Goryokaku in Ogikubo: Hakodate Shio Ramen
- Frank
- Dec 12, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Goryokaku in Ogikubo has masterfully produced a shio ramen inspired by Hakodate City and the sea. It’s a refreshing, healthy bowl that’s hard to forget.
Goryokaku (函館塩ラーメン 五稜郭) takes its names from a big fort in Hakodate City, Hokkaido. As the ramen shop owner is from Hakodate, it’s only appropriate that he’d choose a landmark and ramen style from his hometown.
Goryokaku in Ogikubo - A Sea Lover’s Shio Ramen
Top-quality ingredients quietly elevate this bowl. These ingredients include makombu from Dounan (a firmer and sweeter high-quality kelp), dried scallops from Sarufutsu, and chicken (bones) from around Japan.
The shio ramen starts at an affordable price. You’ll get 2 types of chashu pork (one broiled), negi, menma, and a slice of “fu” (wheat gluten). Fu is popular in Hakodate and when it melts in the broth, takes on a fluffy, spongy texture.
The topping you definitely want to add is the Gagome kelp. It starts off looking like a green haystack, but once it hits the broth, it melts into a slimy, slippery algae. The texture is unlike anything else in ramen - weird in the best way. The creamy egg topping is a solid addition too.
Goryokaku trumpets the healthy aspects of its shio ramen. This ranges from high mineral and protein content in the fu to positive benefits the Kogame kelp can have on skin. This is indeed a clean tasting bow. I could eat this all day and not feel heavy in any way.
In summary, Goryokaku in Ogikubo serves a healthy, high-quality bowl of shio ramen. This is the best Hakodate shio ramen in Tokyo you’ll get without having to visit Hakodate.
