Ramen Noodles◎Text by Fang-Ju Lin ◎Photos by Wei-Ten Yang Japanese Ramen noodles are served smoking hot in a milky white soup. In Kaohsiung, the two most famous Japanese ramen noodles chains are Sanchin and Italo. If you like ramen noodles, they are certainly worth trying.
Italo Ramen
Italo Ramen originated from Kyushu and is known for its black pork and white milky soup. The soup is rich and tasty without the strong smell of pork. Prepared with thin chewy ramen noodles and honey barbecue pork, Italo ramen noodles are truly a favorite amongst ramen lovers.
The secret to Italo's success is the pork broth boiling process that takes 24 hours. There is a variety of Italo Ramen noodles. One of these dishes is known as that spicy Kyushu Jigoku ramen and ocean-inspired Mentaiko ramen. The difference depends on which pork broth was utilized in the creation of the dish. The white pork broth is prepared with a lengthy boiling process of the black pork bones. This boiling process draws out the calcium, marrow and nutrients inside the bones and is deliciously infused with the soup. This not only makes the noodles more delicious, but also makes it particularly rich and milky.
Kyushu Jigoku Italo Ramen is known for its dark-red-color and is named Hellish-roaring-flame Ramen. Many Ramen restaurants use hot and spicy sauces or oil as the soup base for Jigoku ramen. However, with Italo's Kyushu Jigoku ramen, hot springs are the inspiration for this dish. Kyushu Japan is the home of a hot spring resort called "Jigoku Onsen". The water from these hot springs is full of Ferric Oxide giving it dark reddish color. Drawing from its Kyushu origin, Italo Kyushu uses spicy miso paste (imported from Japan), pork broth and sauteed vegetables. This dish boasts a reddish color similar to the hot springs of "Jigoku Onsen". Italo's Kyushu Jigoku ramen is unlike any other dish of its kind.
Sanchin Ramen Noodles Shop
Sanchin is a famous ramen noodle restaurant chain from Japan. Established by founder Koyama Kunio, his most popular restaurant locations can be found in Hokkaido, Tokyo and Kyushu in Japan. Sanchin's first restaurant in Taiwan opened in Kaohsiung City, seven years ago and is located on Datong 2nd Road.
Sanchin's most famous dish is its Tonkotsu ramen. This dish is prepared by lengthy boiling process of the pork thighs and back bones. The marrow and cartilage are subsequently infused into the soup giving it a simply delicious taste. Sanchin also adds a seafood broth, making it even more delicious. Milk ramen is the newest way of preparing these dishes and has become more popular than the traditional style of Japanese ramen noodles. This dish adds chicken broth instead of the traditional pork broth and is absolutely delicious.
Sanchin Ramen concentrates on maintaining a temperature of 85 degrees Celsius when each order is served to the customer. There are a variety of steps that go into developing these noodles. These steps include boiling the noodles, mixing in the ingredients and adding the barbecued pork and vegetables. The secret to making sure the noodles are served piping hot is the insertion of a hot iron plate into the ramen bowl. The hot iron plate is removed just before the customer receives their order.
Information
＊Sanchin Ramen Noodles Shop
Address: No.2, Datong 2nd Road, Kaohsiung City
Phone: (07)261-0777
Business Hours: 11am - 9:40pm
＊Italo Ramen
Address: No.15, Zhonghua 3rd Road, Kaohsiung City
Phone: (07)216-3696
Business Hours: 11:30am - 2:30pm, 5:30pm - 9:00pm(Closed on Tuesdays)
拉麵
◎文．攝影／楊為仁
暖呼呼的日本拉麵，不論是日本知名的拉麵連鎖店珍珍珍拉麵，還是以獨門「回籠湯」秘技取勝的伊太郎拉麵，都是高雄市響噹噹的拉麵名店，有機會不妨一試。
伊太郎拉麵
源自九州久留米的伊太郎拉麵，嚴選黑豬肉，並以獨門「回籠湯」秘技，熬製豚骨高湯，不僅湯汁濃厚香郁，而且沒有惱人的肉腥味，搭配軟Ｑ彈牙的細拉麵和帶有微甜滋味的叉燒，令拉麵族著迷不已。
終日不熄火的豚骨高湯，是伊太郎拉麵致勝的秘密武器，不論是辛口的九州地獄拉麵、還是帶有海洋氣息的明太子拉麵，均靠它提味。豚骨白湯選用黑豬大骨，經過長時間的熬煮，將大骨內的鈣質、骨髓和營養素融入高湯裡，再把煮好的新鮮高湯，由於爐火始終不熄，湯底呈現乳白色，味道相對濃稠。
色澤暗紅，如地獄烈焰般的九州地獄拉麵是店裡的招牌。坊間地獄拉麵大多以麻辣醬或辣油為湯底，但「伊太郎」的九州地獄拉麵卻是來自溫泉的靈感，原來九州有一座名為地獄溫泉的溫泉公園，由於池水含有大量氧化鐵，因而呈暗紅色，打著九州旗幟的伊太郎，遂以日本進口的辣味噌，加入蔬菜大火快炒後，再淋上豚骨高湯，讓整碗拉麵呈現出地獄溫泉般的色澤，比起一般地獄拉麵，「伊太郎」的九州地獄拉麵還多了思鄉的情懷。
珍珍珍拉麵
「珍珍珍」拉麵由古山邦男社長所創，為日本知名的拉麵連鎖店，北海道味噌、東京醬油和九州豚骨是他們的三大主力拉麵，７年前台灣的業者將其引進，並於高雄市大同二路設店，成為日本「珍珍珍」在台灣的姐妹店。
豚骨拉麵是「珍珍珍」的鎮店之寶，選用豬腿骨加豬背骨，長時間大火熬煉，使骨髓和軟骨的精華融於高湯內，加上店家獨特的海鮮高湯提味，濃郁潤骨的滋味，令人回味無窮；至於新推出的
牛奶拉麵，則顛覆傳統日式拉麵的作法，業者以雞高湯替代傳統的豚骨高湯，相當對味。
「珍珍珍」拉麵最貼心的地方，在每碗拉麵的恆溫控制，由於拉麵製作過程，除了要煮麵、還要添加叉燒、蔬菜等配料，原本裝在碗裡的熱高湯，經過一番折騰，當麵端到客人的桌前時，熱度恐怕大不如前，因此，業者烹煮過程，會在已加入高湯的碗內，插進一根炭火炙燒的鑄鐵片，讓每碗拉麵的溫度都確保在85度Ｃ，熱鐵片上桌前自然會拿開，因此，客人吃拉麵時是看不到的。
＊珍珍珍拉麵
地址：高雄市大同二路2號
電話：07-2610777
營業時間：11:00~21:40
＊伊太郎拉麵
地址：高雄市中華三路15號
電話：07-2163696
營業時間：11:30~14:30、17:30~21:00(週二店休)