Shio hamaguri soup ramen & Shoyu hamaguri soup ramen ($14.90++ each)!
Thursday Japanese — shio hamaguri + shoyu hamaguri soup ramen $14.90++ each. The clear clam-broth ramen variants in salt and soy bases.
Thursday Japanese lunch with BB — shio hamaguri soup ramen + shoyu hamaguri soup ramen at $14.90++ each. The clear clam-broth ramen in shio (salt) and shoyu (soy) seasoning variants.
We ordered:
- Shio hamaguri soup ramen — $14.90++
- Shoyu hamaguri soup ramen — $14.90++
Total: $29.80++ (~$35 final) for both.
Hamaguri (蛤) is the Japanese hard-shell clam — the larger cousin of the more common asari clam. The hamaguri provides a deeper, sweeter clam-broth flavour than the smaller clams, with the firm flesh that holds up to the ramen-bowl cooking time. Hamaguri ramen is the specialty Japanese ramen style that’s grown in popularity over the years.
The shio (salt) variant was the cleaner profile. Salt-based seasoning on the clam broth lets the natural clam flavour come through cleanly — sweet-savoury from the shellfish, salt providing the umami amplification, no soy depth to mask the clam character. The broth was pale-cream coloured with the slight cloudiness from the clam-shell rendering.
The shoyu (soy) variant was the deeper profile. Soy sauce providing the salt plus the additional umami depth and colour. The broth was darker amber with the soy character coming through alongside the clam.
Both bowls had multiple hamaguri clams in the shell — usually 3-4 large clams per bowl. The clams stay in the bowl, with the broth cooked from the same source.
The eating ritual is the clam-and-broth approach. Eat the clams first (scoop them out with chopsticks, slurp the meat from the shells), drink the broth slowly to taste the depth, then work through the noodles last as they absorb the remaining broth.
The noodles were the standard thin alkaline kind that lighter ramen typically uses. Cooked to firmness, with the proper QQ chew. The thin noodles work better with the clear clam broths because they don’t overwhelm the delicate flavour.
Standard ramen architecture on top — a piece of nori, chopped scallion, sometimes a few slices of bamboo shoot. Minimal toppings let the clam-broth-and-noodle combination be the focus.
At $14.90++ each (~$17.50 each final), this is fair specialty ramen pricing. The hamaguri sourcing is the cost driver.
Eating both variants side-by-side is the proper comparison approach. Same broth base, different seasoning, different final flavour.
Overall: 4.5 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Excellent hamaguri ramen pair — would re-order.
