How Jun Furukawa Shaped a Welcoming Ramen Menu

For a first-time visitor, a ramen menu can feel like a map written in another language. Broths have different bases, noodles vary in thickness, toppings carry unfamiliar names, and the most appealing bowl may not be the easiest one to decode. Jun Furukawa’s approach at MEN-EIJI RAMEN makes that first decision feel more like an invitation than a test.

The Sapporo brand is built around gyokai-tonkotsu broth, a rich combination of seafood and pork bones. It has depth and intensity, yet the menu is designed to help newcomers understand what they are tasting. Rather than hiding the character of the broth behind excessive choice, Furukawa gives diners a clear path into the restaurant’s style.

That matters for Australians travelling to Hokkaido. A visitor from Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane may already know ramen through local Japanese restaurants, but Sapporo has its own food culture and climate. A steaming bowl after walking through snow near Susukino or exploring the city’s markets can be a very different experience from eating ramen on a warm evening at home.

The menu also reflects a chef who has built experience through collaborations, international pop-ups and recognition such as a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Those achievements are useful context, but the real design success is practical: a newcomer can arrive hungry, choose with confidence and still encounter something distinctive to Sapporo.

A clear first step into Sapporo ramen

Furukawa’s menu begins with a strong central idea rather than a long catalogue of unrelated dishes. The seafood-and-pork-bone broth gives MEN-EIJI RAMEN its identity, allowing the first-time guest to start with the restaurant’s signature flavour instead of trying to guess which bowl represents the house style.

Gyokai-tonkotsu has a satisfying balance of savoury pork richness and concentrated seafood umami. For an Australian diner accustomed to chicken-based ramen, miso ramen or lighter shio broths, that combination can seem powerful at first. The menu’s role is to provide enough clarity that intensity feels intentional, not overwhelming.

This is especially helpful when visiting with friends who have different levels of ramen knowledge. One person may be keen to explore a deep, complex broth, while another may prefer a more familiar entry point. A focused menu gives the group a shared reference without turning the meal into a technical exercise.

Choosing by flavour, not guesswork

The best first order is usually guided by the kind of eating experience a visitor wants. Someone looking for a rounded, substantial bowl can lean towards the restaurant’s gyokai-tonkotsu character. Someone interested in a more distinctive protein or a different aromatic direction can explore the other styles offered across the MEN-EIJI locations.

That approach is valuable because ramen menus often compress a great deal of information into a few Japanese terms. Furukawa’s menu design makes flavour the central decision: rich or lighter, seafood-led or meatier, familiar or exploratory. It helps diners connect the name of a dish with the sensation they can expect at the table.

The same principle works well for Australians who use casual food language. A diner might describe a bowl as “proper hearty,” “a bit lighter,” or “full-on but worth it.” Those instinctive descriptions are close to the decisions the menu encourages. You do not need specialist knowledge to find a bowl that matches your appetite.

The broth does the explaining

A signature broth should reveal its ingredients gradually, and gyokai-tonkotsu is well suited to that experience. Pork bones contribute body and a creamy texture, while seafood brings a marine savouriness that can linger across the palate. The result has the weight expected from tonkotsu with an extra layer of Japanese coastal flavour.

For a first-time guest, this layered profile creates a memorable introduction to MEN-EIJI RAMEN. The broth can be tasted on its own before the noodles and toppings are mixed through. Taking a few sips at the beginning helps identify the balance of salt, fat, seafood and umami that defines the bowl.

The design also avoids making the meal depend on excessive toppings. The broth remains the focus, so a visitor can understand the restaurant’s cooking even with a straightforward order. Added ingredients then become a way to personalise the experience rather than a distraction from the base recipe.

Visitors coming from Australia may recognise the same logic from serious coffee or natural wine bars: the product is given enough space to speak clearly. MEN-EIJI applies that discipline to ramen, presenting a bowl that is generous and approachable without flattening its character.

Noodles and toppings create an easy learning curve

Noodles are another part of Furukawa’s first-visit strategy. Their texture changes the way the broth is carried from bowl to mouth, and the right balance helps the dish feel complete. A newcomer may not yet have a preferred noodle firmness, but they can still notice the difference between springy, substantial noodles and a softer, more delicate bite.

Toppings provide a second layer of discovery. They add contrast in texture, colour and temperature, while giving diners familiar points of reference within an unfamiliar bowl. A well-prepared slice of meat, aromatic garnish or carefully placed vegetable can make the dish easier to read as the meal develops.

This matters in the same way that a good shared meal works at a Sydney izakaya. There are recognisable elements alongside new flavours, so a diner can move gradually from what they know towards what the chef wants them to discover. The menu does not demand that every ingredient be understood before the first bite.

For anyone unsure how to eat ramen, the simplest approach is the best: taste the broth, try the noodles, then combine everything. Slurping is accepted in Japan, though visitors do not need to perform a particular style. A relaxed appetite is more important than perfect technique.

Two locations, two ways to meet the brand

MEN-EIJI Hiragishi BASE and Duck Ramen EIJI give visitors different ways to experience Jun Furukawa’s cooking. The two locations belong to the same Sapporo story, yet their identities allow the brand to show how a clear ramen philosophy can adapt to different expressions.

Duck Ramen EIJI places particular attention on duck, giving adventurous first-time diners a route into a more specialised bowl. It can suit someone who has already tried classic pork tonkotsu and wants a flavour with a different aroma and texture. The restaurant’s dedicated Duck Ramen EIJI page is useful for understanding that location before setting out.

Hiragishi BASE, meanwhile, is a natural choice for visitors wanting to encounter the broader MEN-EIJI identity. Checking the current address, opening hours and menu information before travelling is sensible, especially during a tightly planned Sapporo stay. Opening times can shape an itinerary as much as a train timetable when the meal is a major part of the day.

For Australians travelling in winter, timing has added importance. Daylight hours are shorter, pavements can be icy, and a walk that looks brief on a map may take longer in heavy layers. Planning a ramen stop around sightseeing in Hiragishi or central Sapporo leaves room to arrive hungry rather than rushed.

A menu shaped by experience beyond Japan

Furukawa’s career has helped shape a menu that feels rooted in Sapporo while remaining legible to international diners. International pop-ups and collaborations expose a chef to different expectations around portion size, service, dietary concerns and the language people use when describing food.

That wider experience can make a restaurant more welcoming without making it generic. A visitor from Australia may have encountered ramen through local interpretations in Melbourne’s CBD, Sydney’s inner suburbs or a late-night venue in Brisbane. MEN-EIJI does not need to imitate those restaurants; it simply needs to offer enough guidance for the connection to feel natural.

Awards and recognition, including a Michelin Bib Gourmand, reinforce the quality of the cooking, but they are not a substitute for hospitality. For a first-time guest, the important result is a menu that communicates purpose. Each bowl should feel like part of the chef’s point of view rather than a random option selected from a large list.

The same is true of collaborations. They suggest curiosity and technical range, while the core menu shows restraint. Furukawa can explore new ideas without losing the broth, noodle and topping relationships that make ramen satisfying.

How to order with confidence

A first visit does not require a detailed plan. Begin by deciding whether you want the restaurant’s rich seafood-and-pork-bone profile or a different signature, such as the duck-focused direction at Duck Ramen EIJI. From there, consider how hungry you are and whether you want the cleanest way to taste the broth or a more elaborate bowl.

It is worth taking a moment to read the menu rather than ordering purely from a photograph. Look for the dish that most clearly matches your preferred flavour. If you are travelling with companions, different choices can turn the meal into a small tasting of the brand’s approach, with each person comparing broth, aroma and texture.

Australians are generally comfortable asking staff for guidance, and that is a practical way to handle unfamiliar terminology. A simple request for a rich bowl, a less intense option or a recommendation for a first visit gives the team useful information. There is no need to pretend expertise.

The restaurant’s two sites can also be explored before arrival through a kitchen tour, which offers context for how the locations support the MEN-EIJI experience. That preparation can make the meal more enjoyable, especially for travellers fitting ramen around a packed Hokkaido itinerary.

Jun Furukawa designed the menu for discovery with a firm starting point: let the broth establish the restaurant’s identity, then let noodles, toppings and location guide the rest of the experience. For an Australian visitor, that means ordering can stay relaxed while the flavours remain ambitious. Visit MEN-EIJI Hiragishi BASE or Duck Ramen EIJI with an open appetite, take your first sip before rushing into the noodles, and let Sapporo’s seafood-rich ramen make the introduction.