くどうラーメン (Kudo in Aomori)

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くどうラーメン

Another Aomori shop on my hitlist was Kudo. They open early for a simple bowl of asara (朝ラー) morning ramen. A paltry 450 yen gets you a small bowl, perfect for breakfast.

And the small bowl lets you save room for all the local apples. Aomori is mega-famous for apples in Japan. Many orchards will individually wrap their apples in paper bags, while still on the tree, to protect them from the elements and nature’s apple-munching pests. Expect the prices to be up there. One apple will cost you a buck or two. By the way, the San Kinboshi (サン金星) was the best apple I’ve eaten in my life. I’m much less an apple expert than a ramen expert, but if you ever see this yellow beauty you should dig in.

The shop recommends their large size, with the 450 yen small being aimed at children. I’m a kid at heart, so the tiny one was the way to go. To be honest, I never eat before lunch, so this was perfect for someone with no appetite.

As simple as they come. No frills shoyu ramen made with sardines from nearby Mutsu Bay (陸奥湾) and local Shamrock chicken. Master Kimiyasu Kudo uses different fish throughout the year based on seasonality and availability. Kudo has been around since 1948.

The topping menu takes up the bulk of the ticket machine. Menma, raw eggs, wantan. The menma is made in-house over three days. You might want to get extra. Onigiri is offered on occasion. Looking at the menu after the fact, they also sell a service bowl (サービスラーメン) for 100 yen less than the normal bowls. A quick google search shows that this is noodles, soup, and negi green onion only. The chashu and menma were very good, so you should probably stick with the normal bowl.

They also have, at the bottom right corner, a 100 yen “trial” bowl. This bowl has only 30 grams of noodles! If you order it and enjoy your slurp, you can get a 100 yen discount on a normal-sized bowl. Hilarious.

Hey! There’s my book on the wall!

Located slightly out of the way. You might have to search around the block for it.

I’d love you to check out my YouTube video about the trip!

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