麺匠ぼんてん

I’ve been very slowly pursueing shops on my Fukushima list. Bonten was the next one up.

Kitatkata style, meaning you should always get it with extra chashu. I’ve never been disappointed with a few extra slices. Kitakata style is generally a lighter shoyu with a niboshi kick and some chewy, flat noodles.

The soup here is made with カエシ, a kind of shoyu tare seasoning. Kaeshi is much more simple than other tare sauces. Vegetarians can rest assured that it only contains soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Vegetarians, though, probably shouldn’t be eating ramen like this.

The chef here worked all over Japan, with Saitama, Osaka, and Asahikawa in Hokkaido all on his ramen resume. It’s no surprise that this was one of the pioneers of chemical seasoning free (無化調) in the area. Chemical seasoning free always sounds off to me. MSG-free is another way to say this, but I also feel that MSG isn’t a bad thing. Anyways, this is a good bowl.

Hand massaging the noodles before cooking gives them a bit more bite. It’s a popular technique in Kitakata.

They even have their own cute character. Tsubasa Ootori has a short katana and a chicken backpack. Makes sense to me!

Official Twitter here.

Ramen Adventures

Ramen Shop Reviews from Japan and Abroad

麺匠ぼんてん (Mensho Bonten in Sendai)

大盛軒 (Taiseiken in Nakano, Tokyo)

ローストビーフ油そばビースト (Roast Beef Aburasoba Beast in Shinjuku, Tokyo)

百日紅 (Sarusuberi in Shinjuku)

麺匠ぼんてん (Mensho Bonten in Sendai)

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大盛軒 (Taiseiken in Nakano, Tokyo)

ローストビーフ油そば ビースト (Roast Beef Aburasoba Beast in Shinjuku, Tokyo)

百日紅 (Sarusuberi in Shinjuku)

ローストビーフ油そばビースト (Roast Beef Aburasoba Beast in Shinjuku, Tokyo)