Ofunato’s Sanma Ramen - A unique take on the ubiquitous ramen

I remember the first real bowl of ramen I ever had. It was a bowl of pale white noodles and rich porkbone-broth (Kyushu’s famous tonkotsu), and it was the best thing I ever had in my life. But it was also at a chain restaurant, and I’ve had a whole heck of a lot of bowls of ramen since then. It’s always good, but there’s not much variation once you’ve tried the main bases of soy sauce, miso, salt, and tonkotsu. For someone who was a real ramen junkie in her youth, I find myself going for cutlet-curry or beef bowls whenever I have a hankering for Japanese junk food. Could it be, I thought, that I was tired of ramen?

That’s when I heard of sanma ramen. An amber-colored broth with dark green wakame seaweed. Lightly-spiced bamboo shoots. A grilled fish sitting right on top. This is not your grandpappy’s ramen!

My interest peaked, I got myself down to the city of Ofunato on the southern coast of Iwate Prefecture.

Ofunato, port area

Being on the coast, Ofunato is home to both a booming fishing industry and bustling port. And every year, Ofunato consistently hauls some of the highest amounts of sanma fish on the main island of Japan. Sanma is a thin fish (called Pacific saury in English) that packs a ton of flavor in a small package, and people travel to Ofunato in the autumn just to get a taste. In fact, Ofunato is so well known for sanma that Hirofumi Ogawa, proprietor of the Goishi Coast Resthouse, knew it could be used to boost the city’s profile.

For someone who didn’t grow up in Japan, I didn’t appreciate just how strange it is to put together sanma and ramen. They put pork and ramen together, why not fish? But little did I know how much work went into developing this bowl of ramen as not just something unique, but something delicious as well.

“Sanma is a fish for the common people. A common person’s fish should be served in a common person’s meal. And what is that? Ramen. How about putting sanma and ramen together? Well, I tried that…and it was so bad. They didn’t go together at all!” laughs Mr. Ogawa. “I had to try a lot of different things before I found something special.”

Bowls of scrumptious sanma ramen

He grills each sanma fish to a nice char with some mirin sauce in a cast-iron pan. Not only does it look cool sitting on top of the bowl of ramen, it also ends up cutting the fish oil which sometimes contributes to the “fishy” taste fresh sanma can have. He also added spicy bamboo shoots, seaweed, the white part of a leek and a red chili pepper (both finely sliced) for color, and mixed in a special ingredient to the broth to mellow the stronger flavors and bring it all together. (You’ll have to go to Goishi Coast Resthouse to try and figure out the secret ingredient!) All of that makes for a unique, and delicious, bowl of ramen.

There’s a special way to eat this bowl of ramen too:

First, try the soup by itself.
Break up the sanma fish into the ramen with your chopsticks. This slowly changes the taste of the soup into a richer sanma flavor.
Eat some of that sanma with the rice.
Finally, add the remaining rice back to the soup.

“In the beginning, customers would always take out the sanma, put it on top of the rice, and eat it that way. But that’s not what sanma ramen is all about,” says Mr. Ogawa. “You know, at a very nice hot springs hotel, the host always comes and explains the food. So I had my employees explain how to eat each bowl. That takes about 30 seconds, and you feel like it’s a fancy place. Plus, that’s about how much it times for the flavor to seep into the ramen noodles.”

Intrigued? It’s a little bit of a haul – okay, no, it’s more like an odyssey – to try this ramen, but it’s well worth the journey. (Access info can be found at the bottom of the article) Mr. Ogawa has also joined forces with other restaurants in the area so they all have their own spin on sanma ramen. People have traveled from all over the world to eat this ramen, to the delight of Mr. Ogawa. “I want everyone to be able to say they had a great bowl of ramen in Ofunato,” he smiles. I hope you have a great bowl of sanma ramen in Ofunato yourself!

Goishi Coast Resthouse

Address:

(022-0001) Iwate-ken, Oofunato-shi, Massaki-chou, Oohama 221-86

Address (Japanese):

〒022-0001 岩手県大船渡市末崎町大浜221−68

Hours:

10:00-15:00

Don’t forget to shop for local souvenirs on the first floor! ↓↓ Local sake, sweets, and more.

How to get to the Goishi Coast Resthouse

By car: We recommend a car for getting around Ofunato, as there’s not a lot of public transportation (and all of it is in Japanese). Ofunato is a little over 2 hours away from major inland cities in Iwate, and the Goishi Coast is about 30 minutes away from the city center. There’s plenty of parking at the resthouse.

Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/FFkXHVqahxN2

More information on the Goishi Coast: A Trip to Iwate – Goishi Coast

Other attractions in the Goishi Coast area

Kaminari-iwa and Anatoshi-iso

These immense rocks are fantastic examples of the power of Mother Nature. Kaminari-iwa in particular is right out back from the resthouse, and each time the waves crash against the rocks, you’ll hear a sound like thunder (In Japanese, its name means Thundering Rock).

Ofunato City Museum

(Admission: 300 yen for adults, free for high school students and younger)

This humble little museum shows off a long-view of the history of Ofunato, starting from its geological makeup and ending with human settlements in the region. There’s lots of rock samples and artifacts from settlements of centuries ago. There’s also currently a special exhibit on the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and its effects on Ofunato. Please note that you don’t need to speak Japanese to enjoy the museum, but the majority of signage is only in Japanese.

Sekai no Tsubaki-kan (Hall of Camellias)

(Admission: 200 yen for adults, 100 yen for middle school students and younger)

Ofunato is famous for its camellia flowers – big red cheerful flowers that dot the entire coast. In this greenhouse, you can see a number of different camellia varieties from around the world, as well as buy goods made from the flower. (Please understand the camellias will be out of season during certain parts of year. The best time to go is winter. However, the hall will undergoing renovations until February 9, 2018)

Auto Campground

(Season: July – October)

Adjacent to the rest house is an expansive campground that’s perfect for a couple of different camping styles. There are auto campsites where you can park your car or camper, complete with electricity outlets and sink facilities. There are also free spaces for pitching a tent. The campground comes complete with a bathroom and shower facility, as well as a place to throw out your garbage. This is a great place for a BBQ in the summer, or a night gazing out at the stars (also recommended for those hiking the Michinoku Coastal Trail).

Please inquire at the Goishi Coast Information Center (adjacent to the rest house)

Tel: 0192-29-2359 (hours: 8:30 – 17:15) *We’re sorry, but they’re not able to take inquiries in languages other than Japanese.

Ofunato Onsen (Hot Springs)

Are you a fan of Japanese hot springs? Well, Ofunato’s got you covered there too! There’s a hot springs facility close to the rest house where you can rest and relax. More information: Ofunato Onsen

Other attractions in the greater Ofunato area

Kyassen

This shopping center opened in 2017 right out front from JR Ofunato Station, and has tons of souvenirs and food you can only get in Ofunato! Sanma ramen may be your first goal, but don’t forget to try the sashimi as Ofunato’s fish are freshly caught right next door. There’s a book store, sweets shop, and even a space for live performances. You could even stay at one of the many new hotels that’s cropped up around this area. By the way, Kyassen means “welcome” in the local dialect.

More information: Kyassen

Sanriku Railway

Sanriku Railway is the largest public-private railway in Japan, owned by Iwate Prefecture and a private company. Started in 1984 as the national Japan Railways (JR) was ceasing operation of a train line running the coast, Sanriku took over and operates its trains up and down the coast, complete with gorgeous views of the Pacific. In Ofunato, you can board the Sanriku Railway from Sakari Station (also accessible by JR BRT). The railway runs many promotional trains, like a train where you can sample a ton of desserts, or a “kotatsu” train where you can sit at a heated table while you watch a performance of local “namomi” ogres.

More information: Sanriku Railway