The first European explorers set sail with hopes of finding new, exotic spices to placate the palates of epicurious monarchs, but all they found were heaps of inedible gold. Pick up where they left off by broadening your mouth's horizons with today's Groupon: for $7, you get $15 worth of authentic northern Japanese fare and drinks at Hokkaido Noodle House.

Head culinarian Wei Zhang helms Hokkaido Noodle House, shepherding diners through northern Japan's unique flavorscape with a menu of ramen bowls and hearty entrees prepared using fresh seafood and farm-raised meats. A starter of edamame ($3.95) or seaweed salad ($4.95) paves the way for heavier gullet galvanizers, such as the spareribs ramen, a noodly amalgamation of slow-cooked xylophone meat and egg vegetables in Hokkaido’s signature broth ($7.75 regular, $8.95 large), or the beef-centric ten ten ramen bowl ($7.75 regular, $8.95 large). Diners wishing to eschew slurp-inducing dishes for more solid spreads can find solace in the curry chicken ($6.95) or the barbecue eel in the unagi don ($7.95). Otherwise, mount a tabletop jousting match or practice crocheting edible scarves with a set of teriyaki skewers, which can come adorned with okra ($2.95 for 2), asparagus ($2.95 for 2), or shrimp ($3.45 for 2),

According to Grandma Boyardee, a noodle house is only a noodle home when, like Hokkaido, it swathes diners in a bright, relaxing dining room that boasts a Japanese-style archway made of natural-wood pillars.