Ebisoba Ichigen in Sapporo.
It would be a shame to describe Sapporo ramen through miso alone. Ebisoba places the flavor of shrimp at the heart of the broth.
Here, shrimp is the foundation of the bowl, rather than a topping. The umami drawn from sweet shrimp combines with the aroma of shrimp oil, drawing attention to the broth before the noodles. Despite the word “soba” in its name, this is ramen, not buckwheat noodles, with shrimp as the main character.
At Ichigen, a representative restaurant for this style, the same shrimp broth takes on different expressions according to your choices. Salt seasoning focuses attention on the shrimp, miso adds savory depth, and soy sauce contributes aromatic umami. The proportion of tonkotsu pork broth also changes the richness of the bowl.
For a first visit, I recommend combining sonomama, which preserves the shrimp broth as it is, with the salt-seasoned ebishio. It is a useful starting point for understanding the character of ebisoba. For something heavier, ajiwaiwith its higher proportion of pork broth, paired with miso, is another option.
Ebisoba reveals another appealing side of Sapporo ramen. Even a familiar bowl of noodles can tell a new flavor story when the foundation of the broth changes.
A photo in front of Ebisoba Ichigen in Sapporo. We had to wait even at lunchtime on a weekday, so this was how we passed a little of that time.
Price impression: Easy on the wallet.
