Look at this!
I bought a new bathing suit!
Isn't it so cute?
There!
Come on, over here!
Hurry up!
You went on for so long.
Well?
Does this bathing suit look good on me?
It does, right?
Yup, it's nice, very nice.
Misa-chan, you're very cute.
Oh, that person! She looks like Koizumi-san!
Hey, why are you looking at her?
She's got nothing on Koizumi-san, though.
Jeez!
Anyway, I didn't expect Koizumi to come,
but I can't believe Jun's not here, either.
She said she's too embarrassed to wear a bathing suit.
Aw, man, I really wanted to see those two in their bathing suits.
Be happy that you got to see me!
I wonder what they're up to right now.
Jun's probably in the library.
She said she's been going there every day since summer break started.
Jun does love books.
Reading over a hundred novels during summer break? Really?
I could never, ever do that!
Yeah, huh?
Ah, I wonder what Koizumi-san is up to.
Koizumi?
Well, ramen, of course, right?
Yeah.
Penguin Home Ramen
Ponpoko Soy Sauce Ramen
Avec Ramen
Umaka-chan
Koizumi-san sure does love ramen.
Risiri Kelp Ramen
Loves Ramen Noodles
Ms. Koizumi
Loves Ramen Noodles
Local Instant Noodles
Library
Summer Break Assignments Literature Mathematics B English
This is bugging me. I can't fully enjoy reading.
Oh, Koizumi-san.
The school library is good for studying during summer break, huh?
The town library tends to be pretty busy.
So is your summer report coming along?
Actually, not really.
You, too?
I mean, yeah, talk about our future career?
Our teacher just tells us to do
something we like or that we're good at, but it's easier said than done.
I don't think I could become a writer, and even if I were to
Worry
go into publishing like my mother, I won't necessarily end
up in the department I'd like.
Grades-wise, the natural sciences would be a good fit for me,
but none of the jobs associated with that really click with me.
Not listening
That's rough.
Honestly, though, what I really want is to just say to heck with it,
and run a bookstore or be a librarian so I can read books all day.
Yeah, right.
I kind of understand that.
Anyway, what is your dream for the future?
It's a secret.
I-I see.
I mean, it's something ramen-related, right?
Anyway, I'm off now.
Are you going somewhere after this?
Yes.
To look at the ramen that I love.
In All 47 Prefectures of Japan Ramen Koushien Bar Sakura Osaka Yakantei Group Arima Hikarigaoka Branch
This place?
The sign says it's a bar.
Wait, is that instant noodles?
Hokkaido Northeast • Kanto Tokai • North
An entire wall of it!
Huh? But I don't think I've seen many of these.
You noticed, huh?
The ramens they have here are local instant noodles from
every nook and cranny of Japan.
Hokkaido Tohoku/Kanto Tokai/Hokuriku
You're right!
They're sorted by region!
You can get some of these at the supermarket chains, lately, too.
Kansai/Chuugoku Shikoku/Kyushu Kyushu/Okinawa
Sakura was featured in "Ikewaku." Sakura has become a Mecca!
I didn't know there were that many types of instant noodles.
I often eat instant noodles when my parents aren't home for dinner.
Maybe I'll take some home.
I will eat them here.
Huh? Here?
You're going to eat instant noodles in the store?
When I make them myself, I usually make a mistake.
Examples of failure
What's more, even for instant noodles,
The soup...
it's become muddy
just one wrong step can ruin the flavor.
Prepare the noodles and the soup separately.
< How to Avoid >
Prepare the noodles and the soup separately
The noodles...
The noodles can get hard or stuck together.
are very hard... and stuck together
Cook the noodles evenly in plenty of water.
< How to Avoid >
Cook the noodles evenly in plenty of water without letting them touch the air
The noodles...
Or the opposite. If I overcook the noodles, they get soggy.
they're soggy
< How to Avoid >
The cooking time can be ten to twenty seconds less than directed
The cooking time can be less than directed.
Oh, how many times I've suffered.
I guess she can't cook very well.
Well, it's definitely a safe bet to have a pro make it.
Maybe I'll eat here, too.
So you pick something out here and have someone from the store cook it, right?
Yes.
Do you have any recommendations?
Everyone has their own preferences, so...
If I had to pick, however, I'd say that the products from Hokkaido are
Hokkaido
Sapporo Ramen Shirakanba Retreats
Sapporo Junren
all a cut above the rest.
Soy Sauce Ramen
They have many collaborations with famous restaurants, too.
Butaking
And beginning with the Maruyama Zoo Ramen, the ramens associated with
each region's zoos have cute packaging, but also take their taste seriously, too.
Another animal-associated type would be Aichi's Nishimikawa Giraffe Ramen series.
Giraffe Home Ramen
Penguin Home Ramen
Seal Home ramen
Yet another would be the Aquarium series, such as Penguin, Dolphin, and Seal.
Dolphin Home Ramen
They also have a healthier variant with non-fried noodles, called the beauty series.
Beauty Women's Ramen
Then there is the Higashimikawa region's Ponpoko Ramen.
Ponpoko Soy Sauce Ramen
Both have a gentle, homemade flavor.
The nonstandard types include various ingredients in the noodles, such as
Olive Ramen
Lotus Root Ramen
Cayenne Pepper Miso Ramen
Risiri Kelp Ramen
olive, lotus root, chili, or kelp, allowing you to experience unique flavors.
Champon Ramen
Umaka-chan Mustard Ramen
Additionally, there are these Chanpon ramen from Hyogo, which are close to salt tanmen.
Umaka-chan
Beware, though, they are quite different from Kyushu's Nagasaki chanpon.
Umaka-chan Kumamoto-style Tonkotsu
Umaka-chan Kurume-style Tonkotsu
Umaka-chan Kurobuta Tonkotsu
For some reason, they're very popular in Ishikawa.
Speaking of Kyushu, notable are the tonkotsu-flavored Umakacchan series,
and the Avec Ramen from Kumamoto, which comes with a light salt soup paste.
Avec Ramen
Maru-chan Double Ramen
They call it "Avec" because it has two servings, apparently.
In Hokkaido, the Double Ramen is something similar.
So much...
Wait a minute, why does she already know every flavor?
Does this mean she's tried every single one?
If she's doing this much research, does it mean that she's pursuing
a career in the ramen industry?!
So anyway, I went for the Hokkaido Rishiri Kelp Ramen.
I picked Ichiki Kushino Specialty Tuna Ramen from Kagoshima Prefecture,
with powdered wasabi.
These look like they came from a real ramen restaurant.
Well...
Time to eat.
There's a stronger kelp flavor than I expected.
The umami of the shredded kelp is spreading more and more.
Huh?
Huh?!
Risiri Island, Hokkaido
Risiri Kelp Ramen
Noodles with Risiri kelp and a light soup that complements its flavor.
I don't remember instant noodles ever being this good.
The powdered wasabi got in my nose.
But that's the fun part.
Koizumi-san, you're going to have a career in the ramen industry, right?
That's why you're always going around, training your sense of taste
and deepening your understanding of ramen, right?
I sort of look up to you for that.
Huh?
I never really thought about that.
I-I see.
In fact, I can't even think about anything...
when I'm eating ramen.
I kind of know what you mean.
You're right.
This is this, that is that.
Right.
So what is your dream for the future?
It's a secret.
What do I have to do to become ramen?
What are you talking about?
Sniff
Sniff, sniff...
Sniff
Sniff, sniff...
Sniff
The instant noodles you gave me kind of smell like Koizumi-san.
What?!
Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles
Iekei
The egg topping will be 70 yen.
Thank you for waiting!
Next customer, please!
Welcome!
The spicy miso cabbage is 120 yen!
Thank you for waiting!
Hey, what do you want to have for lunch?
I want ramen.
Rice.
A rice dish.
Noodles or something.
How about you guys put your rice in our ramen soup after we're done?
I guess that's a thing.
I'm fine with ramen, then.
What?
Putting rice into ramen broth?
Isn't that kinda gross?
Are you being serious right now?!
The soup's heavenly richness makes finishing it with rice a no-brainer!
I've never done such a thing.
Besides, I prefer light flavors.
Now, now...
I used to be a denier just like you until recently.
Leftover broth and rice?
If you want rice so badly, just get a small fried rice.
If you want more volume, just order more noodles.
You know?
But...
The other day, I went to a ramen shop with my girlfriend and the cook recommended it,
so I tried it for the first time.
Result? Total satisfaction.
My girlfriend was totally happy, too, saying, "Delicious! It's like an Italian risotto!"
By now, I'm fully converted.
Nobody asked you to brag about having a girlfriend.
Come on, I sided with you!
Vegetable potage types do work well rice.
And seafood types.
Katsuura tantan works really well, too.
Yes, and add an egg on top!
Then why not just order porridge from the get-go?
You don't get it.
It's good because you're finishing it with rice after the ramen!
Rice with ramen is carbs on carbs.
When you eat rice and ramen together, the ramen functions as the side dish and the soup!
But for being a soup, doesn't it have too much stuff in it?
Come on!
I'm fine with ramen, but can we please pick a place?
I'm hungry.
Yeah, sorry.
Let's see...
Which shop has the ramen that goes best with rice?
The customer is the master of our flavor
Iekei Birthplace Yoshimuraya Head Chef: Yoshimura Minoru
Household?
Does that mean it'll taste like it's homemade?
No, this is "iekei."
Like, it has spinach and nori on it, and it's rich. It's like tonkotsu, but it's also like chicken.
Anyway, it's just delicious!
That failed to explain it.
Man, the lineup is super long again.
Shut up! Anyway, iekei is the perfect companion for rice!
Iekei is something that began here, at this Yoshimuraya.
Almost all the restaurants that have their roots here have the kanji "ie" or "ya" in their names,
so they got grouped together under the "iekei" label.
Though the definition is not really solid.
That's it!
Oh yeah, it's true. There are quite a lot of them.
Let's get in line already.
Iekei Birthplace Ramen Yoshimuraya
All right, let's go!
Thanks for waiting.
I can't take it, it looks so good!
I have to send this to my girlfriend.
Huh? You're on social media?
Let's eat.
No, it's just for my records.
Hey, isn't this too much? I don't know if I can finish it.
Who cares! Let's just eat.
Time to eat!
A stable flavor.
It has a hint of game, but it's creamy and goes down easily.
It's so good that you'll die if you can't eat it regularly!
Yeah, this is actually really delicious.
See?!
Would you like some garlic? Or do you prefer ginger?
Saburou?
After this, I have to go to work, where I to talk to people.
I'll stick with ginger.
I'll take garlic. I'm going home after this.
I'm jealous. I have to go to work, too.
Oh, hey, when do you guys eat your spinach?
I eat it at the beginning.
If you ask me, I'd say at the end.
I've never even thought about that.
I eat it with my rice.
Then what about the nori? When do you eat that?
I mean, I never got why there's nori on ramen.
It's not clear when you should eat it, and if you leave it, it just gets soggy.
That's what's good about it!
See, you wrap the spinach in the soup-soaked nori like this.
This is the stuff!
So good!
The nori on ramen can only really shine fully when there's rice.
So true.
This is good.
Just eating it with the noodles is good, too.
If you let the nori soak up the soup, and eat it with the noodles, you can
enjoy both the noodles and the soup at the same time.
Yeah. Both ways are good, but now I feel like there's not enough nori.
If that's the case, you can just order extra nori.
I see.
Alternatively... Bam!
That's the ticket.
This looks so good.
It does look good, but then you end up drinking all of the soup.
The sodium...
Hey guys, what's your stance on vinegar in ramen?
Yay or nay?
I like to add it at the end to change up the flavor.
Welcome.
Oh, a high school girl!
Don't stare like that.
Hm? I feel like I've seen her before.
How thick would you like your soup?
Thicker soup, less fat, and the noodles a bit firm.
Sodium...
Here you go, ramen and rice!
Thank you for waiting.
Time to eat.
She kind of created a new dish!
I see, putting soup into your rice bowl works, too.
She's a master!
I see, she ordered her noodles firm because she eats her rice first.
Thank you for the meal!
I think you're right. Iekei ramen goes well with rice.
See?!
Iekei is the best!
Chopped ginger and grated ginger are usually both available, which is helpful.
At this place I was at the other day, I put chopped onion on and it was way
more refreshing than I had imagined.
That's why I think free toppings are a crucial element to truly enjoying iekei ramen,
so much that...
He's become a complete Damn it fanboy.
Which ramen shop are you going to today?
Lately, there's been an iekei boom.
Huh? What's that? Does it taste like it's homemade?
Then just come over to my place!
I will not.
Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles
Mountain
Pork Guy
Fatty Pork Roast
Cabbage as a topping has a rep for diluting the soup, but I like it because
it makes the flavor a bit more rounded.
Seriously? You noticing that means you've made real progress!
I sometimes put nattou on as a topping.
I've heard that vanilla ice cream on soy sauce, potato salad on tonkotsu, and
honey on miso are viable, too.
That's too sophisticated for me to even imagine.
Thank you for the food!