ツンデレラーメン！！フレンチ出身店主の、多彩なスープと自家製麺！ : Mendokoro Akatsuki

GW was a trip to Karuizawa with everyone!
After a late breakfast, Takane said, "Let’s have ramen at Akatsuki for lunch!" Oh no... I’ll gain weight—especially since we have a barbecue tonight... But Akatsuki's ramen is so delicious, I guess it’s okay!
We hopped into the car of the team heading to Tsuruya for shopping! We got dropped off in front of the restaurant with our two cats.
This ramen shop is one we’ve visited several times since Takane was a kitten!
"When was the last time we came here?"
"Three years ago!! I’ve been wanting to eat the ramen here ever since!"
Yeah, it’s not often you get to eat ramen when you come to Karuizawa...
"Last time, I had the yuzu shio ramen, and it was super delicious... After that, we had tea at Ippo (a nearby amazing bakery)."
Takane has a great memory... Even though he often doesn’t respond lately, he can talk endlessly about ramen!
For our orders, Takane got the signature "Akatsuki Ramen" and "Shio Koji Fried Chicken (small)" with seaweed as a topping!
Fujineko ordered a bottled beer and the "Torikara Shoyu Ramen," and asked for half the noodles!
According to Takane,
"The last time we came, I swapped my yuzu shio for a taste of the Akatsuki ramen, and it was super good! I’ve been curious about it ever since!"
Fujineko remembers it being delicious, but of course, he doesn’t remember the menu from three years ago, haha.
While waiting with our beers, the "Shio Koji Fried Chicken" arrived!
Takane exclaimed, "The regular fried chicken was amazing last time, so I wanted to try a different flavor!" And then he said, "Wow! This fried chicken is incredible!"
I’m glad to hear that... Even the small size comes with four generous pieces!
Fujineko tried a piece with his beer and said, "Wow! This is really light and tasty! The oil is well-drained, the flavor isn’t too strong, and the meat is tender, probably thanks to the shio koji! We definitely need to try the pork fried chicken next time!"
Just as Takane finished his fried chicken, our ramen arrived!
Both of us focused on our ramen in silence for a while!
Fujineko’s Torikara Shoyu Ramen had thin noodles and was loaded with ingredients! Each ingredient was prepared with care... From the finely chopped wakame to the perfectly boiled spinach and the way the green onions were cut!
And the balance of the broth was just right—the flavor of the green onions was perfect! Many places have shoyu ramen where the soy sauce flavor is too strong, but this ramen had a great balance of tare, broth, and toppings! I could just slurp it down! The chashu was tender and delicious...
I was about to finish it all in one go, but Takane said, "Let’s swap ramen!"
Takane took a sip of the broth from my Akatsuki Ramen... Oh wow!! So good!! This is what I remembered!! The flavored oil is amazing! It’s a blend of sesame and garlic oil, and the combination with the tonkotsu broth is superb! The thick noodles pair wonderfully with it! The toppings, even the green onions, are different from the shoyu ramen... The crunchy wakame was a nice touch!
You can really feel the love in how they handle the flavored oil, green onions, and pork! The attention to detail in their work is impressive, and the broth and chashu are just fantastic!
Fujineko isn’t a fan of the strong pork smell you get from some ramen, but he loves the gentle, deep flavor of this tonkotsu broth! Each element is perfectly balanced...
There are still so many menu items I haven’t tried! I’m curious about the tonkotsu tantanmen, tonkotsu seafood ramen, and tanmen!
You can really feel the restaurant’s commitment to making sure you enjoy your meal!
However!!! Despite that, the service is quite lacking, haha.
It’s at a level that’s almost concerning... Haha!
Tsundere Ramen!!!
I’ll definitely be back!