*IN PROGRESS*
Top 5 Ramen
in Tokyo, Japan
If you ask me what I miss most about studying abroad in Japan (and I didn't have time to think of something deeper), my instant response would be RAMEN.
As a Yelp Elite in the Greater Houston area, my natural instinct is to “Yelp research” before stepping into any restaurant. To my dismay, Yelp is not used in Japan; instead, the locals’ equivalent is a similar platform called Tablelog. To even greater dismay, I realized that the accurate version of the site is in Japanese. Even at level 0 of Japanese language ability, I still didn’t give up.
My method for choosing ramen shops was the following:
I went to over 40 highly-rated ramen shops, and the following 5 blew me away. In this post, I will give you a rundown on these restaurants and help you make the most of your ramen dining experience in Tokyo.
As a Yelp Elite in the Greater Houston area, my natural instinct is to “Yelp research” before stepping into any restaurant. To my dismay, Yelp is not used in Japan; instead, the locals’ equivalent is a similar platform called Tablelog. To even greater dismay, I realized that the accurate version of the site is in Japanese. Even at level 0 of Japanese language ability, I still didn’t give up.
My method for choosing ramen shops was the following:
- Read worldwide and local travel and food blogs
- Find the named restaurant on Tabelog to confirm if its rating was above-average
- Utilize Google Translate to identify the most popular dish
I went to over 40 highly-rated ramen shops, and the following 5 blew me away. In this post, I will give you a rundown on these restaurants and help you make the most of your ramen dining experience in Tokyo.
Nakiryu
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Nakiryu, awarded a Michelin star in 2016, is known for their tantanmen bowl. While there is definitely a spicy kick to the broth, it is worth-it and manageable. I recommend adding on shrimp wontons and a soft-boiled egg.
Because of its popularity and limited seating, 1-hour wait times are guaranteed, any time of the year. My best advice is to arrive one hour before dinner time. You’ll be one of the first to eat, and only during dinner will you be allowed to order their signature “appetizers/side dishes”. Get the braised-pork with onion ponzu sauce, and you won’t be disappointed with its tenderness and tangy flavor! Nakiryu won “Best Overall Experience” because you can taste the quality in every ingredient. You can see the chefs preparing each bowl of ramen individually from scratch. In addition, you worked hard for it… waiting an hour can be tough! Honorable mention: Tsuta (the only other Michelin star ramen shop) |
Afuri
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Saying Ichiran or Ippudo is the best ramen shop in Tokyo is like saying Olive Garden is the best Italian restaurant in Boston. As publicized as they are, they aren’t that good. The problems with chains are that the dishes lose their craftmanship and there’s a lack of emphasis on top-notch ingredients. Afuri, even with many shops around Tokyo, still makes their bowls individually from scratch.
If you have strong taste buds, I recommend ordering the yuzu-shoyu bowl with thick noodles and maroaji broth. I loved the texture of the thick noodles with the citrusy, light-tasting broth. The pork is cooked to perfection, but you can also sub for chicken. My only complaint about the bowl is that they give you HALF a soft-boiled egg. Honorable mention: Menya Musashi (another great chain in Tokyo, but each location offers a specialty dish) |
Ginza Kagari
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For those who can’t eat pork or just want something different from the typical pork-based ramens, Ginza Kagari is your “Michelin-star” restaurant.
Highly recommended is the chicken paitan with a soft-boiled egg. Every ingredient in this dish is of highest-quality and tastes extremely fresh. The bowl looks very simple, but every element is well-crafted. You won’t take any part of the bowl for granted. The chicken is extremely tender. The vegetable toppings are in-season. My mouth is watering thinking about it. This shop is located in the heart of Ginza but is difficult to find as it’s hidden behind an alleyway. Even more confusing, the sign says, “Soba.” No more than 10 seats and very popular among locals, this restaurant will likely have a wait time. Arrive 30 minutes early to be one of the first ten people in line. Honorable mention: Matador (beef-based ramen) |
Takesue Tokyo Premium
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As beautiful as this ramen bowl looks, it tastes even better. Takesue’s specialty is called “tori hotate soba” which is a ramen bowl made of chicken, topped with a rich scallop paste and 3 types of premium meat. Some will raise an eyebrow at “scallop paste,” but I guarantee you it adds a rich unique flavor to the bowl.
The main chef works all-the-time at this small 9-seater restaurant. If you can, ask to sit at the bar facing his “workspace.” He prepares each bowl from scratch and customizes it to your liking. The second time I visited, my Japanese improved tremendously, so I was able to converse with him. It was a great experience! Honorable mention: Yamaguchi Ratsushiki (soupless tantanmen… beware of the spiciness!) |
Ramen Yamaguchi
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Rumor has it that Ramen Yamaguchi will be the third ramen shop to be awarded a Michelin star. I was skeptical at first, but after trying this chicken-based broth, I was a believer. The simplicity of the ingredients in their specialty tori soba emphasizes the quality of the overall bowl. The noodles taste fresher and softer than the norm. The pork slices are juicy and tender.
(Yes, he’s also the same owner as Yamaguchi Ratsushiki! He founded that restaurant after the huge success of this one.) Honorable mention: Menya Shichisai, Hatchobori (fresh noodles made on-site) |
There are a lot of great ramen shops in Tokyo. I could easily write a top 20 or top 10 ramen list, but these top 5 ramen bowls are hard to find anywhere else in the world. In other words, they are must-try dishes!