Sapporo Ramen Alley - Hokkaido
Sapporo Ramen Alley (元祖さっぽろラーメン横丁) is a tiny alley popular for (guess what?) its ramen eateries, located at 3 Chome Minami 5 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo City in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan.
Sapporo Ramen Alley |
Sapporo Ramen Alley details
Locally called Ganso Sapporo Ramen Yokacho, the Sapporo Ramen Alley is said to be the birthplace of Miso Ramen. Historically, the ramen alley began sometime in 1948. Back then, there were eight ramen restaurants that tried to create the best ramen in town. Because of this, each restaurant created its own blend of delicious ramen that became a go-to destination for throngs of salarymen and locals who were lining up daily for affordable but very delicious food.
At present, there are 17 ramen restaurants operating in the 42-meter-long Sapporo Ramen Alley. Each restaurant has its own opening and closing times. The alley by far is one of the most popular tourist hotspots in the Susukino district of Sapporo. It's very common to see lines of tourists and locals lining up to get to their preferred ramen restaurant.
Speaking of long lines, if you want to avoid them, visit around 2 to 3 in the afternoon to avoid the lunchtime and dinnertime crowd. The same can be said during Fridays and Saturday nights, payday nights, and midnights as Sapporo Ramen Alley is popular among locals as their last stop for the night after their nomikai (drinking parties) in the Susukino district.
Before I share my experience, here's an insider tip if you want to get 50% off on your ramen. Visit any restaurant in Sapporo Ramen Alley on November 11, from 12NN - 12MN, and your ramen order will be half the price.
For this visit, I will try the ramen from Teshikaga Ramen (弟子屈ラーメン横丁店) |
The ticket vending machine with pictures is a big help to foreigners |
My order for today is the spicy miso ramen |
As for me, I got to visit Sapporo Ramen Alley for the first time last April 16, 2022, which was my 166th day here in Japan as an ALT under the JET Programme. During my visit, I chose to eat at Teshikaga Ramen as it has the highest review on Google Maps.
The Backpack Adventures visits Sapporo Ramen Alley |
Spicy Miso Ramen with all the toppings |
My mouth is watering already |
I ordered the highly recommended Spicy Miso Ramen with all toppings. As expected, it was worth my money. Given the chance, I'd come back here and try the other restaurants and also their specialties so that in that way, I would be able to truly give justice to the true spirit of the ramen alley.
Sapporo Ramen Alley Admission Fee
It's FREE to enter and explore Sapporo Ramen Alley. However, I highly recommended that you bring about 2000 yen to avail yourself of best-seller ramen from any ramen restaurant. I tried the Spicy Miso Ramen with all toppings from Teshikaga Ramen for 1780 yen.
Sapporo Ramen Alley Operating Hours
Each ramen restaurant in Sapporo Ramen Alley has its own opening and closing time. If you have a particular ramen restaurant in mind, better check their operating hours first before heading to the ramen alley.
Why visit Sapporo Ramen Alley?
If you're a big fan of ramen (like me) then this place is for you. Sapporo Ramen Alley is synonymous with Ramen Valhalla.
Getting to Sapporo Ramen Alley
From Sapporo Station, head over to the subway system and board the Namboku Kube going to Susukino Station. From there, walk for about 3 minutes to reach the Sapporo Ramen Alley.
Travel time: 10 minutes
Fare: 210 yen
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