Sapporo Junren Sapporo Branch

Sapporo Junren. Founded in 1964, it has been in business for exactly 60 years this year, and is a legendary restaurant that reigns as the headquarters of the “Jun Sumi-kei” Sapporo miso ramen restaurants, such as Menya Saimi. It is no surprise that it has won the Tabelog’s “EAST 100 Best Ramen Restaurants” award every year, and its long history of support from many people makes it seem more “exceptional” than other popular ramen restaurants of the past.

During my stay in Sapporo in the summer of 2024, I visited the Sapporo Junren Sapporo Branch, the main restaurant, to try the ramen of such a restaurant that cannot be missed when talking about Sapporo miso ramen. As I walked toward the restaurant, I was really looking forward to seeing what the nationally famous Junren‘s Sapporo Miso Ramen tasted like…

Although a long-established restaurant for 60 years, it has a bright, modern atmosphere like a new restaurant… Sapporo Junren Sapporo Branch is such a restaurant!

I arrived at Sapporo Junren Sapporo Branch around 6:30 p.m. on a weekend evening. It seems that I arrived just before the restaurant started to get crowded, so I was able to enter without any wait. By the time I finished my ramen and left the restaurant, there were crowds of people in front of the restaurant, so it would be better to keep in mind that there would be a reasonable line and wait time, especially when visiting during peak hours.

Although Sapporo Junren Sapporo Branch is a long-established restaurant with a history of 60 years this year, it is a beautiful new restaurant that gives no hint of its history. Originally established on Nakanoshima, Sapporo Junren moved several times before settling in its current location in 1994. Furthermore, it was renovated in 2008, and with the introduction of a touch-panel ticket vending machine, it has a bright and modern atmosphere as if it were a new restaurant that has been open only a few years. The restaurant has 10 counter seats and two table seats for a total of 20 seats. The restaurant space does not feel cramped, and even family customers with small children can use the restaurant with ease.

This is the origin of “Jun Sumi-kei”… What was it like to try the signature dish, Miso Ramen at Sapporo Junren Sapporo Branch?

Let me introduce the signature dish, Miso Ramen (priced 1,000 yen including tax) that I ordered at Sapporo Junren Sapporo Branch this time. After about 5 minutes of waiting, the Miso Ramen arrived in front of me…

The surface of the soup is covered with a thick film of oil like this. You may be tempted to be careless because there is no steam coming out of the bowl, but be careful not to burn the tongue, especially at the first sip, because the soup is very hot under the oil film.

In fact, this soup is so hot that the moment putting it in the mouth, I reflexively retracted my tongue. At the same time, the heat almost paralyzed my sense of taste, but then came the extremely rich miso flavor as expected. And it is not just the rich miso flavor, but also the spiceiness of garlic, pepper, and ginger that makes me want the next bite even as I struggle with the hot broth. It doesn’t have the same savory flavor as Sumire’s miso, which is made with a lot of stir-fried minced pork, but that gives Junren‘s soup a kind of refreshing, cool feeling.

The noodles are the familiar egg-filled, medium-thick, curly noodles that are used in Sapporo miso ramen. These noodles are apparently made by Morizumi Noodles, a prestigious noodle factory in Sapporo. The frizz of the noodle absorbs the soup well and is firm and crispy in the mouth. The thick miso broth is not defeated by the noodles, but the texture of the Sapporo miso ramen noodles is a delight to enjoy.

The main topping, chashu pork, was cooked so tender that the pieces were loosened like this. The pork is mainly lean, moist, and light. It is cut into small pieces so that it is easy to eat, and you can eat it easily without burdening your jaw or stomach.

I finished my ramen in about 10 minutes, feeling very satisfied with the miso ramen at Sapporo Junren Sapporo Branch. As one would expect from a restaurant that has made a name for itself throughout Japan as the source of the “Junsumi-kei” style of ramen. It would be irresistible to eat this hot miso ramen in winter when the temperature is lower… I don’t want it to be too cold, but in that sense, I really envy people who live in Sapporo.

Examples of other menu items at Sapporo Junren Sapporo Branch (prices include tax)

• Butter 300 yen
• Spicy miso ramen 1280 yen
• Shoyu ramen 1000 yen
• Shio Ramen 1000 yen
• Fried rice 900 yen
• Makaika-don: 330 yen
• Corn 300 yen

Note: Large servings of noodles and fried rice are available for an additional 150 yen.

Miso ramen for souvenirs can be ordered by mail order… To get to the Sapporo Junren Sapporo Branch, walk 6 minutes from the nearest station, Sumikawa Station on the Sapporo Municipal Subway Namboku Line.

The miso ramen is available in a fresh ramen version that can be ordered as a souvenir from Amazon or Rakuten, and although the price per serving is a bit expensive at around 700 yen, you can enjoy a different taste from cup noodles. Since Sapporo Junren Miso Ramen is currently unavailable outside of Sapporo, isn’t it great to be able to buy this product by mail order? I’ll post the link to purchase the product below, so please order one and try making it at home…

菊水 純連 味噌 1人前（生ラーメン）

Amazon参考価格：712円、楽天参考価格：713円

Amazonで買う

楽天で買う

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…

It is a 13-minute walk from Minami Hiragishi Station on the Sapporo Municipal Subway Namboku Line.