Time for a Hot Bowl of Ramen
After a chilly morning at Takahashi Farm Milk Kobo, we headed for an early lunch. We were craving a hot bowl of ramen in this weather, and while browsing online, we found an interesting shop called Niseko Ramen Kazahana. It was only 15 mins away, located near the Grand Hirafu Resort. What was interesting was their signature creamy potato broth ramen, touted as the most unique ramen in Japan. Ramen? Check. 15-minute drive? Check. Lunch, decided.
The Tastiest Ramen in Niseko
We arrived at around 11.30 a.m., not expecting a queue to have formed already. Lucky for us, there were only around 10 people in front. So we could squeeze in as the first batch of customers. That said, half an hour in the snow was extremely difficult. We had to keep shuffling our hands and feet to keep ourselves warm.
Even though they opened the doors exactly at noon, they had some sort of a crowd control system in place. They gradually let the guests in, I believe to settle down and take orders and not overwhelm the poor chef. Thankfully the wait wasn’t too long for us. The place itself wasn’t very big and the ambiance was quite cozy. Best thing was, there was an English menu. And of course, we did order their famous Creamy Potato Ramen, and the Hokkaido Miso Butter Corn Ramen.
Both bowls of ramen were unsurprisingly huge. The potato ramen has a layer of mashed potato-like foam that sits on top of the miso broth. There are a few ways to enjoy this ramen. You can either eat the noodles first together with the foam and enjoy the sweetness of the potato. Or you can stir everything up into a mix to achieve a sweet-salty taste. The miso butter corn ramen was delicious too, with an aromatic fragrance because of the butter. Though we were extremely hungry, we couldn’t finish the noodles. Nevertheless we had our energies replenished, for our afternoon ski again!
Is the Potato Ramen Worth It?
Try it once. The potato foam is sweet and the miso broth under it is rich, so by the last third it gets a bit jelak. Best plan: one of you orders the potato, the other the miso butter corn, and you swap halfway. About ¥1,100–1,200 a bowl (2019).
Postcard from Yamada, Kutchan
Half an hour shivering in the snow for the first seating, then huge bowls of miso ramen under a foam like mashed potato. Worth every minute, and every frozen toe.
PS: Walk-ins only, about ¥1,100 a bowl (2019). The queue forms before opening.