Ramen noodles are one of Japan's trademark dishes. Among the many Ramen styles one can find in Japan, Toyama's Black Ramen is a true outsider. An example ofToyama's humblest cuisine, Black Ramen has been growing more and more popular as the years go by. Its thick, jet-black soup, loaded with flavor and rich in both pepper and spring onions, provides for a culinary experience rivaling Toyama's most colorful attractions.
Summary
Ramen noodles are one of Japan's trademark dishes. Among the many Ramen styles one can find in Japan, Toyama's Black Ramen is a true outsider.
An example of Toyama's humblest cuisine, Black Ramen has been growing more and more popular as the years go by. Its thick, jet-black soup, loaded with flavor and rich in both pepper and spring onions, provides for a culinary experience rivaling Toyama's most colorful attractions.
An example of Toyama's humblest cuisine, Black Ramen has been growing more and more popular as the years go by. Its thick, jet-black soup, loaded with flavor and rich in both pepper and spring onions, provides for a culinary experience rivaling Toyama's most colorful attractions.
Black Ramen From Toyama: A One-of-a-kind Super-charged Treat.
Ramen noodles are one of Japan's trademark dishes. Among the many Ramen styles one can find in Japan, Toyama's Black Ramen is a true outsider.
Located on the northern coastline of Japan's main island, Toyama Prefecture is a real mecca for food-lovers. Its wide selection of seafood, freshly fished from the bountiful waters of the Toyama bay, will most certainly please all food lovers visiting the area, and the quality and freshness of the local specialties won't disappoint even the most refined palate.
However, foodies traveling to Toyama won't always be attracted by the fine quality of its seafood and its refined Kaiseki cuisine. Sometimes, they’re attracted to something a little more common. As a matter of fact, Toyama's trademark dish is all but classy and delicate. Let me introduce you to Toyama's most famous “B-Grade cuisine” specialty: the hot, spicy, thick and salty Black Ramen.
Located on the northern coastline of Japan's main island, Toyama Prefecture is a real mecca for food-lovers. Its wide selection of seafood, freshly fished from the bountiful waters of the Toyama bay, will most certainly please all food lovers visiting the area, and the quality and freshness of the local specialties won't disappoint even the most refined palate.
However, foodies traveling to Toyama won't always be attracted by the fine quality of its seafood and its refined Kaiseki cuisine. Sometimes, they’re attracted to something a little more common. As a matter of fact, Toyama's trademark dish is all but classy and delicate. Let me introduce you to Toyama's most famous “B-Grade cuisine” specialty: the hot, spicy, thick and salty Black Ramen.
This uniquely colored ramen noodle dish was probably first served around 1950 by Taiki, a ramen shop in Toyama city: not long after its inception, its fame started spreading from the inner circles of the city to the broader channels of the Japanese bulletin board system, where it started getting addressed as Black Ramen. All the chatter and discussion around it contributed to solidifying its position within the pantheon of Japanese national specialties, and it soon became a must-eat among tourists visiting the area. Nowadays Black Ramen is widely known as the characteristic ramen style from Toyama, and its fiery, eye-opening flavor has become one of the city's main tourist attractions.
Black ramen owes its name to its dark colored soup, a mix of chicken and fish stock flavored with abundant soy sauce, which makes it much saltier than any other ramen style, white rice on the side. Because Black Ramen is much saltier than other ramen, it is traditionally eaten with a bowl of white rice on the side. Also striving for a balance of powers, its thick wheat noodles match the unforgettable taste of this soup. Generally, Black Ramen is served with a topping of coarsely grounded black pepper, pickled bamboo shoots, Char Siu (sliced braised pork) and chopped spring onions.
Black ramen owes its name to its dark colored soup, a mix of chicken and fish stock flavored with abundant soy sauce, which makes it much saltier than any other ramen style, white rice on the side. Because Black Ramen is much saltier than other ramen, it is traditionally eaten with a bowl of white rice on the side. Also striving for a balance of powers, its thick wheat noodles match the unforgettable taste of this soup. Generally, Black Ramen is served with a topping of coarsely grounded black pepper, pickled bamboo shoots, Char Siu (sliced braised pork) and chopped spring onions.
History Of Black Ramen And Toyama's Colorful Ramen
Toyama city's Black Ramen Noodles, locally known as “Toyama Black” have an unexpectedly long history. It was around 1950, only few years after the World War II had ended, that the dish was created. By that time the whole city was still recovering from the air raids of 1945 and the working masses were directly involved in its reconstruction. It's then that a ramen stand owner started to serve a very salty ramen soup by simply adding to the traditional ingredients a large amount of soy sauce: his original intention was to answer the nutritional needs of his customers providing them with an appropriate sodium intake, which would supposedly help them tolerate the hardships of their daily labor. This is where Black Ramen's history begins. Later on that same ramen stand became the shop we nowadays know as the main bearer of this culinary legacy, Toyama's Nishicho Taiki.
As Black Ramen's popularity started spreading among “B-grade cuisine” aficionados from all over the country, other cities in Toyama Prefecture also tried to create their distinctive recipes. If you're exploring Toyama you should not miss the chance of trying some of its four other officially recognized colorful ramen styles: Green Ramen from Takaoka city, Brown and Red Ramen from Nyuzen city and White Ramen from Oyabe city. Takaoka is using its famous, high-grade spinach both for the noodle and for the soup of its Green Ramen, while the Miso based Brown Ramen and the red pepper based Red Ramen from Nyuzen are produced using deep ocean water coming directly from the city's extraction facilities to further develop their organoleptic qualities. Oyabe's White Ramen, on the other hand, sports a milky colored pork stock, and is often served with a quality selection toppings chosen among the tastiest local ingredients.
As Black Ramen's popularity started spreading among “B-grade cuisine” aficionados from all over the country, other cities in Toyama Prefecture also tried to create their distinctive recipes. If you're exploring Toyama you should not miss the chance of trying some of its four other officially recognized colorful ramen styles: Green Ramen from Takaoka city, Brown and Red Ramen from Nyuzen city and White Ramen from Oyabe city. Takaoka is using its famous, high-grade spinach both for the noodle and for the soup of its Green Ramen, while the Miso based Brown Ramen and the red pepper based Red Ramen from Nyuzen are produced using deep ocean water coming directly from the city's extraction facilities to further develop their organoleptic qualities. Oyabe's White Ramen, on the other hand, sports a milky colored pork stock, and is often served with a quality selection toppings chosen among the tastiest local ingredients.
The Top 5 Black Ramen Restaurants
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Even though Black Ramen is not the only attraction Toyama has to offer, the taste and uniqueness of this dish cannot be overestimated. Here is a list of what we recognize as the five best Black Ramen restaurants in Toyama Prefecture.
Nishicho Taiki
Known as the restaurant where Black Ramen was first served, it is one of the leading ramen restaurants in the area, and has expanded from its original location and opened five different restaurants throughout the city. Each of Nishicho Taiki’s different locations serves a slightly different version of their trademark Black Ramen, making each one unique. Its nostalgic atmosphere and the unmistakable saltiness of its ramen certainly allow for a fascinating experience, making it a recommended destination both for food lovers and casual tourists.
Known as the restaurant where Black Ramen was first served, it is one of the leading ramen restaurants in the area, and has expanded from its original location and opened five different restaurants throughout the city. Each of Nishicho Taiki’s different locations serves a slightly different version of their trademark Black Ramen, making each one unique. Its nostalgic atmosphere and the unmistakable saltiness of its ramen certainly allow for a fascinating experience, making it a recommended destination both for food lovers and casual tourists.
【Address】1-1-7 Otaguchidori, Toyama-city, Toyama
【Tel】+81-76-423-3001
【Opening Hours】11:00～20:00
【Holidays】Wednesday
From Tram Stop Grand Plaza : 1 minute walking
From Tram Stop Nishicho : 3 minute walking
From Toyama IC : 10 minutes by car
【Tel】+81-76-423-3001
【Opening Hours】11:00～20:00
【Holidays】Wednesday
From Tram Stop Grand Plaza : 1 minute walking
From Tram Stop Nishicho : 3 minute walking
From Toyama IC : 10 minutes by car
Kihachi
Almost as famous as Taiki, the restaurant proposes a slightly less salty soup, which makes it an ideal spot for Black Ramen first-timers without sacrificing the original characteristic of the traditional recipe.
Almost as famous as Taiki, the restaurant proposes a slightly less salty soup, which makes it an ideal spot for Black Ramen first-timers without sacrificing the original characteristic of the traditional recipe.
【Address】6-3 1F Okuda-Kotobukicho, Toyama-city, Toyama
【Tel】+81-76-443-1888
【Opening Hours】11:00～14:40 / 17:30～20:50
【Holidays】Monday
From Toyama Station : 15 minute walking
From Toyama Light Rail Okuda Junior High School Station : 5 minute walking
From Toyama IC : 10 minutes by car
【Tel】+81-76-443-1888
【Opening Hours】11:00～14:40 / 17:30～20:50
【Holidays】Monday
From Toyama Station : 15 minute walking
From Toyama Light Rail Okuda Junior High School Station : 5 minute walking
From Toyama IC : 10 minutes by car
Iroha
A ramen restaurant originally based in Imizu city, a city located at the northwest of the prefecture, and sporting two easily accessible venues in Toyama city, too. Iroha's Black Ramen soup owes its unique flavor to the slow-stewed fish sauce used in combination with the classic chicken and fish stock to obtain a very interesting variation to the traditional recipes. On top of its trademark Black Ramen, the shop offers a wide selection of noodle styles, such as their white-shrimp ramen served in a light, clear soup, and the thick, dip-style noodles known as Tsukemen.
A ramen restaurant originally based in Imizu city, a city located at the northwest of the prefecture, and sporting two easily accessible venues in Toyama city, too. Iroha's Black Ramen soup owes its unique flavor to the slow-stewed fish sauce used in combination with the classic chicken and fish stock to obtain a very interesting variation to the traditional recipes. On top of its trademark Black Ramen, the shop offers a wide selection of noodle styles, such as their white-shrimp ramen served in a light, clear soup, and the thick, dip-style noodles known as Tsukemen.
【Address】1555-1 Hibari, Imizu-city, Toyama
【Tel】+81-766-56-0999
【Opening Hours】11:30～22:00
From Ainokaze Toyama Railway Kosugi Station : 20 minute walking
From Kosugi IC : 10 minutes by car
【Tel】+81-766-56-0999
【Opening Hours】11:30～22:00
From Ainokaze Toyama Railway Kosugi Station : 20 minute walking
From Kosugi IC : 10 minutes by car
Ramen Banri
Moving one step further away from the strict dictates of the traditional recipe, visitors interested in trying the combination of top-quality Nori seaweed, Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and Black Ramen can do it at Ramen Banri for an additional fee of just 200 yen. Trust us, the convenience of their prices says nothing about the quality of their treats.
Moving one step further away from the strict dictates of the traditional recipe, visitors interested in trying the combination of top-quality Nori seaweed, Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and Black Ramen can do it at Ramen Banri for an additional fee of just 200 yen. Trust us, the convenience of their prices says nothing about the quality of their treats.
【Address】1-3-63 Kamifugo, Toyama-city, Toyama
【Tel】+81-76-444-1818
【Opening Hours】11:30～15:00 / 17:30～21:00
【Holidays】Tuesday, First Wednesday
From Shinjo Tanaka Station : 10 minute walking
From Toyama IC : 10 minutes by car
【Tel】+81-76-444-1818
【Opening Hours】11:30～15:00 / 17:30～21:00
【Holidays】Tuesday, First Wednesday
From Shinjo Tanaka Station : 10 minute walking
From Toyama IC : 10 minutes by car
Tsukemen Ebisuko
Offers high-quality dip-style Black Tsukemen: with normal Tsukemen and vegetable ramen also on the menu, it is a cozy, nice place, ideal for families and group travelers.
Offers high-quality dip-style Black Tsukemen: with normal Tsukemen and vegetable ramen also on the menu, it is a cozy, nice place, ideal for families and group travelers.
【Address】58-1 Kamifukuro, Toyama-city, Toyama
【Tel】+81-76-482-5405
【Opening Hours】11:00～15:00 / 17:00～22:00
From Toyama Chiho Railway Asanamachi Station : 10 minute walking
From Toyama IC : 10 minutes by car
【Tel】+81-76-482-5405
【Opening Hours】11:00～15:00 / 17:00～22:00
From Toyama Chiho Railway Asanamachi Station : 10 minute walking
From Toyama IC : 10 minutes by car
Reference List
https://toyama.mypl.net/shop/00000340438/
http://www.toyama-honpo.jp/
https://english.menya-iroha.com/
http://www.nisicho-taiki.com/access.html
http://www.raumen.co.jp/rapedia/study_history/
http://www.shoku-toyama.jp/season/s031/
http://takaoka-greenproducts.co.jp/
https://news.mynavi.jp/article/20130509-a078/
http://www.toyama-honpo.jp/
https://english.menya-iroha.com/
http://www.nisicho-taiki.com/access.html
http://www.raumen.co.jp/rapedia/study_history/
http://www.shoku-toyama.jp/season/s031/
http://takaoka-greenproducts.co.jp/
https://news.mynavi.jp/article/20130509-a078/
