Sapporo prides itself on its ramen: yellow egg noodles cooked al dente, served in a wide-brimmed Chinese porcelain bowl with slices of char siew (broiled/BBQ pork), assorted vegetables (usually bean sprouts), or assorted seafood (including Hokkaido crabmeat). Customers have a choice of soup: shoyu (soy sauce) is a lighter, clearer soup base, or miso base, which is thicker and richer in taste. Both are served piping hot, with toppings of choice and a thick layer of oil.
Although ramen can be found almost anywhere in Sapporo, the majority of the ramen shops are clustered around and at Susukino, 5 minutes' walk from Susukino subway station. Head for Yokocho lane for some of the best ramen in town.
My personal preference is the miso-based ramen, although both flavours tend to be salty. For those with an allergy to ajinomoto, this is one dish you would want to avoid. Otherwise, ramen is a great meal to warm the stomach on a cold winter night. Local etiquette requires customers to slurp their noodles noisily: an expression of appreciation. As the expression goes, if you love the noodles, make a joyful noise, or in this case, a noisy slurp.