Miso Ramen @ Keyaki, Shin Chitose Airport, Hokkaido

 

You know that moment when you landed at the airport and it is way past lunch time? That sense of hunger that needs to be quelled as soon as possible? I know the feeling. But lucky enough, it was Shin Chitose in Sapporo.  This is a homecoming of sorts, as Hokkaido was the first Japanese destination for me in 2014. 

  

Welcome to the dojo!

I was here with my family in a tour group and we spent a week exploring the prefecture. Although it was fun, I did not experience the city of Sapporo in its full glory as we only stayed for 2 nights and most of the days were already blocked with activities. Not to mention I speak zero Japanese then. Now that times has changed, and more specifically I have changed, it is due time for me to have this homecoming. But before anything can happen, it is time for lunch. The plane landed about 2pm and once all the other necessaries were completed, I got my luggage closing to 3pm. Really needing to eat something, I decided to have my lunch in the airport. And I remembered that similar to Fukuoka airport, there is a ramen food court that is actually rather famous on site. Specifically named the Hokkaido Ramen Dojo, this place carries a variety of heavy hitters selling all types of ramen around the country. Of course, being in Hokkaido, miso ramen takes the biggest cut in terms of representation. And after some mulling, it just makes sense to wait in line for the one that is famous for such a noodle. Enter Keyaki. 

Spotted! Now just need to wait for my seat.

Keyaki is a legendary ramen outlet that serves great miso ramen since 1990. Located originally in Susukino area of Sapporo city, it has a reputation of serving great tasting ramen which is a combination of various ingredients.  It should be noted you can still visit their original branch in Sapporo city proper, but since the one at the airport is much closer and under circumstances at the time, I opted to dine here. Being a specialty miso ramen shop, that is the only thing they serve. They do have extras you can add. From the classic egg and charshu to even decadent snow crab, there is somehow something for everyone. As for me I opted for the original ramen with a boiled egg which stood for 1500 yen, where the standard bowl was for 1200 yen and the egg 300 yen. 

Colourful!

 Unlike tonkotsu or shoyu which seems to ensure that their elements stay separate until assembly, miso ramen is more of a potpourri of ingredients being cooked together, making it a literal melting pot of flavours and this is evident in their bowls. With a thick broth covering all the noodles and vegetables, it was a sight to behold. The soup is cooked in a huge pot is made from thighbones and fatback of pork, chicken, and various of vegetables. It is stewed for about ten hours thus making a flavour explosion. And the salty hit of miso was just heavenly although very strong on the palate. As a result, the ramen bowl that was before me was just loaded with a variety of vegetables and pork mince. 

Golden strands of wonder. 

The noodles were also excellent.  Being matured for a week and being somewhat curly, the noodles hold the soup well. Similar to a hand cut pasta compared to what you get from a box. The nutty aroma from the wheat is still evident in each slurp, thus cutting into the intensity of the broth. A great balance of elements. Especially when eaten alongside the veggies and pork mince. The variety of texture is just incredible. 

How do they brand their name there? Its actually rather cool

The egg was lightly marinated. And I like the colour of the yolk as it was like a setting sun. Flavour-wise, its actually alright. The issue is that when everything else is too intense, the egg just drifts to the background. Still, I enjoyed it and helped round out this amazing bowl of noodles. 

If you somehow got lost, try to find this art installation.
Its just next to the entrance of the Dojo

After gobbling down everything, I was finally energised enough to fight the subway and head to my hotel. It was genuinely an enjoyable meal and unfortunately, I do not have the time to try all the other shops in the area. But trust me, they will be good. Will it be better than what I had? I would think so but as Keyaki has built such a powerful reputation, it may be the one that comes up on top. And if that would be the only ramen I will be having for this trip, I would be more than alright with that. Fancy a go? The address is as follows:

〒066-0012 Hokkaido, Chitose, Bibi, Shin Chitose Airport Domestic Terminal Floor 3.