Our trip to Hokkaido – Haneda Airport

C says:

Tokyo’s Haneda airport officially rocks! Not only do they have Tokyo souvenirs like Tokyo Banana, they have all the famous Hokkaido snacks like Shiroi Koibito and even the elusive Potato Farm. You almost don’t need to go to Sapporo any more…

There’s also a mini food street, where we chanced upon Setagaya Ramen, apparently pretty well known in Tokyo but offering a limited menu here. I had a normal soup ramen, and A had the tsukumen.

The tsukumen was without question the better of the two. The dipping broth was really complex, and you could taste both meaty and seafood/fish notes to it. What elevated the broth even further was a subtle charred flavour, as though some grilled meat had been incorporated into the broth. It added depth, flavour and almost didn’t need the soba-yu for it to be drinkable.

One aspect of the regular ramen was superior though – the char siew. There were slices of chargrilled pork neck that were amazingly flavourful and tender, compared to the braised pork in the tsukumen.

Given the choice, I think we’ll definitely try to fly via Haneda where possible. The sheer range of souvenir goodies that are available, and some duty free to boot, will certainly make it worthwhile.

A says:

Surprise! One of the best ramens we had, and maybe even one of the best meals of the trip. I’m definitely eating the tsukumen here every time I pass through Haneda.