I frequented a place over 15 years ago that had an udon bowl that was beyond magical.. It was just a nice and simple noodle dish, but it was one of the best things I have had throughout my life, you could taste the care and love that went into it I swear The place is long gone, sadly.. But the flavor, the smell, the comfortable atmosphere and the friendliness of the folks still sticks in my mind. Mind you this was in the states, homemade everything, from the noodles to broths and sides, was surprising to find a more authentic/proper place near where I lived
I'd have to say probably it was the first ramen that I ever had. We'd just reached a small privately run hostel in Gion around 11pm in March and the host took my friend and to a small ramenya nearby to get some shoyu ramen. The fatigue and hunger from the flight made the ramen particularly magical!
Frank…I swear you have the best job travelling from place to place trying different styles of ramen. A most satisfying way to spend your days. Perhaps the most special part are the lovely people you meet during your travels. 🍜😊🇨🇦
Those little connections make going into smaller shops there so special. Seems more prevalent when you get away from areas with higher foot traffic from tourism. People will wonder what made you make the trip, etc. Always cool when you can have a wonderful moment become something that sticks with you for life, even if it’s just a meal. 🙂
Well said - there's more curiosity when it's off the beaten path...them even thinking "how did you end up here?" It made this meal and the whole trip that much more special...def will stick with me!
Great video! You deserve more views. The ramen looked excellent as always. Also appreciated you taking the time to talk about your interaction with the owners. I know its a pain to edit but I think it would be cool if you also showed the hotels you stay in and parts of the train journey. Either way love your videos. Takes me back to when I used to live there and just randomly travel to new cities :D
Thanks for watching and for the kind words 😊. I'm sure you miss it and happy to hear it takes you back. A lot of the footage I took this year (this particular video is from Feb) doesn't feature much in between stuff, whether hotels or train travel. But for future videos, I can try and incorporate more of this!
Enjoying your ramen tour! Each bowl you eat looks so delicious. That was so sweet what you said about the couple who appreciated you coming to try their ramen. 💖
I could imagine a great Wes Anderson film about the pursuit of the perfect bowl of ramen in northern/eastern Japan! Of course, with Frank in there somewhere!
I love how you describe the place and the people there. Sometimes, even just those little things make your meal better! I really hope they're doing fine during these harsh times. It seems like a very nice place to visit, and their ramen looks amazing too! And this is probably asked a lot, but what was your no.1 favorite ramen place before this? I'd imagine it's quite a feat to overtook your no.1 that easy considering how many ramens you've eaten :)
Thanks for watching and saying that! This place really stood out because of that interaction, making the meal better, as you said. Thankfully most ramen restaurants have survived during this time - but it hasn't been easy. Great question and it's really hard to say. Even with that no. 1 rank in my head, there are so many varieties of ramen that I probably need fifteen no. 1s 😅. I absolutely love this place in Tokyo: 5amramen.com/ramen/ochanomizu-ramen-daishi Emotional for me too, although for a different reason!
A place has got to be special if you happen to order an unplanned extra bowl that ends up being 4 bowls in a day! I think it can be hard to understand good chicken flavour these days when so much "chicken" soup is from powdered broiler stock. The train footage was really cool too!
Indeed! During the trip it was hard to keep a 4 bowl / day pace too because of the odd hours of many shops, especially in smaller cities. Was so worth getting two bowls at Dateya tho 😊. This is true, re: the powdered chicken stock we're used to these days. I'm sure that onsen is worth visiting, via that train 🚂
Frank I love your stuff and if I come to Tokyo I’m definitely booking a day with you. I just wanted to ask for the instant ramen if there’s a way I could do a bi-monthly subscription? Love getting the variety packs but I don’t need them every month. every 2 months would be perfect
That would be awesome - do reach out again when travel is closer to being back! As to a bi-monthly subscription, can you plz shoot us a quick email at info@instantramen.jp. We should be able to create a custom / bi-monthly plan 👍
Looks delicious as always. How was that egg? I think you made a smart decision calling it Northern Japan rather than Eastern. I had no idea they call it East and West Japan.
From what I remember, the egg was great. I was pretty full at that point, having worked on the dumplings and noodles first 😅. Yes, Northern Japan probably has a better ring to it!
![Japan’s BEST Noodles? [Yonezawa Ramen]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hNV8LcaUdE0/mqdefault.jpg)
![Japan’s BEST Noodles? [Yonezawa Ramen]](/img/tr.png)
You ever had a bowl that could only be described as "magical?"
I frequented a place over 15 years ago that had an udon bowl that was beyond magical.. It was just a nice and simple noodle dish, but it was one of the best things I have had throughout my life, you could taste the care and love that went into it I swear
The place is long gone, sadly.. But the flavor, the smell, the comfortable atmosphere and the friendliness of the folks still sticks in my mind.
Mind you this was in the states, homemade everything, from the noodles to broths and sides, was surprising to find a more authentic/proper place near where I lived
So this one is it? I’ve never eaten ramen in my life and always wanted to try but it has to be only in Japan, I refuse to buy on United States
I'd have to say probably it was the first ramen that I ever had. We'd just reached a small privately run hostel in Gion around 11pm in March and the host took my friend and to a small ramenya nearby to get some shoyu ramen. The fatigue and hunger from the flight made the ramen particularly magical!
Yes, at Ramen Shingen in Sapporo. Miso based. I was blown away by the broth. Magical!
@@stevew2926 Ramen Shingen is an excellent choice! They're famous and are indeed magical 😃.
Frank…I swear you have the best job travelling from place to place trying different styles of ramen. A most satisfying way to spend your days. Perhaps the most special part are the lovely people you meet during your travels. 🍜😊🇨🇦
I really do! Happy to share this with all of you as well. The people met along the way definitely makes it that much more memorable 😊
Those little connections make going into smaller shops there so special. Seems more prevalent when you get away from areas with higher foot traffic from tourism. People will wonder what made you make the trip, etc. Always cool when you can have a wonderful moment become something that sticks with you for life, even if it’s just a meal. 🙂
Well said - there's more curiosity when it's off the beaten path...them even thinking "how did you end up here?" It made this meal and the whole trip that much more special...def will stick with me!
so hungry after watching your video. Keep up the great job Frank!
Thank you and will do! This spot was amazing 😊
Frank, I am eating vicariously through you! Greatly anticipating your next location!
Next up is modern ramen in Fukushima City! Thanks for watching 😉
Dumpling ramen looks amazing and the shop had so much character.
Yes and yes! Thanks for watching 👍
What a peaceful little ramen shop! The ramen looked amazing!
Yes to both! This one holds a special place in my heart and stomach 😊
Great video! You deserve more views. The ramen looked excellent as always. Also appreciated you taking the time to talk about your interaction with the owners. I know its a pain to edit but I think it would be cool if you also showed the hotels you stay in and parts of the train journey. Either way love your videos. Takes me back to when I used to live there and just randomly travel to new cities :D
Thanks for watching and for the kind words 😊. I'm sure you miss it and happy to hear it takes you back.
A lot of the footage I took this year (this particular video is from Feb) doesn't feature much in between stuff, whether hotels or train travel. But for future videos, I can try and incorporate more of this!
Enjoying your ramen tour! Each bowl you eat looks so delicious. That was so sweet what you said about the couple who appreciated you coming to try their ramen. 💖
Thanks for coming along! It's been a deliciously diverse ramen trip. Taht couple made it all extra special 😊
I could imagine a great Wes Anderson film about the pursuit of the perfect bowl of ramen in northern/eastern Japan! Of course, with Frank in there somewhere!
That would be the greatest honor 😊, artistically documented by him.
Looks so yummy 👍 Can’t wait to go back to Japan 🍜
So yummy indeed! Can't wait for travelers to be back too.
I must now go on a journey in search of the mystical dumpling ramen.
Follow what the ancient scrolls say 😊
The noodles and the soups look simple and plain but i am sure they are delicious
Simple is best, in this case. Classic but complex 👍
Keep up! Keep going!
Will do!!
OK, it's 5 AM here. I'm eating ramen. What have you done to me??? (Best idea ever.)
Nothing like starting (or ending) your day with a bowl of ramen 😅
You have the best career ever
I really do 😁
I love how you describe the place and the people there. Sometimes, even just those little things make your meal better! I really hope they're doing fine during these harsh times. It seems like a very nice place to visit, and their ramen looks amazing too!
And this is probably asked a lot, but what was your no.1 favorite ramen place before this? I'd imagine it's quite a feat to overtook your no.1 that easy considering how many ramens you've eaten :)
Thanks for watching and saying that! This place really stood out because of that interaction, making the meal better, as you said. Thankfully most ramen restaurants have survived during this time - but it hasn't been easy.
Great question and it's really hard to say. Even with that no. 1 rank in my head, there are so many varieties of ramen that I probably need fifteen no. 1s 😅. I absolutely love this place in Tokyo: 5amramen.com/ramen/ochanomizu-ramen-daishi
Emotional for me too, although for a different reason!
A place has got to be special if you happen to order an unplanned extra bowl that ends up being 4 bowls in a day! I think it can be hard to understand good chicken flavour these days when so much "chicken" soup is from powdered broiler stock. The train footage was really cool too!
Indeed! During the trip it was hard to keep a 4 bowl / day pace too because of the odd hours of many shops, especially in smaller cities. Was so worth getting two bowls at Dateya tho 😊.
This is true, re: the powdered chicken stock we're used to these days. I'm sure that onsen is worth visiting, via that train 🚂
Frank I love your stuff and if I come to Tokyo I’m definitely booking a day with you. I just wanted to ask for the instant ramen if there’s a way I could do a bi-monthly subscription? Love getting the variety packs but I don’t need them every month. every 2 months would be perfect
That would be awesome - do reach out again when travel is closer to being back! As to a bi-monthly subscription, can you plz shoot us a quick email at info@instantramen.jp. We should be able to create a custom / bi-monthly plan 👍
You should do a beef journey as well.....
I think my stomach may think I've betrayed it 😅
After ramen, other food expansion, that would be fun!
aaa shio wantanmen tabetai
One of the best out there! Once travel is back, tabete kudasai.
Another badass video! Stoked!
I wanna smash all those bowls! Looks delicious
Loved this place, and I'm sure you would too!
Yum! I would love your job!! Can't wait for the next video!
One of the best jobs out there 😅. Thanks for watching and hope you enjoy the next one too!
What a touching moment with the shop owners. I definitely want to try their ramen. The shio looked perfect with wantan and egg! :)
"Perfect Ramen" in a dictionary would have their ramen as the photo! That little interaction might have been the most special on the trip.
Awweeh the ramen shop was like an Anime romance light novel, so touching and delicious ramen!
Haha, for sure! Those still shots look like they were taken right from a ramen manga 😃
You're crazy, Frank! I mean that as a compliment, btw :D
Haha, I take it as a compliment, because I indeed am 😊. Thanks for watching!
Looks delicious as always. How was that egg? I think you made a smart decision calling it Northern Japan rather than Eastern. I had no idea they call it East and West Japan.
From what I remember, the egg was great. I was pretty full at that point, having worked on the dumplings and noodles first 😅. Yes, Northern Japan probably has a better ring to it!