but packs a punch as you continue to drink it. This is what I love about Hachiya's ramen. The noodles are slurped up quickly, and the char siu looks tough but is actually tender. The menma is also delicious. I can't stop drinking the soup, which is a common habit among people from Asahikawa when eating ramen. But with all the ramen I've been eating lately, I have to leave some behind. The normal charred ramen was surprisingly delicious, with a simple yet flavorful broth. Meanwhile, my wife is thoroughly enjoying the dark charred ramen in front of me. I sneak a bite, but she catches me and steals my bowl. I wish I could finish all the soup, but I have to leave some behind.

I entered the restaurant a little after noon. I ordered the most popular soy sauce ramen, which was said to have a unique flavor. I was a bit worried, but it turned out to be delicious with a taste I had never experienced before. My partner ordered the spicy soy sauce ramen, which had a good level of spiciness and went well with rice!

I came to Asahikawa for work after a long time, but there weren't as many lunch options as I thought. There are ramen shops, but I decided to try Hachiya for lunch. I had the Char Siu Shoyu Ramen (regular fat). I didn't do any research beforehand, so my first impression was so-so, but the noodles were delicious. (I prioritize noodles over soup.) The soup is light and fish-based, so it's refreshing. The Char Siu is lean, so if you're watching your fat intake but still want to eat ramen, it's a good option.

I couldn't get the hormone ramen due to it being sold out, so I went to a nearby place and ordered soy sauce ramen instead. I thought it might be rich because they advertised burnt lard, but it turned out to have a refreshing soy sauce flavor, making it easy to finish the soup. Then, the aroma of the fragrant lard came in, creating a unique taste that I had never experienced before.

I returned to Asahikawa after sightseeing in Furano and had Asahikawa ramen before boarding the plane to go back. The restaurant is located near Heiwadori Shopping Park, which extends from the station towards the city hall in the center of Asahikawa. I went there on a weekend evening around 4:30 PM and was able to enter without waiting. Despite being in the city center, the restaurant has parking space for 5 cars. I ordered the "shoyu ramen" (900 yen). There is no ticket machine, so you order directly from the staff after being seated and pay at the register after finishing your meal. The ramen was served in just 5 minutes. It looked like a classic shoyu ramen with robust chashu, menma, negi, and medium-thin noodles in a rich soy sauce soup. While there are probably more refined shoyu ramen out there, this one felt delicious with a sense of tradition mixed with innovation.

One of the oldest establishments in Asahikawa ramen, Hachiyasan. As you may know, Asahikawa ramen is characterized by a soup made from both seafood and animal ingredients, soy sauce-based sauce, low-water content noodles, and a generous amount of lard floating on top. This unique touch ensures that the ramen stays warm in the harsh cold of winter in Asahikawa. As Asahikawa was a hub for pig farming and distribution in Hokkaido, the seafood distribution in Asahikawa led to the creation of the double soup characteristic of Asahikawa ramen, with a deep cultural and historical background. Hachiyasan is said to be one of the original shops that started Asahikawa ramen. The atmosphere exudes a nostalgic feel, reminiscent of an old-fashioned diner. While they offer soy sauce, miso, and spicy miso variations, the soy sauce ramen remains the most popular. The distinctive feature of this shop is the strong flavor of the burnt lard, with plenty of black lard floating on top. You can also request extra lard. The unique taste of the burnt lard is clearly felt from the first bite, with a distinctive charred aroma. While the initial impression may be somewhat peculiar, the flavor becomes addicting as you continue eating. This is the kind of ramen you crave on a cold winter day with snow falling. It truly captures the culture and history of Asahikawa.

I arrived at the restaurant at the usual opening time of 10:30, so there was no line, but it quickly became full. I ordered the spicy negi (green onion) soy sauce ramen with a half-cooked seasoned egg and crispy lard that enhanced my appetite with its fragrant aroma. I mixed the spicy negi with the straight noodles and finished it in no time. This flavor is addictive and can only be experienced at this restaurant. It was a truly satisfying bowl of ramen.

It's a black soy sauce flavor, right? It seems to be a very famous shop, so we lined up and managed to get in. The turnover was fast, so we didn't have to wait too long that day. Personally, I wanted more soy sauce flavor. But overall, I was satisfied and enjoyed the meal. Thank you very much.

I visited after about 10 years. There were a few people lined up outside, but I was able to enter soon. The inside of the restaurant had a nostalgic cafeteria-style with chairs and tables. There were many signed color papers. I liked the atmosphere. I ordered the classic soy sauce ramen (900 yen) with extra fat. When I took the first bite, I thought, "Is this delicious?" But as I continued to eat, the indescribable flavor of burnt lard made me finish the whole bowl. I think people's preferences may vary, and it's hard to say if it's delicious, but it was a bowl that I didn't dislike.

I visited "Ramen Hataya 5-Jo Sohonten" on August 14th, probably for the third time. I have visited the main store at the 15th block more often. The debut of Hataya was when it was located at Asahikawa Station in Asahikawa Station Department Store. Today, I visited with 4 people for dinner at 5:00 pm. It was a time filler while waiting for another restaurant visit. The restaurant was full, so we were asked to wait outside. We were given the menu in advance, but the rice dishes were sold out. Although there were signs on the wall indicating sold-out items, it would be better to have them listed on the menu. We planned to share ramen and pass the time with rice dishes, but we failed as we were seated in about 4 minutes. We ordered: - Shoyu Ramen 900 yen - Shoyu White Negi (green onion) 1050 yen - Shio (salt) Ramen 900 yen - Shio White Negi 1050 yen - Bottle of beer (Asahi Super Dry medium bottle 500ml) 500 yen - Homemade grilled gyoza (dumplings) 500 yen We ordered the regular amount of burnt lard topping for the ramen. Shoyu ramen was recommended, so I chose that without considering other options, as I had never tried anything other than shoyu before. I believe the shoyu ramen was 750 yen back when I visited with my boss about 7 years ago. The beer was served first, and the ramen was served in about 10 minutes. The ramen came with Menma (bamboo shoots), sliced green onions, and dry chashu (roast pork). The burnt lard topping was of regular volume, but I had never ordered the strong one before. I will try it next time. The noodles were curly and thin, with a lower water content and a strong white flavor. They were cooked softer than at the main store. The soup had a strong fish broth flavor, which may be divisive, but I personally liked it. However, for health reasons, I did not finish the soup. The image of Hataya has been strongly associated with shoyu, so I may have never tried anything other than shoyu before. I will challenge myself to try something other than shoyu next time... though I am currently avoiding miso flavor. But there is a spicy miso option, which is a bit intriguing. Thank you for the meal.

I ate here for the first time in 20 years! It's an established restaurant with a unique taste that you can only find here. In the past, I used to order the soup to be thick and form a film when it cooled down, but now that I'm older, I just had it normal. The soup has a strong fish flavor with plenty of burnt lard. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I think it's delicious. Even my picky kids devoured it and said "It's delicious!!". There used to be a branch in Kagurazaka, and I was thrilled to find it here! Unfortunately, it closed down shortly after I visited. I'm a ramen enthusiast, so I hope they open another branch in the Tokyo area. But I know it's not easy to do so.

Before heading back to my hometown, I stopped by Asahikawa and had the shoyu ramen at Hachiya-san. It was 900 yen for a bowl of Asahikawa ramen with lard on top. I arrived at 7 pm. They didn't have rice, and the miso ramen was sold out. It's truly a popular shop, with customers constantly coming in.

It might be about 9 years since I last had it. Without hesitation, I ordered the soy sauce ramen. It's priced at 900 yen, which feels quite expensive. As always, the burnt lard topping is incredibly delicious. The noodles are also tasty. The meat, which seems to be grilled pork instead of chashu, felt slightly inferior compared to before. But it's still the number one Asahikawa ramen.

I went around 11 in the morning and was able to enter without waiting in line. I ordered the soy sauce chashu with extra noodles and extra burnt lard. Despite being a large portion, I found the amount of noodles to be a bit lacking. I haven't had burnt lard much before, but I think next time I'll go for the regular version. There is a parking lot with space for 4-5 cars, but it was full when I arrived.

I had dinner here. This time, I ordered soy sauce soft-boiled egg ramen with normal oil. Last time, the soup was lukewarm and the flavor was weak, but this time the soup was piping hot and the flavor was just right. The noodles were a bit soft, but not unpleasant. The restaurant has a nice rustic atmosphere. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I ended up at a ramen shop in Asahikawa after visiting the Asahiyama Zoo! The shop had a cool, retro vibe that got me excited. The walls were covered with signatures of famous people! I tried their signature burnt lard ramen, and it was a taste like no other! The soup had a strong, smoky flavor at first, but it was surprisingly light and refreshing. It was really delicious!

I went to the popular Hachiya ramen shop in Asahikawa. I heard that it smells really strong, but when I entered, I didn't smell anything. I ordered the number one popular soy sauce ramen. It looked just like the photos in the reviews. First, the soup was so lukewarm... Huh? The taste was weak... What is this ramen... lol Maybe I had too high expectations? lol Unfortunately, this is the evaluation I have to give. There were four of us and we all had the same opinion. Honestly, I'm disappointed. No repeat visits for me. I accidentally ordered the large size, haha.

After climbing Mt. Asahi in the snowy Daisetsuzan mountains, my companions and I took a break before dinner, which was scheduled for 7:00 pm. Before that, we decided to patrol the city in the rain and ended up stopping at this restaurant for a snack. The first two slices of chashu were too tough to chew, so I kindly asked the staff to exchange them, which they did promptly. They explained that the chashu was sliced using a slicer. I really enjoyed the soy sauce ramen with extra lard. It was delicious! Even though I had a big dinner ahead, I couldn't resist finishing the whole bowl of soup. The rich lard flavor reminded me of ramen from Hachinoya, which I really liked.

There was no air conditioning in the training venue~. It was a sunny day in Asahikawa from the morning. Couldn't concentrate on the training. But I'll do my best in the afternoon! Injecting some hot ramen! (Oops? Am I crazy?) Well, I can't resist ramen, right? After eating, I had to go back to the hot training venue (lol). So, today's scorching (highest temperature 30°C) Asahikawa Ramen Tour. Arrived at a long-established shop. The entrance has two cute styles, one on the alley side and the other on the parking lot side. So, I decided to use both, entering from the parking lot side and exiting from the alley side. What a great experience, right? (lol) I ordered the "Soy Sauce Ramen (900 yen)" with "Burnt Lard 'Rich'" and an "Seasoned Soft-Boiled Egg (100 yen)". The kitchen is visible, which is cool! Lifted the noodles on a flat plate. The chef's draining style is super cool♡ Served quickly. The black lard under the noodles is intriguing. When mixed, the soup at the back is cloudy. Even though it's supposed to be rich, it goes down smoothly. A somewhat mysterious feeling. The thin and firm chashu was perfect. I also felt this at "Himawari" yesterday, but is it a feature of Asahikawa ramen that the noodles are straight and slightly soft? This is also good. Lastly, the slightly cooled soup. I couldn't tell when it was hot, but as it cooled, the flavor became more apparent. It had a rich taste and was delicious.

Visited for the second time on the last morning of my trip to Asahikawa. Arrived around 10:20 for the 10:30 opening. There was only one person in line, probably because it was a Monday weekday. The restaurant opened right on time at 10:30 and I ordered the shoyu ramen with extra lard. The soup was pitch black and covered with lard, making it look very hot. The taste of the soup divided opinions, but I personally loved it! The chashu was lean and easy to eat, and the medium-thick curly noodles were delicious. I drank up all the soup without stopping! I would love to go for a second bowl, but my stomach couldn't handle it. Asahikawa locals are lucky to be able to visit anytime they want. Thank you for the meal. I will come back again.