I love the sound of the noodles from Yonezawa-style ramen, so if I could get some great chicken flavour in there I think that'd be for me. This is a hard choice to make, though! The sad truth is, when I do manage to visit Japan I will have to make these kinds of decisions for real, picking where to visit in a finite period of time! Just think how many bowls of ramen I will miss out on... It's so unfair!! 😭
Your whole NORTHERN JAPAN RAMEN Series offers some of the most fascinating ramen critiques. Furthermore, your food centered food critic backgrounded style is making you by far my best favorite professional food critic. Please keep up the great work. Your presentation is more and more approaching perfection and maturity. I would never miss any of your videos, short of those collaborating with other pretentious food critics. But I do like your brother.
Thanks for the kind words and I'm happy to hear that the ramen reviews resonate with you! I'm just a humble ramen eater. I think that ramen itself has a humbling, simple quality to it and this probably helps. Will keep the ramen reviews coming, including the occasional collab with my brother 👍
Excellent video again! Definitely love the akayu style followed by the simple chukasoba in yonezawa. But if i have to try only one, i probably go for the ice ramen for an unusual style!!! Those yonezawa beef does steal the show, love to have more of that!!
And excellent choices! Right - I think the ice cold ramen is one of those styles that is fun to say you've tried. And yes to Yonezawa beef, all day, every day 😅
I wanna try the miso ramen. Funny when you forgot the third ramen. Lol. I really like it when you feature other japanese food after the ramen bowls. Keep it up. 👍
you know you make me want to plan a trip to Japan around travelling around Japan to try out all the different styles of Ramen I think that would be super fun to do.
Hi Frank…another great and mouthwatering video. I love everything ramen. I’m curious about a statue/art that was in a few of your shots. It looked like people or kids on top of some kind of boat? Do you happen to know what the story is about it? Sorry this was probably a bad description of it but it caught my eye as your camera scanned by it. Looking forward to your next ramen adventure. 😊🇨🇦
I looked it up and it's a monument that was built in the 90s - it's name can be translated as "Striving for a 21st Century City - Yonezawa - One of Vitality, Creation, and Love" (活力と創造と愛の21世紀都市・米沢をめざして). Good job spotting that! The monument has a touching message. See you in the next adventure!
I've only made abot 8 kinds of ramen so I can't say what is my favorite, and it so depends on context and weather anyway. Your descriptions are great, Frank, and ramen is like physics--it it infinite!
Really enjoyed this video too! That was a pity about walking in pitch black to find the ramen store closed but at least you still got to try it! The Hirama noodles look definitely special, does the frizziness of the noodles make them carry more soup when slurping? Lots of interesting facts and outtakes Frank! How did the Yonezawa beef compare with high grade wagyu that you've tried?
Thanks! Sad when a spot is closed... but that much more special when you have a chance to go back for redemption! Yes, do they say that wavy or frizzy noodles can help pick up that soup - I do think it made a difference...and this was probably my favorite style from the 5 in Yamagata! Yonezawa Beef was definitely up there. I think when the level is this high, it's harder to note any differences (at least for me). Matsuzaka, Kobe, Omi, Yonezawa beef - all amazing from what I've had 😊
This was really relaxing and fascinating to watch! I think all of the styles appealed to me except the second one! Random question, do you notice a big variation in seasoned eggs in noodle bowls across the country? They're one of my favourite parts of a ramen bowl 😊 Also, kudos to you for sprinting for the bus with a belly full of ramen, I know exactly how that feels 😂
For the second style, you can also order without giblets 😃. Thanks for watching and happy to hear that. As to seasoned ramen eggs - regional differences are often more about how long the eggs are boiled for. For example, in Tokushima and Saga prefectures, they raw eggs are toppings. Hard-boiled eggs were most common in ramen back in the day. Soft-boiled eggs as we know them actually only came about in the early 2000s. Besides the actual boil time (whether more soft or hard boiled), the seasoning can vary from shop to shop - different soy sauces for different flavors, dried fish or not blended in, etc.
Chuukasoba is an older name for ramen but it's still used today. Yes, it's confusing since Chuukasoba is and uses ramen (wheat four) noodles, not soba (buckwheat) noodles. Chuukasoba basically means "Chinese Soba".
Frank I wish you would spend more time like Tabieats on talking about each bowl while your eating it.Not much time is really spent on sharing the bowl while you eat it.
I understand what you mean! Japan ramen shop etiquette tho is about eating quickly and leaving. By the time I'm done taking photos and videos, I'm wolfing it all down so I don't linger. In some of my videos (and the collabs with TabiEats) I contact the ramen shops ahead of time, just so they know we'll be taking our time. In the countryside (like this video), there's also a rush between bowls because of how far apart the shops are 😊
Pork and Shrimp dumplings with a side of Yonezawa Beef - who can say no to that? 😊 Tokyo is much better about facilities / assistance for the handicapped - most train stations have elevators. But in the countryside it's more like in the video. Although I think most people around there would be driving to places anyway.
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