Tasty, Tasty Ramen

My only experience with ramen back in the states was the instant variety.  Now that I have access to the real thing, I know for a fact that it's a million times better.  While it's not the healthiest of foods, ramen is filling and reasonably priced (¥680 – ¥1100,) and ramen places are everywhere.  Some restaurants  have you order off a menu, but it's more common to purchase a ticket from a vending machine at the door.  Most varieties come with bamboo shoots and a square sheet of dried kelp, with more expensive versions adding soft-boiled eggs, slices of beef and spring onions.  Other types include ground beef, bean sprouts and corn.  Common condiments are black and/or white pepper, soy sauce, chili oil, vinegar, and garlic paste.

Below are pictures and descriptions of some of the varieties I've encountered so far.  Wikipedia does a better job than I could do of describing each type in detail, so if you're curious, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramen#Soup for more information.

 Shio (salt-based) ramen with egg, bamboo shoots and sliced beef.

 Tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen with egg, ground beef and bamboo shoots.

 Tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen with corn, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, ground beef, and a ton of chili oil!

 Tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen with egg, bamboo shoots, spring onion, sliced beef, and chili oil.

 Shoyu (soy sauce) ramen with bamboo shoots, sliced beef and spring onion.

Miso ramen with corn, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, ground beef, black pepper, and chili oil.

 Garlic oil ramen with egg, bamboo shoots and ground beef.

Nagome ramen (not sure exactly what that is) with bamboo shoots, egg, chili oil, and black pepper.

My current favorite is shio (salt-based) ramen with egg, spring onions, garlic, chili oil, and black pepper, though I also enjoy tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen.  I haven't had a bad bowl of ramen yet, though those kinds of broth appeal to me more than the others.  Ramen etiquette states that it is okay, and even polite, to slurp your noodles loudly, and the meal is typically consumed quickly.  Of course, being a well-trained foreigner, I'm not used to slurping anything (and I'm reluctant to try in good clothes,) and I usually take my time eating it.  I do make an effort to slurp the broth, which I hope makes up for not slurping the noodles a little ;)