[Mikan in Otaru] Jun-Sumi Style Miso Broth Ramen Aims for Perfect Step by Step

Mikan

Ramen Mikan (らーめん みかん) is a popular ramen restraunt nearby Nantaru Market (南樽市場) in Shintomi-cho, Otaru city, and is relatively near Minami-otaru Station. An owner trained his cooking skill at Sumire (すみれ), a famous ramen restraunt, and became independent in 2004. The Mikan was named after Mikansei (未完成 * the uncompleted way of ramen) because he has not mastered the way of the ramen perfectly, and has been improving it step by step. The Mikan means "A mandarin orange" in Japanese, and I imagined it, But it is not even close to the truth. Mr. Masatoshi Hamada (浜田 雅功), a member of Japanese comedy duo Downtown, mistook the Mikan for Orange, so the ramen restraunt became more popular.

The ramen restraunt on the 1st floor of private 2 story house is not so large, and a lot of woods are used at the house, so the warmth of the woods is felt. It has a good atmosphere. Counter seats and table seats are provided, so I guess that even family customers enjoy meals. But the ramen restraunt is crowded with customers at lunchtime, so a line is expected.

A highway bus "Otaru-go (おたる号)" runs between the Otaru and the Sapporo. Unfortunately, the express bus does not run between New Chitose Airport and the Otaru. Besides, Rent-a-car can be rented around Otaru Station.

List of Means of Transportation

Highway buses run between the Otaru and the Sapporo. Refer to following the means of the transportation in the Hakodate. As for car rental comparison websites, you can compare vehicle rental prices on Tabi-Plaza Rental Car Reservation (旅ぷらざレンタカー予約), Jalan Rental Car (じゃらんレンタカー) and Rakutem Travel Rental Car (楽天トラベルレンタカー).

(Chuo Bus)中央バス	From Sapporo to Otaru	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
(Chuo Bus)中央バス	From Otaru to Sapporo	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Times Car Rental(タイムズカーレンタル)	Their office is near the Otaru Canal.	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Toyota Rental Lease(トヨタレンタリース)	Their offices are near the Otaru Station.	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Station Rent-a-car(駅レンタカー)	Their office is near the Otaru Station.	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Nico Nico Rent-a-car(ニコニコレンタカー)	Their office is near the Otaru Station.	HP	Jalan	Rakuten

OTARU

Otaru (小樽) that 120,000 people live is the 9th largest port city in Hokkaido, and is located in the located in the northwestern part of Sapporo city. It takes about 30 minutes from the Sapporo to the Otaru by a train. The Otaru is one of most popular tourist cities in the Hokkaido, and about 8 million people visit here. It is also well-known as a city with a lot of slopes, and there are 30 slopes with its name, so the Otaru has a lot of slope lands, and has a lot of narrow roads. It is famous as a city with a lot of sushi restaurants, too, and more than 100 sushi restaurants open their businesses. Fresh seafood caught in the Sea of Japan facing the Otaru or caought in various places of the Hokkaido can be enjoyed. As for a climate, the Otaru has calm climate, it is cold in a summer, and it snow hard. The Otaru was called an inaccessible land in the old days because all transportation facilities paralyzed by a heavy snow. Read More

Ramen of Hokkaido

Ramen is a noodle soup dish topped with ingredients. It is said that Chinese noodles is the root of the ramen, and there are various theories, for example, Mr. Mistukuni Tokugawa (徳川光圀 * Mitokomon (水戸黄門)) ate the ramen in 1697 for the first time in Japan or the first ramen was that Keitaimen noodles (経帯麺) served in 1488 was written in Biryueken Diary (蔭涼軒日録). Noodle soup dishes were spread out in Japan because Nanking noodles (南京そば) was served in various China Towns, Japan. In Hakodate with a China Town, Yowaken (養和軒) served the Nanking noodles in 1884. In Sapporo, it is a root of Sapporo Ramen that a noodle soup dish was cooked by Mr. Wang Wen Zai (王 文彩), a chief chef of Takeya Shokudo (竹家食堂), in 1922. Houran (芳蘭), a branch of the Takeya Shokudo, opened a business in 1933 in Asahikawa. Asahikawa Ramen, Sapporo Ramen and Hakodate Ramen called the 3 Major Ramen in Hokkaido were born. But current ramen do not succeed to the taste of those ramen. Read More

Miso Broth Ramen

I visited here around 14:30 on a weekday. I came to avoid lunchtime at this kind of time, so tables were empty, and I sat a table seat. A menu was on a wall, and I read it, and ordered Miso Broth Ramen, the most popular ramen. The price was JPY 750. A Japanese kettle for drinking water is on the table. It caught my eye. Customers can drink it freely.

About 7 minutes later, the ramen was served. While I was waiting for the ramen, customers came in one after another, so all the tables were almost fulled. It was very popular ramen restraunt after all. Roasted pork fillets, bamboo shoots and green onions were on noodles. I ate a sip of the soup immediately. It was very rich taste, and tasted fat and ginger. The taste was just Junsumi style (純すみ系).

The noodles were egg noodles made by Kobayashi Making Noodles Facotry (小林製麺), and were chewy. Those went well with the soup. The roasted pork fillets had 2 types, a sliced roasted pork fillet and cube roasted pork fillets, and the texture was achewy like ham. Most of other customers ordered the Miso Broth Ramen with a large serving of roasted pork fillets, so I supposeed that the roasted pork fillet was one of highlights. Thanks for the tasty ramen!

Miso Broth Ramen Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Miso Broth Ramen

List of Accommodations

Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the Otaru. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.

Ginrinso(銀鱗荘)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Former Okagawa Pharmacy(（旧）岡川薬局)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Uomatsu Ryokan(魚松旅館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Sonia Otaru(ホテルソニア小樽)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Unga-no-Yado Otaru Furukawa(運河の宿 小樽 ふる川)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Nord Otaru(ホテルノルド小樽)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Dormy Inn Premium Otaru(ドーミーインPREMIUM小樽)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Authent Hotel Otaru(オーセントホテル小樽)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Inaho(ホテル稲穂)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Tabino Sanpoyado Otaru Ekimae Guest House Ito(小樽駅前ゲストハウスIto)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
THE GREEN OTARU(ザ グリーン オタル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Oyado Sakurai(御宿 櫻井)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Etchuya Ryokan(越中屋旅館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
The Otarunai Backpacker's Hostel Morinoki(おたるないバックパッカーズホステル杜の樹)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
DORMITORY L(ドミトリー L)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otarukitaunga Kamomeya(おたる北運河かもめや)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Life House IPPO(Life House IPPO)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Nupuri Hostel (Female Only)(小樽ヌプリホステル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Guest House(小樽ゲストハウス)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Villa Mount Tengu(小樽ヴィラマウンテング)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Tenguyama Honkan(小樽天狗山 本館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Tenguyama Sanrokukan(小樽天狗山 山麓館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
emina backpackers(えみな バックパッカーズ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Neu Schloss Otaru(ホテルノイシュロス小樽)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Tabi-no-Ie Sha Tomaya(旅人の家 舎 とまや)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Nature Village(おたる自然の村)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Musashitei(ホテル武蔵亭)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Korakuen(宏楽園)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Asari Classe Hotel(小樽朝里 クラッセホテル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Ryotei Kuramure(小樽旅亭 蔵群)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Winkel Village(ウィンケルビレッジ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Pine House(パインハウス)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Pension Shadow Classe(ペンション・シャドウクラッセ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Pension Puti Hotel Roman(ペンション プチホテルろーまん)	Only Tel:+81-134-52-2118
Ryobo Hanaemi(旅房はなえみ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Otaru Boyo Schanze Automobile Campsite(小樽望洋シャンツェオートキャンプ場)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Asarigawa Onsen Automobile Campsite(朝里川温泉オートキャンプ場)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten