YAMAOKAYA RAMEN — Restaurant in Sapporo

Our first meal in Sapporo was at IPPUDO, and the ramen tasted exactly the same as the ramen made by Japanese chefs that we had in Vancouver. We liked it, but it wasn’t the traditional Hokkaido flavor. We passed by Yamaokaya Tanuki Koji several times and noticed there was always a line, so we decided to try Sapporo's famous miso ramen the day before leaving Hokkaido. On the day we went, there was still a line, but there were plenty of empty seats inside. The reason for the line was that customers had to wait outside to use the ordering machine. We selected the first and second most popular ramen recommended by the machine and upgraded with extra noodles.

After my husband finished eating and was scooping the broth, he found a coin at the bottom of the bowl. We notified the staff, and the manager came to apologize, offering to make a new bowl. My husband said it wasn’t necessary since he was already full and asked the manager to check the surveillance footage from the time we sat down and find out how the coin ended up in the ramen. The manager left after hearing this. I later told a local Japanese friend about the incident, and he said that this was not the proper way to apologize in Japan. For such a serious food safety issue, a simple apology to foreign customers was far from enough.

Why was there a coin at the bottom of the bowl? Was it originally in the large soup pot, or was it placed separately in our bowl? We were very disappointed with the miso ramen in Sapporo. The ramen was topped with lots of green onions, finely sliced but very tough and fibrous, making them difficult to chew. Moreover, there was a significant food safety oversight.

My Japanese friend said not to let this incident make us dislike Japan. We won’t dislike Japan because of this, but we certainly won’t visit this...

This is one of the most popular ramen shops in Sapporo, Hokkaido. It’s always busy with many customers, and there can be a line at times.

I tried the braised pork with leeks ramen, and I can say you really need to pair it with rice. It’s rich—too rich, in fact—and can feel a bit heavy on the stomach. The pork servings are generous, so for big eaters, it’s good value.

The pretty female staff is also very nice.

Overall, if you want to try the kind of ramen locals in Hokkaido love, Yamaokaya is...

This is the first ramen resto we went to when we arrived in Sapporo last April 14. We had challenges on the order machine, but we learned fast. We loved their ramen, fried rice and gyoza. The place was small, but cozy and clean. Because of our multiple orders, we even got a free gyoza. The ramen soup is very good and hot, appropriate for the cold weather. We even loved their cold water! Prices are very affordable considering the size of food serving. Will...