Oodles of Noodles

Slurping through a lantern-lit alley in Sapporo, Japan, where miso ramen was born

-  Jonathan Thompson

I HEARD THE MUSIC before I smelled the food: the full-flavored riffs of AC/DC. Then, as I ducked to enter the tiny restaurant, I got a waft of something even heavier-a perfect harmony of miso and broth. A handful of diners were clustered around a wooden counter, their rapt expressions mimicking the song coming out of the speakers: "Thunderstruck."

The city of Sapporo, Japan's northernmost metropolis, is renowned for seafood, skiing, and a snow festival. But to foodies, it has one claim to fame above all others: a street named Ganso Ramen Yokocho. Otherwise known as "Ramen Alley," this unassuming lane in Sapporo's neon heart gave the world miso ramen-and continues to serve it to delicious perfection today.

For true believers, Japanese ramen shops are holy places, and this is the ultimate shrine. Located amid the buzzy izakaya taverns and karaoke parlors of Susukino, Sapporo's nightlife district, this lantern-lit alleyway is home to 17 ramen shops, each putting its own unique twist on Japan's ultimate comfort food.

My first stop, at the alley's northern end, had been Haruka (entrées $7-$8), nicknamed "The Rock-and-Roll Ramen Shop" for its thumping soundtrack. With space for nine diners, it's one of the alley's smaller restaurants, but serves some of the richest, most springy noodles.