Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan｜Koku Ichiban Ramen

Whether it's well built mid-age guys or housewives, they all order fried rice set (a bowl of normal sized ramen plus a large plate of fried rice) which is definitely more than an average person portion. The shop seems expecting guests to pack the leftover, they have takeaway box ready (¥30) for guests to pack the fried rice. We ordered the fried oyster set ramen meal and the Gillette pork chop curry ramen meal, the fried oyster set meal and curry rice turned out to be produced by the fried food shop next door. The fried oysters were outstanding, the pork chop curry was average . When ordering, I forgot to specify the ramen soup base, and the chef has served us one soy sauce soup ramen and a miso soup ramen. The miso soup is tasty but slightly salty for non-Japanese, probably due to busy eating the eight slices of barbecue pork (char siu), the soy sauce soup did not leave much impression. The price is absolutely affordable and the portion can be split for two meals, in exchange for a long wait. Even after sitting down, you have to wait more than 15 minutes for the food to be served. So I watched the chef preparing fried rice while waiting, then I knew why everyone ordered fried rice. Honestly, food taste is not remarkable yet the ingredients are generous for both ramen and fried rice, (when so many ramen shops only give a thin slice of char siu), absolutely value for money. In additional to the food, staff (or owners?) are very nice, always wear humble smiles on their faces (can tell even they are still wearing masks 😆) Both the burly uncles and the ladies order the fried rice meal (a bowl of ramen and a large plate of fried rice). The portion is definitely more than the average person can eat. The owner also thoughtfully prepares takeout boxes (¥30) for customers to take away the fried rice. We ordered the fried oyster set meal ramen meal and Gillette pork chop curry ramen meal. The fried oyster set meal and curry rice turned out to be produced by the fried food shop next door. The fried oysters are excellent, and the pork chop curry is not bad. I forgot to specify the ramen soup base when ordering, so I ordered a bowl of ramen and a bowl of miso. The miso soup is tasty but a little salty for foreigners. Maybe it's because I was busy eating the eight slices of barbecued pork in the bowl, so the oily soup base didn't stand out in the mouth. The price is affordable and the portions are amazing, but the wait is long. Even after you sit down, you have to wait for more than ten minutes before the food is served. So while waiting for lunch, I watched the chef frying rice. After watching it, I knew why everyone ordered fried rice. The taste is adequate and customer-friendly. The ingredients used in both fried rice and ramen are generous (when many ramen restaurants only provide a thin piece of barbecued pork). With the amazing portion size, the price-performance ratio is perfect. Definitely order the fried rice meal next time.

I gave it high ratings for the amount of food and the price. The fried rice and ramen set was only ¥1000 plus tax. Unfortunately the chef chooses the flavor of the ramen but if you are hungry this meal will calm you down. Even if you don't finish the fried rice you can ask for a take out box to take the rest with you. The service was great and it does get packed quickly. Since it's a small place expect to wait a bit for your turn.

This is the best ramen shop if you are looking for value. As other reviewers suggested, we ordered the fried rice combo. The rice portion is big enough to feed 2 people in my opinion and that ramen came with it is legitimately good ramen with lots of charsiu which feeds another person. I don't know how some people managed to finish all of them alone because my girlfriend and I barely finished it together. Nothing will blow your mind here but everything is decent enough to make you come back. With the price less than ¥1000 for a lunch for 2, I have to give this place a solid 5 star.