Recommended bowl: Could eat it every day

Open since 2001, Koukaibou was one of the first "new generation" shops to break away from traditional ramen technique to explore new territory. Taguchi-san, the shop master, was among the early innovators to employ a double-flavor soup – now a common approach in the ramen world.

The soup here is tonkotsu-gyokai fusion with niboshi. It's rich and smooth, but easy to drink – uncommonly light and balanced for this genre. Another interesting characteristic: this bowl has much less soup than a standard bowl of ramen. Taguchi-san has been quoted saying that he wants to create the kind of ramen that you can eat every day.

Japanese ramen forums have awarded Koukaibou high ratings since its debut. Taguchi-san does all the cooking solo, and the shop has lots of loyal fans, so expect at least a short wait to get a seat.