Tokyo – The ubiquitous Japanese ramen has long served such maximally proletarian dishes on plain counters, where consumers sip and gulp unceremoniously into bowls of boiling noodles.
But while ramen restaurants have long been an almost exclusively male domain, greasy cement-topped spoons are giving way to modern décor, handmade tableware and, grab your chopsticks, fusion flavors. And the women are waiting in line.
The English edition of Japan’s Nikkei reported on a “new ‘girly ramen’ culture” sweeping the culinary landscape.
In the article, cultural commentator Kaori Shoji traces the trend back to 2015, when the first “Ramen Girls Festival” took place in Yokohama. The festival’s founder, Satoko Morimoto, sells a line of jewelry with paste designs and diamond encrusts.
The feminization of ramen reflects broader socioeconomic trends, namely the fierce strength of Japanese workers, who numbered a record 30 million in 2022.
Anyone looking for a female-friendly ramen joint now need look no further than the social media feeds of Morimoto’s proud fellow noodle-heads, such as Instagram’s Tokyo Ramen Women or guitarist and bar owner Riona Aizawa, who says she consumed 461 bowls last year alone.
“I’m getting an umami sensation before the miso flavor hits my tastebuds!” the unnamed female host of the “Delicious Hokkaido” Facebook page enthused in a recent post, visibly deep in the throes of ramen rapture.
She waxed eloquent on the sweetness of the vegetable paste-infused soup, the absence of an aftertaste, the crunchiness of the delicately-chopped scallions, and how “the noodles hold their own,” with a flavor palette distinct from the aromatic soup they accompanied.
When it comes to comparing ramen, reviewers focus on everything from the tenderness of the braised red meat slices to the brand’s pedigree and the chewiness of the noodles. Diners, if online reviews are to be believed, tend to gravitate towards lighter dishes. soups. The popular ingredient, lard, if used, does not deserve to be sprinkled, many say, but delicately in small pieces on the surface of the broth.
Dating site Koigaku has pleaded with lovers about the dangers and benefits of “ramen dating,” noting that ramen department stores offer a potential minefield of embarrassing siphons, stained clothes, and hard breath.
But with the right strategy, the site suggests, even ramen can pave the road to romance.
“Nowadays more ramen shops are stylish,” Koigaku notes, “with menus geared to women.”
He goes on to point out the unsung benefits of dining on Japanese soul food on a date: “Like fast food, ramen department stores rarely require reservations, and the meal finishes quickly. “
At only about 1,000 yen per user (less than $7), ramen is also affordable enough to split without generating w and, of course, mitigate the risks in case of counterfeiting.
But Koigaku advises against ramen on first dates and advises diners to wear white jeans.
Global recognition has given the erstwhile humble noodle some snob appeal in recent years. 2015 marked the world’s first Michelin star for a ramen restaurant, when Tsuta, in Tokyo’s Sugamo district, was honored for its “black truffle-scented” Shoyu Soba.
Tsuta is no longer on the prestigious list, however, around two dozen Tokyo ramen restaurants were identified in the most recent Michelin guide.
In 2013, Japan was also a global tourist destination, but since then the country has grown in popularity to become one of the most sensible destinations in the world until 2024, with a record 33 million visitors expected.
All the new chefs and consumers have been a driver of innovation.
Catering to non-Japanese palates has propelled ramen in new directions, spurring the expansion of halal and vegan noodle soups to classic ones made with red meat bones.
Chefs from other culinary fields have turned to ramen territory. A French-trained chef has opened Tokyo’s popular Ebimaru Ramen, whose signature dish is ramen noodles with lobster chowder, topped with a slice of baguette with a touch of cream.
In the capital’s Shinjuku entertainment area, “Rahmen Eddie” has become as well-known for its pop art decor as it is for its riffs on Japan’s favorite soup, including bowls flavored with unusual ingredients like yuzu and ricotta cheese. It sells a “cappuccino ramen” in a coffee cup (a truffle, cream and porcini concoction for dipping noodles into.)
Takanochume’s soba maze, ramen served with broth, is a colorful combination of vegetables over noodles that resembles pasta Primavera.
In a clear departure from the masculine vibe of the past, the ramen world has even seen pink noodles and wheat gluten shaped like Valentine’s Day hearts.
Luxurious, and attractive to both sexes, it can be a lifesaver, as some ramen face an existential crisis.
A 2013 report by CBS News partner network TBS TV said a ¥700 bowl of ramen earned vendors about ¥410 in profit — a slim margin that has since shrunk thanks to soaring raw material, utility and labor costs to only about ¥200.
Tokyo Shoko Research said 2023 is the worst year for ramen department stores since 2009, with a record 74 finals nationwide.
Business magazine Diamond Online has noted that, with low barriers to entry and extreme competition, ramen shops generally have a high rate of failure — with two-thirds expected to close within three years of opening.
Owners resorting to more expensive ingredients to lure trade is only going to squeeze profits further, but as they help stretch the definition of “ramen,” women and overseas visitors are helping keep a beloved national dish alive.