Taking on the trial to using zero animal products in a bowl of ramen is an honorable mission, and Soranoiro NIPPON at the Tokyo Underground Street is one of such restaurants.

"Ebi" is shrimp in Japanese, and while "soba" usually refers to the buckwheat noodles, they are sometimes used to refer to ramen as well (for example, abura soba, mazesoba, and here we have ebisoba).

These are delicacies that are way beyond what I can afford, and even if I can, I would rather go for my favourite bowl of ramen instead for much cheaper. So when a friend told me about the Michelin 1 star ramen restaurants in Japan, specifically in Tokyo, I thought that I have no excuses not to try it the next time I was in the area. Nakiryu ramen, famous for the tantanmen was my next destination.

However, most of these condiments are actually things you are likely to have sitting around at home too, which means you too can use them to up your noodles game when you are eating at home. Here are 10 great ideas to make your domestic ramen experiences even better:

Many foreign visitors might have seen it and been intrigued by it without knowing its name or the fact that it is a genre of ramen. So what is Jirokei Ramen about that makes it unique and impressive? Let’s explore it together.

Perhaps most known as of late for its destruction and city’s resilience following the 2011 disaster, the small city of Kesennuma is actually home to many mom-and-pop style noodle houses that have been around for decades! With so many to choose from, ordering chashuu (pork belly) ramen has been my go-to dish but I’m always excited to try something new or a shopkeeper’s personal favorite.

In general too, Japanese drink a lot of soup but specially in winter they emphasize having ramen more often to beat the winter chills. Ramen comes with several choices: miso, salt, soy sauce, and pork bone. Well, my favorite one is miso and the place I recommend the most is from Sanpoutei.

To get ready for your trip, you’ll need to know what to eat, and you don’t even need to leave the capital city of Sapporo.

Known for its annual snow festival, Sapporo is one of Japan’s most vibrant cities and is extremely visitor-friendly. It has fantastic food and plenty to do. Here’s a sampling.

I have introduced Taiwan ramen and tsukemen, which were invented in the 60s and 70s, as well as the more recent boom of the Toripaitan (chicken soup). Today, let’s take a look at another ramen that has been enjoying its raise in popularity recently: the Yokohama Iekei ramen

There are two main reasons why people generally visit Asahikawa, Hokkaido. One reason is Asahiyama Zoo, the most popular zoo in Hokkaido, and the other reason is ramen. To help guide me on which shops I should visit, I asked Asahikawa’s “Ramen Guy” for help.

There are thousands of variations of ramen, and you can argue that no two are the same. But it is generally acknowledged that ramen can be grouped into five basic types. Here is a quick rundown.