Recommended bowl: Hamaguri clam ramen

Launched back in 2006, master Yamamoto-san's Hototogisu became known as one of the very first shops to incorporate Hamaguri clams as the main component of its soup, and one of the first to use a delicate triple soup as well. He has tweaked the menu slightly over the years, but Hototogisu still ranks among the elite upper echelon of Tokyo ramen shops.

The shio ramen is the recommendation here. The soup is a light, clear triple blend of Hamaguri clams, pork and dried gyokai (sea ingredients). On top of the bowls come extravagances like porcini mushroom duxelles sauce, golden inca berry sauce, white truffle oil, and pancetta bacon bits. Noodles are homemade in the shop using six types of flour. Originally located in Hatagaya, Hototogisu moved to a new location in Shinjuku Gyoenmae in 2018.