Just as you step foot into Japan, you will see countless ramen shops along the street, in shopping malls or even at train stations! Ramen is a big culture in Japan, there is nothing quite like a warm bowl of slow cooked broth, soft boiled egg, char siu meat and perfectly chewy noodles. There is a dynamic range of textures and flavours that works so well together.

          Tokyo is a great place to start if you are a ramen lover, there are over 10,000 ramen stores across Tokyo and whether you’re a fan of the soup noodles or not, here is a list of the Best 14 Ramen Stores in Tokyo that you must visit!

 

 

 

1. Ramenya Shima

 

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Ramenya Shima is 5-minute walk from Exit A2 of Nishi-Shinjuku Station on the Toei Oedo Line. Depending on the day, you might have to wait up to 2 hours in the queue before getting seated inside, but if you are lucky, you might get in straight away! At Ramenya Shima, their shoyu (soy sauce) ramen is the most popular. It is the perfect blend of richness and saltiness that makes the perfect bowl of ramen, it also features pork belly and perfectly soft boiled egg.

 

 

 

2. Nonokura

 

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Featuring their own homemade noodles combining with their incredibly decadent broth. This place is famous for their Tokusei ramen, which is topped with two slices of the pork char siu, one chicken char siu slice, menma bamboo shoots, a soft-boiled egg, seaweed, green onions, and yuzu. The broth is incredibly flavourful with a great depth of flavour. If you’re ever in Kameari, we highly recommend checking this place out.

 

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3. Menson Rage

 

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Step into this skater shop inspired ramen store that displays a collection of skate decks, posters, and t-shirts. The owner is an avid skateboarder whose also has interest in cooking ramen and decided to combine his two passions into one store. Menson Rage has separated itself from other ramen shops by using Shamo chicken, which is a different breed of chicken that is not commonly used in Japanese cuisine. The tasteful broth with the tender meat has made this place one of the favourites for ramen lovers.

 

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4. Shinjiko Shijimi Noodle Kohaku

 

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This small ramen shop at the back street along the train tracks of south Tokyo has been featured in several food magazines for its delicious ramen. The beauty is in its name, the shop features Shijimi, which is a type of shellfish found in Lake Shinji in Shimane prefecture. These clams are said to be one of the freshest most delicious in the area. Also, the shoyu soup is what make this place so popular, it has a soothing and mellow taste that allow the delicate flavours of the Shijimi clams to shine through.

 

 

 

5. Uchoku

 

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This local ramen shop is located few minutes’ walk from Ogikubo station. Uchoku has a cosy and relaxing atmosphere that provides homely comfort for locals. On to the ramen, their homemade noodles are on the thinner side with the perfect chewiness to it. They also feature Chinese style char siu pork that is thinly sliced, adding a hint of sweetness to the broth. This place is worth a visit if you around the area and want to enjoy delicious comfort food.

 

 

 

6. Ramen Yamaguchi

 

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Ramen Yamaguchi is a short walk from Takadanobaba station and has been featured several times on the Michelin Guide recommendation list and has gained massive popularity among tourists. Overtime, the shop has become more tourist friendly with English menu and displayed pictures. This shop offers 2 ramen options, Tsuke Soba (their version of a tsukemen) and Tori Soba (traditional shoyu ramen). Both options are delicious in their own ways, also combining with tendering meat that elevates the dish.

 

 

 

7. Mendokoro Kinari

 

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Mendokoro Kinari is a short 5-minute walk from Higashi Nakano station, an English menu is also provided for those that need. Mendokoro Kinari uses dark blend shoyu which adds an incredibly rich and powerful shoyu flavour to the bowl. The broth is slow cooked animal-based flavour with a combination of chicken and duck bones to add depths to the broth. Soft boiled egg cooked to perfection and char siu chicken and pork also add great flavour to the ramen.

 

Photo: tabelog.com

 

Photo: tabelog.com

 

 

 

8. Ramen Shibata

 

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Ramen Shibata has an old school ramen shop atmosphere that takes you back in the time of your childhood. The shop features two ramen styles, a niboshi ramen and a shoyu ramen. They also have small char siu pork rice bowl which you can order to get your meal started. The ramen broth has incredibly intense flavour with a hint of dried sardine. The noodles here are thin and round which provides a great texture in the incredibly flavourful broth. They Also have thinly sliced roast pork that soaks up the flavour perfectly.

 

Photo: tabelog.com

 

Photo: tabelog.com

 

 

 

 

9. Ramen Soba Nishino

 

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This is a ramen shop with a hint of Chinese cuisine, their signature dish has homemade medium-thick Chinese noodles with a refreshing aroma of the broth. The soup is made of dried sardines, meat, and shellfish. The most popular toppings here are shrimp or pork wontons, which are generously stuffed with flavourful fillings. Making it an incredibly great dish that has been featured on the Michelin Guide recommendation list.

 

 

 

 

10. Ramen Shiro Kuro

 

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This ramen shop is located in Suginami prefecture of Tokyo, it is famous for its incredibly flavourful broth that has been slowly simmered for several hours. The light-coloured broth is full of flavour including dried sardines and chicken bones, combining with their signature thin noodles which is a great match for the flavourful soup. The sliced meat is also incredibly soft and chewy which pairs well with a soft-boiled egg. 

 

 

 

11. Homemade Ramen Aomugi

 

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This ramen shop is located near Omori station, making it quite convenient to visit. They claim to not use any chemical seasonings, yeast extract and only include pure natural ingredients in their broth. The light soup is exquisitely entwined with their special homemade noodles. Which provides a wonderful balance of soft noodles with rich and flavourful broth. The pork belly is extremely soft and tender, making it a great place to visit all year round.

 

Photo: tabelog.com

 

Photo: tabelog.com

 

 

 

12. King Seimen

 

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The shop is about 5-minute walk from the JR Oji station, and the area is known for numbers of high-quality ramen shops. King Seimen is among the best in the area, they also produce some of the best ramen wontons that are incredibly soft and packed with delicious fillings. A popular bowl of ramen includes their famous pork or shrimp wontons, pork cha sui, Ajitama (marinated soft boiled egg), and blanched mustard greens. A wholesome bowl of ramen that can be enjoyed at any time of the day!

 

 

 

13. Ramen Sukoyaka

 

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A 5-minute walk from Mikata station on the JR Chuo line, it is popular for its shellfish broth ramen, which is the perfect combination of smooth and richness. In the soup, there are thinly sliced onions, pork loin cut into strips, and chicken char siu. The salty soy sauce has a strong colour, but a light taste that does not overpower the ramen. Great amount of chicken oil is floating on the surface. Another great place to visit if you are in the mood for a delicious bowl of ramen.

 

 

 

14. Ramen Uosei

 

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Uosei is known for its mellow and smooth seafood-based soy sauce ramen, with the noodles that are made from whole wheat flour, which are perfectly chewy and soft. The toppings are pork char siu, lotus root, radish sprouts, chopped green onions, and seaweed. The refreshing taste is reminiscent of traditional Chinese noodle. Uosei is a small and cosy ramen store worth a visit located in Hino city, Tokyo.

 

 

 

 

Source

Tabelog