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5 Otaru Restaurants to Try Ankake Yakisoba, Ramen's Weird Cousin

5 Otaru Restaurants to Try Ankake Yakisoba, Ramen's Weird Cousin

Last updated: 23 December 2020

Hokkaido's "Canal Town," Otaru, is celebrated for its sushi and seafood. Yet, the city also boasts an impressive variety of ramen and fried noodles, among which Ankake Yakisoba stands out. Originating in the late 1950s at a local Chinese restaurant, this dish has become an Otaru icon. Characterized by its exceptionally creamy, thick seafood sauce atop fried noodles, it was a must-try for us!

Table of Contents
  1. 1. Mahoro: The noodles are made from 100% natural ingredients
  2. 2. New Sansachi Otaru: Taste the atmosphere of a historic beer hall
  3. 3. Keien: Have delicious Otaru ramen and fried noodles!
  4. 4. Otaru Kuraya: Taste ramen at a historic building!
  5. 5. Gozyuban Saikan: A place cherished by locals

1. Mahoro: The noodles are made from 100% natural ingredients

1. Mahoro: The noodles are made from 100% natural ingredients

The ramen uses natural ingredients that are good for your body. Its soup is made from Rausu kelp, thick shavings of mackerel in the broth, plus pure artisan soy sauce and pork stock.

Also, the noodles are homemade and made with less water so that they absorb the soup.

You can choose a "light" or "heavy" soup, and each comes in one of three flavors: Salt, Soy sauce, or Miso. Other than that, the shop serves up a limited number of special dishes from a side menu.

We'll introduce two ramen types we recommend. The first one is "Assari Syoyu Ramen (Soy sauce ramen with light soup)." The soup comes with kelp and maitake mushroom broth, chicken stock, and dried bonito.

The second one is “Mahoro Ramen” and it's 980 yen. Usually, ramen have char siu (pork stewed in soy sauce) and spring onions. But the Mahoro Ramen is different: it has pork cheek as the char siu and scallion.
We recommend it since this ramen has a limited number of servings and few people can eat this ramen per day.

  • Mahoro
    麻ほろ
    • Address 771 Chome, 7 Ironai, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0031
    • Phone Number 0134-32-0140

2. New Sansachi Otaru: Taste the atmosphere of a historic beer hall

2. New Sansachi Otaru: Taste the atmosphere of a historic beer hall

This restaurant has a lot of dishes from western-style food such as Spaghetti and Hamburg steaks to Japanese Chinese food such as ramen, Ankake Yakisoba, and Jingisukan lamb.

The most popular food in this restaurant is "Sansachi Kaisen Yakisoba (Seafood Fried Noodles)" and it features a lot of shrimp, squid, and clams.

More than that, a classic Shoyu Ramen has char siu and bamboo shoots with the light soup. If you order something to eat from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm, you can have beverages, coffee, or soup for free.

  • New Sanko Restaurant
    ニュー三幸 小樽店
    • Address 1 Chome-3-6 New Sanko 1F, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0032
    • Phone Number 0134-33-3500

3. Keien: Have delicious Otaru ramen and fried noodles!

3. Keien: Have delicious Otaru ramen and fried noodles!

This Japanese Chinese restaurant was established in 1964 inside of City Street Arcade near Otaru Station.

There are various menus such as fried rice, curry, and dumplings, but the most popular one in the restaurant is Ankake Yakisoba.

There is plenty of pork belly, shrimps, jelly ears, and vegetables mixed with the thick sauce in it. You won't get bored finishing it, as the mustard that comes with the fried noodles adds an accent to the taste.

Besides that, the restaurant has Crispy Fried Soba Noodles, Fried Noodles with sauce, Vegetable Ramen, Seaweed Ramen, and so forth. You can choose a soup flavor from among Salt, Soy Sauce, and Miso.

  • Kaien
    中華食堂 桂苑
    • Address 2 Chome-16-14 Inaho, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0032
    • Phone Number 0134-23-8155

4. Otaru Kuraya: Taste ramen at a historic building!

4. Otaru Kuraya: Taste ramen at a historic building!

This restaurant is inside of Otaru Canal Cafeteria, which used the warehouse along the Otaru Canal as a cafeteria, a retro atmosphere where masonry construction remains.

The Shoyu Ramen uses homemade noodles blended with two kinds of locally grown wheat with the soup from tonkotsu pork bone broth, chicken broth, seafood, and flavored vegetables.

Miso Cheese Ramen, which comes with scallops, butter, and cheese, is also popular.

The butter and corn from Butter Corn Miso flavor go great together. Also, the roasted char siu is tender.

  • Otaru Kuraya
    おたる蔵屋運河食堂店
    • Address 6-5 Minatomachi, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0007
    • Phone Number 0134-27-8818

5. Gozyuban Saikan: A place cherished by locals

5. Gozyuban Saikan: A place cherished by locals

A Japanese Chinese restaurant since 1959 in Arcade Street near Otaru Station. It has Vegetable Noodles, Char Siu Noodles, Wang Tang Noodles and Ankake Yakisoba with the deep-flavored chicken stock soup.

Vegetable Miso Ramen has extra vegetables, pork bellies, jelly ears and so forth. Those ingredients are well matched with the mild Miso.

Ankake Yakisoba is a hit at the restaurant, featuring a sauce rich with vegetables, shrimp, and soy sauce. If you've never tried Ankake Yakisoba, Otaru is the perfect place to experience this dish for the first time!

  • Gozyuban Saikan
    五十幡菜館
    • Address 2 Chome-10-1 Inaho, Otaru, Hokkaido 047-0032
    • Phone Number 0134-32-4793
*This information is from the time of this article's publication.
*Prices and options mentioned are subject to change.
*Unless stated otherwise, all prices include tax.

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