Noodle bars in Japan — especially those serving cheap, quick bowls of ramen (egg noodles) — play a key part in catering to the inebriated, just as kebab shops do in my native England.
Twenty or so years ago, eating ramen was a predictable experience. Typically the dish would be defined by its soup base, which was determined by geographic location, such as soy sauce in Tokyo, miso in Hokkaido and tonkotsu (stock made with pork bones) in Kyushu. Grace notes would come in the form of extra toppings, such as boiled eggs, char siu (barbecued pork), pickles, vegetables and so on.
Nowadays, regional barriers are being broken, and you can easily find establishments specializing in tonkotsu all over the country, alongside foreign influences such as a spicy kimchi topping or tomato soup.
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