Ramen Hunter

In the Ramen Hunter annual tradition,  we get Frank from 5AM Ramen and Brian of Ramen Adventures back on the pod to discuss the Ramen Walker 2024 Tokyo guide. This is the 15th edition of the Ramen Walker Tokyo Guide, and there are some new things to check out in this issue. First we get to hear about Brian's recent Germany/Poland trip. He brought some well regarded Ramen Masters to run pop-up...

Ramen Pharmacist's most recent hunting expedition took him to Wakayama, an underrated spot in the Ramen wilderness. This was a great chance to get him and other fans of Wakayama Ramen on the pod.  Joined by Keizo Shimamoto as well as first time guest and Kansai based hunter, The Gourmet Bear. Keizo shares some updates, including a rare appearance of the Ramen Burger. We dive deep into the OG...

What happens when a prominent Ramen Chef/YouTuber takes subliminal shots at the biggest Ramen YouTuber? Sparks fly!! Is there a right way and wrong way to eat Tsukemen? Are Ramen otaku's going overboard with their detailed description of the bowls? Listen as Ramen Beast and Ramen Guide break down the details and share their opinions of the drama.  Shops mentioned in the pod: Totonoe　 ramen c...

Have you listened to this podcast dreaming of making a Ramen trip to Japan? While it is fun to imagine, it can also be a bit daunting to figure out the logistics and scheduling. Ramen Fiendd and Ramen Pharmacist are two US based Hunters who join the pod to break down their recent excursion to Japan. With the overwhelming number of options, the fellas discuss their strategies for how to maximize th...

Join us on this episode of Ramen Hunter as we explore Ramen History with friends of the pod: Abram aka Ramen Beast and Cody aka Ramen Guide Japan.  Today we look into the legendary Class of '96. A group of shops including Menya Musashi, Aoba, and Kujiraken than pushed the Ramen into the 21st Century. Learn how the things we take for granted in modern shops trace their influence to this class,...

First episode of 2023, and managed to trick Keizo Shimamoto into sitting down with me to talk Ramen. First we get into Keizo's recent trip to Japan with his family. Learn tips on how to manage family when you are trying to sneak in bowls during your vacation. Hear the story of how the Mochiko/Ramen FEEL pop-up came together. We also dig into current events, including Strawberry Shortcake Rame...

Ramen Festival season is over, and I wanted to get Brian of Ramen Adventures and Kim aka The Ramen Mistress to talk about their experience at the annual Dai Tsukemen Haku Festival in Tokyo. Before getting into this years festival, Brian and Kim talk about recent slurps. We also get into the updated Hyakumeiten (Tabelog Top 100) list for 2022. Some new additions to the lists this year. Find out whi...

Another year, another "Tokyo Ramen of the Year" review.  Bringing back Abram aka Ramen Beast and Cody aka Ramen Guide Japan for our annual discussion of the TRY rankings.  Before getting into the magazine content, Abram shares some updates on the Mensho US operation including happenings at the Twitter building. Cody discusses the vibe in Tokyo with tourism openings up. We also touch on t...

Able to get  Frank from 5AM and Brian of Ramen Adventures back on the pod to discuss the Ramen Walker 2023 Tokyo guide. For those of you who don't know, Brian is a contributor to the Ramen Walker guides, so its always a treat to hear what he has to say. First we get to hear about Brian's recent Russia trip. Learn about the Ramen scene in places like Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Siberia. W...

Last year I stumbled across a new Ramen Hunter on IG who brought a perspective I've been really curious about: The Female Ramen Hunter. Kim aka The Ramen Mistress graces us with her presence and tells her story. Am joined by Frank from 5AM Ramen to navigate the discussion. Learn about how Kim got her Ramen start, life in Yokohama, and hunting as a woman. Is her shop experience the same as wit...

On a car ride through Modesto recently, I decided to grab a bowl at Konfucious Eats. I paid my respects to the chef Ernie and lo and behold he is a listener of Ramen Hunter! After staring at his Yamato Richmen Noodle Machine sitting in the restaurant floor, I knew I had to hear his story. Earnie got some of his friends to join the pod, so we're also blessed with the presence of Ryan from Oniy...

I saw an interesting tweet announcing a new Ramen Noodle company in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I had to investigate. Figured this would be a good time to talk specifically about noodles and give the listeners a taste of how complicated this rabbit hole is. I enlisted Mike Satinover aka Ramen Lord to help me in our discussion with Shotaro Uchida-san of Iseya Craft Noodle. Uchida-san is gearing...

I got hit up by Shawn aka Ramen Fiend asking why I don't do an episode about Ramen Hunters in the US? This Schmoe was at a loss, and asked him to round up some friends to educate me on the Southern California Ramen scene. Ramen Fiend is joined by Ramen Zac, and Raphael (aka Yolo), and they drop knowledge on the evolution of Ramen in Southern California. Learn about the first dedicated Ramen s...

Honored to sit down with Hideyuki Yamashita-san, founder of Yamachan Ramen and a Ramen veteran with over 40 years of experience. Yamashita-san shares the history of Nagasaki Champon, a style first served in 1907 at a shop called Shikairou . Learn how a chain called Ringer Hut took this style and made it famous across Japan. Hear about Yamashita-san's start in Ringer Hut Japan, and the journey...

Abram aka Ramen Beast and Cody aka Ramen Guide Japan are back on the pod to discuss another issue of Tokyo Ramen of the Year (TRY) 2021-2022 magazine rankings.  Before getting into the magazine content, we discuss a recent tweet storm that sent the Tokyo Ramen scene ablaze. What is a Ramen "critic", and what value do they have for shop owners. What happens when critics cross a line? We a...

Joined by the Frank from 5AM and Brian of Ramen Adventures fame to discuss the Ramen Walker 2022 Tokyo guide. Brian is an annual contributor to the guide, so his input is invaluable. First we get into recent slurps (1:34). We  discuss an update to the Tokyo Ramen Street in Tokyo Station (9:24). We also touch upon the growing trend of frozen ramen (12:02). I ask the guys their thoughts on the cance...

Joined by the Ramen Hunting crew of Noodle Slurp, Ramen Guide Japan, and Nama Japan.  First we discuss recent slurps (1:44). We also get into Nama Japan's story (11:15) and learn about his website and YouTube channel. Later on, Ramen Guide Japan shares some secrets to increasing web traffic and sales on websites (19:49). We get into the history of Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto (25:11), a Spicy Ramen...

Joined by friends of the pod, Abram Plaut and Keizo Shimamoto!  First we discuss Keizo's new position as Director of Innovation at Myojo Noodle (0:44) Abram also shares updates on MENSHO's activities in the US (9:00). The guys also discuss the new trend in Japan of Ramen Vending Machines with frozen noodle kits (15:13). Will this be a thing?? We get into the background of Kannana (33:40)...

Bizentei is a fantastic Ramen Shop that's been around since 1979. On a trip earlier this year I noticed a poster for "Come Back Anytime", an upcoming documentary about the shop. My curiosity was piqued, and reached out to Director John Daschbach and Producer Wataru Yamamoto to discuss their project. John and Wataru share what inspired them to make the film, and give us wonderful sto...

A recent trip to the Yokohama Cup Noodles Museum inspired me to do an episode on instant noodles. Gathered up my old friend 5AM Ramen along with the greatest instant ramen expert in the world, Hans aka The Ramen Rater. The guys talk about recent slurps (1:46) including a product that can best be described as "motel air conditioning" flavored (4:22). Hans tells us about his start as The R...

Joined on this episode by friends of the pod Abram aka Ramen Beast and Cody aka Ramen Guide Japan. We first talk about recent slurps, including Ramen Mu (6:21) which provides syringes to shoot up your ramen bowl. Abram recommends Shimomae Shoten (11:27) in Yokohama  Chinatown. Edwin asks the guys about their thoughts on a new "healthier noodle" product launched by Sakai Seimen (13:12). W...

Joined on this episode by friends of the pod Abram aka Ramen Beast, Brian aka Ramen Adventures, and first time guest Mike Satinover aka Ramen Lord. Listen as Brian experiences an extortion attempt while we are recording! We cover some recently slurped bowls, and talk about Mike's Ramen journey through Sapporo to his home kitchen in Chicago.  The guys kick knowledge on Sapporo style Miso Ramen...

Joined this episode by the friends of the pod Abram aka Ramen Beast, Brian from Ramen Adventures, and Frank from 5AM Ramen. We touch on the recently announced Michelin Guide Ramen list, as well as the Tabelog Top 100. Is Brian a secret Michelin reviewer?? The guys also share their picks  (bowls eaten in 2020) for the following: - Overall top 3 shops - Shop that required the most effort to get to -...

Joined this episode by the friends of the pod Abram aka Ramen Beast and Keizo Shimamoto, noted LA Clippers fan. We get into current events, especially the recent effects of COVID19 on Abram and Keizo. Also get to hear about Abram's crazy trip to Fukuoka which segues into a deep dive into Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen. We cover some of the history, and Keizo walks us through the tricky process of cook...

Joined this episode by the famed Ramen Hunters Brian from Ramen Adventures and Frank from 5AM Ramen. The guys share their experience at the newly launched Ramen Walker Kitchen in Saitama, featuring a "who's who" of Ramen Masters. We also get into Franks recent travels in Aomori prefecture to sample the local Ramen styles. Learn about Tsugaru Niboshi Ramen and the infamous Miso Curry...