Ramen! photo credit: http://www.ramenate.com/2010/12/for-those-of-you-in-new-york.html |
I'm just saying that it's really cold. 'Tis the perfect time to try some body-warming and body-fattening ramen!
I like ramen but I try to limit my intake. Yeah, I'm one of those women who look after their weights. (It's not vanity, just for the sake of being healthy.)
In Hamamatsu, I only tried 3 ramen shops in almost 3 years. I'm such a loyal customer cause each shop always gives discount vouchers for repeat visist. Also, I'm not a connoisseur of ramen. As long as it's warm and tasty enough, I'll eat it. Heck, I don't even know that there are different kinds of ramen. I only count the number of pork slices on top of the bowl. I'm not reliable to talk about ramen is what I'm saying.
Thankfully, here are some bloggers who are so passionate about this broth. They search the corners of Japan all for the love of ramen. So, if you're craving for this broth, like I am now, check these sites:
Here are the most informative ramen blogs I've found in no particular order:
1. Ramen Adventures, an American blogger whose ramen expertise has been featured in various media organizations including CNN and Discovery Asia. Impressive I must say!
2.No Ramen, No Life, is a blog of a dad who "goes around Tokyo eating ramen." It has a lot of information on different shops in Tokyo and what ramen to get in what shop.
3. Ramenate, is another ramen blog with most features in Tokyo. The writer does not only describe the ramen and shops. some entries also give a lot of interesting facts.
4. Ramen-Otaku, another blog on ramen mostly in Kanto area by a Taiwanese writer.
5. Ramen Tokyo, is not only a ramen blog in Tokyo as its suggest but it also has entries on ramen shops as far as Morioka, in other countries such as Hongkong and US.
6. Friends in Ramen, is a bilingual blog featuring ramen shops mostly in Osaka. All entries are written in English and Japanese.
7. Anarchic Ramen, is a male foreigner's attempts in making ramen. You read it correctly- making ramen.
8. The Ramen Rater, is review blog not only of ramens but also of other kinds of noodles. It also provides great information on noodle-related information.
9. The Official Ramen Homepage, this blog focuses more on the ramen itself than the shops. It has an extensive information on anything ramen lovers might want to know. This is where I first read about Gluten-free ramen for those who want to be healthy while eating ramen.
10. The Ramen Shaman, is on tumblr so it's mostly pictures of ramen and less description. The pictures will satisfy your hungry eyes.