MITO -- Ramen with ankimo -- monkfish liver -- is a hit dish at a ryokan hotel in Kitaibaraki, Ibaraki Prefecture. Anko no Yado Marumitsu Ryokan hotel opened the Menya Marumitsu ramen restaurant inside its premises at the end of May.
Noted for its special broth made with monkfish liver and miso soybean paste, ankimo ramen is popular with customers who come in advance knowing about the dish. During the first two months until the end of July, the hotel sold about 3,000 servings of the ankimo ramen both in the restaurant and online.
In April, the hotel closed temporarily because of the novel coronavirus, leaving the owners deprived of their main source of income. Opening the restaurant was one way to overcome some of the difficulties brought on by the pandemic.
While the hotel has since reopened on July 24, ongoing measures to prevent the spread of the virus have acutely been limiting the amount of business the hotel can conduct and only six of the 17 hotel's guest rooms are able to be booked.
Originally the hotel had planned to operate the restaurant for a limited time until the end of August, but plans have been changed and the restaurant is to continue dishing out ramen from September onward. It is hoped that by keeping the restaurant open the hotel can help recuperate revenue losses, if only by a little.
On Aug. 1, the hotel added another flavor to its ankimo ramen lineup -- seasoned torafugu tiger puffer fish stock with clear shio (salt) broth. The stock is made from the bones and fins of puffer fish from the hotel's land-based fish farm and the shio ramen is also garnished with monkfish liver paste. A satsumaage fish cake made with tiger puffer fish meat and monkfish liver was also added to the menu.
"I heard people who didn't like monkfish tell me, 'It's delicious,'" said Yoshihisa Takeshi, 44, the hotel's president, referring to the positive feedback the restaurant receives. Prior to offering the unique ramen, the hotel found it difficult to bring in families and young people, but even they are now coming to the restaurant to eat ankimo ramen.
While monkfish hot-pot is regarded as wintertime food, ramen is seasonless.
"I'm hoping to publicize our town of monkfish throughout the year," Takeshi said enthusiastically.
A bowl of ankimo ramen, both miso and salt flavors, costs 850 yen. A plate of satsumaage fish cake with monkfish liver and tiger puffer fish meat is 450 yen. Call the hotel at (0293) 46-0569 for information.
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