Chuka Soba Marutoku

Back down the mountain, I stepped into a ramen shop. Boxes from a noodle maker were stacked by the kitchen, and on each table sat a basket of hayazushi, pressed sushi wrapped in leaves.

You help yourself to the sushi whenever you like (and pay for it at the end, of course). That is the way of ramen shops here in Wakayama. Ever since I'd heard that "in Wakayama, there's sushi on the ramen-shop table," my pressed-sushi-loving heart had been racing.

Unwrapping the leaf revealed mackerel cured in vinegar and pressed onto rice. A wall of menu boards, a red stool by the window, and then the bowl arrived: Wakayama ramen, a pork-bone and soy sauce broth topped with slices of kamaboko. The clean yet rich soup and the straight, medium-thin noodles were wonderful together.

The bright, tangy sushi set off the deep, savory ramen. One bite, and I understood why this supporting actor has a seat at every table.

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