Marukai Ramen

Aomori's local ramen style is built on niboshi, dried baby sardines, and Marukai is one of the clearest expressions of this tradition. The broth is deeply savory with a pronounced, almost briny fishiness that takes a moment to calibrate to but becomes addictive by the second half of the bowl. Noodles are thick, curly, and chewy, made to hold up to the assertive soup. The shop is small and fills up at lunch. It is the kind of place regulars visit weekly, and the menu rarely changes.