AFURI

Japan’s Mount Afuri has long been revered as sacred, and its ideal geography creates natural spring water that’s ideal for ramen making. Mount Hood’s ecosystem is surprisingly similar to that of Mount Afuri, complete with pristine spring water and a bounty of local produce, and this is why in 2016 Afuri Izakaya’s founder, Hiroto Nakamura, decided to open its first location outside of Japan in Portland. Today, there are two Portland locations and 23 worldwide.

AFURI isn’t your run-of-the-mill ramen shop. They specialize in yuzu-style ramen, made with a small Asian citrus fruit called yuzu, and a clear chicken-based broth that’s lighter than the more common pork-based tonkotsu. The addition of yuzu balances out the ramen’s richness, and it lightens and brightens the broth. Choose from yuzu shio (salt-based) or yuzu ratan (spicy soy-based) broths, or a mixture of both.