麺屋白神 (Hakushin in Gifu Prefecture)

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麺屋白神

Hakushin is tough to reach by public transportation. So rent a car, or bring your motorcycle, and head to Seki City in Gifu Prefecture for pork ramen made with tiny white shrimp from Toyama Bay. This is a good one!

Ramen Adventures road trip! Golden hour in Nagano Prefecture, near my camping spot, is wonderful in the autumn.

I had a friend living in Tottori for a few months, so I decided to pay her a visit. The road from Tokyo to Tottori is around 700 kilometers. Perfect for a multi-day journey through the mountains.

The Shinhotaka Onsen (新穂高温泉) is a hidden gem up in the mountains near Kamikochi. Of course, there are many quality ryokans in the area, but this free public bath is worth a dip if you are driving over the Japanese Northern Alps.

The road through the mountains drops you off in Gifu Prefecture. Just north of Nagoya, this part of Japan is known for its wilderness. It’s also known, among the ramen geeks, as a bevy of hidden gem ramen shops. I have my work cut out for me!

The owner of Hakushin, Ishigami-san (石神さん), when asked what he wanted to do with his life at his high school graduation, decided on restaurant work. He spent time at the tasty-looking Seki Kanko Hotel before moving on to open his own ramen shop. This was back in 2004.

Since then, the shop has tweaked the recipe a few times, always using those Toyama shiroebi (白エビ) for a deep flavor. When Ishigami started his shop, the fisherman he worked with was treating the fish heads and shells as waste. Ishigami was happy to buy them up for the soup.

The shop makes its own noodles. This was one of those bowls that I’m sure would be tops for anyone, but the fact that I rode here over the mountains solo on a motorcycle made it even better.

The pork chashu is some of the juiciest I’ve come across. The fat melts in your mouth. Hakushin uses cartilage meat and cooks it for ages to make it tender. It’s almost like an Okinawan soki.

I was spotted and asked to sign a “famous person” plaque. Nice!

On a side note, one of the chefs at Hakushin won a big prize back in 2015. And I made a video about it!

Even though I prefer wild camping on these trips, I’ll stay in Gifu to try and hit a few more ramen shops. Wish me luck, as shops are notorious for shutting without warning for an impromptu holiday.

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