I wrote about part one a few weeks ago, and part two of the yearly Ramen Fantasista is taking place between the 16th and 28th of October, where the chefs all switch round and we are given three new types of ramen to try.

So yesterday I dutifully went again with ramen-lover-extraordinaire Yuzo to taste the second batch. We went with two orders of the 醤油ラーメン (soy sauce flavoured soup - photo 1) and one of the 信州肉味噌ラーメン (miso fish-flavoured soup with meat - photo 2). The 醤油ラーメン seemed to mix pork and fish flavours, like a 魚介, but with a very mild taste. Yuzo commented that it was almost a 塩らーメん (salt-flavour soup) in taste and thickness.

The 肉味噌ラーメン on the other hand was very strong in flavour with an almost cheesy taste to the slightly spicy meaty sauce; almost similar to a pasta! Yuzo and I quite liked it, and in fact he ended up ordering it as his second bowl.

As my second bowl I tried the third ramen variety (photo 3) which offered both pork meat and smoked chicken meat (which I wasn't a fan of, being smoked) in a thick soup not unlike 豚骨 (tonkotsu) but supposedly with prawns also included somewhere in the soup mixup. The inclusion of prawns unfortunately excluded it for Yuzo as he's allergic, but with the organic soba-like noodles it made for a nice taste. Very thick though, so I don't think I could have managed more than half anyway.

Overall though, from all six Fantasista ramens available over the four weeks, I think my favourite has to be the 醤油ラーメン from part one last time as that really was a great taste for me.

I won't be in Japan for next year's event, but I'll hopefully be back in 2011 to try them all again!