Restaurants
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Kiraboshi (ラーメン きら星) at Kiraboshi (ラーメン きら星)
Recommended bowl: Super thick tonkotsu
Master Hoshino-san trained at several other ramen shops and even spent some time working as a fish monger before opening Kiraboshi in 2004. The soup here is a rich, enveloping tonkotsu, made from 50% pork bones and 50% pork heads. Also in the soup are niboshi, konbu, shiitake mushrooms and salt. The tare is shoyu... More
Recommended bowl: Super thick tonkotsu
Master Hoshino-san trained at several other ramen shops and even spent some time working as a fish monger before opening Kiraboshi in 2004. The soup here is a rich, enveloping tonkotsu, made from 50% pork bones and 50% pork heads. Also in the soup are niboshi, konbu, shiitake mushrooms and salt. The tare is shoyu and the noodles are handmade. Some regular customers say this ramen is like Kurume style meets IEKEI style. Rich and delicious. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Fuji Ramen (富士らーめん) at Fuji Ramen (富士らーめん)
Recommended bowl: New school tonkotsu
Nagasawa-san is a ramen junkie with a solid knowledge of the Tokyo scene. Before opening Fuji Ramen he trained at Yoroiya, another well known shop in Asakusa. Fuji Ramen debuted in 2014. The noodles are homemade, medium-width and straight. Both ramen and tsukemen on the menu. The soup is a light tonkotsu base,... More
Recommended bowl: New school tonkotsu
Nagasawa-san is a ramen junkie with a solid knowledge of the Tokyo scene. Before opening Fuji Ramen he trained at Yoroiya, another well known shop in Asakusa. Fuji Ramen debuted in 2014. The noodles are homemade, medium-width and straight. Both ramen and tsukemen on the menu. The soup is a light tonkotsu base, served with a light shoyu tare. One of the shop's signatures is a topping of boiled cabbage drizzled with mayu (burnt garlic oil). After you've eaten half of your noodles, mix this topping into the soup for a new flavor experience. Less
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Recommended bowl: Kokubunji ramen king!
Muta-san apprenticed at Nagi Golden Gai and Gamushara in Hatagaya – both renowned ramen shops – before opening his own place, Mutahiro, in 2011. His lengthy apprenticeships left him well equipped for success. Mutahiro was an instant hit and Muta-san opened his second shop, Tori-Soba Muthiro, in 2012. In 2013,... More
Recommended bowl: Kokubunji ramen king!
Muta-san apprenticed at Nagi Golden Gai and Gamushara in Hatagaya – both renowned ramen shops – before opening his own place, Mutahiro, in 2011. His lengthy apprenticeships left him well equipped for success. Mutahiro was an instant hit and Muta-san opened his second shop, Tori-Soba Muthiro, in 2012. In 2013, he launched Maze Mutahiro, followed by Kushiage Mutahiro in 2014. All four shops are within a five-minute walk from one another in Kokubunji. This guy has the Kokubunji ramen game on lockdown. In 2015, Muta-san unveiled his first shop in Osaka.
Tori Soba Mutahiro (Muta-san's second shop) is probably his best. The soup is a medium-dark shoyu, coated in a luscious layer of chiyu (chicken oil). The soup is straight bomb and the best thing about this bowl. The 'hirauchi' noodles – a flat, wide, mostly straight style of noodle – are specially ordered from Nagi Golden Gai's private noodle factory. The toppings are the ramen classics: soft-boiled egg, menma, tori chashu and nori. As is customary at all the Mutahiro shops, the staff here wears blue denim overalls, straw hats and colorful plaid shirts. Interesting touch. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at 175° DENO at 175° DENO
Recommended bowl: Sichuan peppercorns
The premier spot for tantanmen in Hokkaido. The name 175 DENO is derived from the master (Deno-san) and the boiling point of ra-yu chili oil (175 degrees). Deno-san previously worked at 15 restaurants in Kyoto, but he always wanted to open a Mapo tofu or Tantanmen shop in Hokkaido. The shop is hidden from the street... More
Recommended bowl: Sichuan peppercorns
The premier spot for tantanmen in Hokkaido. The name 175 DENO is derived from the master (Deno-san) and the boiling point of ra-yu chili oil (175 degrees). Deno-san previously worked at 15 restaurants in Kyoto, but he always wanted to open a Mapo tofu or Tantanmen shop in Hokkaido. The shop is hidden from the street inside a large building, but it's usually easy to spot thanks to the line of customers waiting outside. The interior is dark, almost like a den, with numerous trinkets from around the world decorating the black-walled space. The tantanmen comes with or without soup, and there is also the option of getting it with or without mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns, imported from China. There are three levels: Shibirenai (zero peppercorns), Shibireru (regular), and Sugoku-Shibireru (devil level). The soup is a creamy sesame base, and the bowl comes out spice-laden and topped with chilli oil, minced seasoned meat, and cashew nuts. The broad noodles go great as a vessel for the spices and sauces. Customers can help themselves to the homemade chili oil on the counter. Deno-san now has a couple of branches in Sapporo and other cities in Japan. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Buta Yarou (豚野郎) at Buta Yarou (豚野郎)
Recommended bowl: Tonkotsu gem
Buta Yarou (meaning something along the lines of 'pork dude' or 'pork bastard') serves thick and creamy Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen. The shop is a bit of a hidden gem, but worthy of attention. It's located about halfway between Nakano and Higashi Nakano station, in a quiet residential area with few other restaurants or... More
Recommended bowl: Tonkotsu gem
Buta Yarou (meaning something along the lines of 'pork dude' or 'pork bastard') serves thick and creamy Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen. The shop is a bit of a hidden gem, but worthy of attention. It's located about halfway between Nakano and Higashi Nakano station, in a quiet residential area with few other restaurants or businesses around.
The noodles and toppings are Hakata standard issue. What sets Buta Yarou apart is its soup: pure creamy, velvety, porky pleasure. It's almost chalky, in a good way. It's also somewhat lighter than most tonkotsu soups. Buta Yarou serves up to 99 bowls of tonkotsu ramen each day. Once bowl 99 is served, the shop closes. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Bingiri (ビンギリ) at Bingiri (ビンギリ)
Recommended bowl: Huge Katsuura spice!
Bingiri serves various styles of tantanmen, but they're most famous for a Katsuura tantanmen, a sub-genre invented in the city of Katsuura, located deep in Chiba on the eastern side of Japan's Boso peninsula.
Bingiri's katsuura tantanmen comes with a heavy portion of diced onions and Chinese chives (nira),... More
Recommended bowl: Huge Katsuura spice!
Bingiri serves various styles of tantanmen, but they're most famous for a Katsuura tantanmen, a sub-genre invented in the city of Katsuura, located deep in Chiba on the eastern side of Japan's Boso peninsula.
Bingiri's katsuura tantanmen comes with a heavy portion of diced onions and Chinese chives (nira), topped with a spoonful of spicy powder containing chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. A broad layer of chili oil coats the surface of the soup.
As you eat your way through the noodles, you use the spork provided to dig up the sediment-like layers of onions, chives and ground pork that coat the bottom of the bowl. You then take this goodness and heap it over a side dish of white rice (free with every order). Because the soup is covered in so much chili oil, spoon it over the rice rather than attempting to drink it straight. The heat is fierce; the flavor is great. The only drawback: this shop is open for just 2 1/2 hours during lunch. Less
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サイミン / Saimin / Teshima Restaurant — Kealakekua, Hawaii
Hawaiian saimin combines clear seafood based soup with medium width noodles by S&S, a local Hawaiian brand. Toppings include fried spam, napa cabbage, scrambled egg and kamaboko fish cake. Japanese breakfast on the side.
The history of this establishment dates back to 1929, when... More
サイミン / Saimin / Teshima Restaurant — Kealakekua, Hawaii
Hawaiian saimin combines clear seafood based soup with medium width noodles by S&S, a local Hawaiian brand. Toppings include fried spam, napa cabbage, scrambled egg and kamaboko fish cake. Japanese breakfast on the side.
The history of this establishment dates back to 1929, when Mary Shizuko Teshima opened the F. Teshima General Merchandise Store. First selling housemade ice cream (using ice brought in from Hilo daily), Teshima-san transitioned into serving hot food items like hamburgers and saimin for soldiers during WWII. Rebuilt into a full-scale restaurant in 1957, “Grandma Teshima” ran operations until the age of 105, when she retired to her home just a few steps behind the restaurant. She passed away in 2013 at the age of 106, after working in the kitchen for over 60 years and raising a family that included five children, 12 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren and seven great-great grandchildren. Today the restaurant is operated by some of the 4th-generation great-grandchildren. Current head chef Jose Ruiz started out as a dishwasher around 40 years ago. 50+ seats. Open since 1929 @teshimas Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Shinohara (麺処 篠はら) at Shinohara
Recommended bowl: Honda-san's disciple
Shinohara-san trained at the famous shop Mendokoro Honda before opening his own ramen-ya in 2015. This is a shop where everything is high-quality, and not one bit surprising considering the pedigree. The following ingredients are used to make the soup: whole chickens, chicken bones, beef bones, pork bones, sea... More
Recommended bowl: Honda-san's disciple
Shinohara-san trained at the famous shop Mendokoro Honda before opening his own ramen-ya in 2015. This is a shop where everything is high-quality, and not one bit surprising considering the pedigree. The following ingredients are used to make the soup: whole chickens, chicken bones, beef bones, pork bones, sea bream fish heads, vegetables, fruits, kelp, niboshi, and shellfish. No MSG. Noodles supplied by Kokoro No Aji Shokuhin. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Hashimoto (麺屋 はし本 ) at Menya Hashimoto (麺屋 はし本)
Recommended bowl: Inspired by Hayashi
Master Hashimoto-san previously worked at the legendary Higashi Ikebukuro Taishōken before opening this shop in February 2017. The house specialty is a rich tonkotsu-gyokai double-soup with Mikawaya Seimen noodles. Hashimoto-san is friends with Hayashi-san, the master of the well respected Shibuya shop Hayashi.... More
Recommended bowl: Inspired by Hayashi
Master Hashimoto-san previously worked at the legendary Higashi Ikebukuro Taishōken before opening this shop in February 2017. The house specialty is a rich tonkotsu-gyokai double-soup with Mikawaya Seimen noodles. Hashimoto-san is friends with Hayashi-san, the master of the well respected Shibuya shop Hayashi. The ramen at both shops is quite similar and Hashimoto-san readily admits the influence. Special to Hashimoto though — a spicy housemade chili paste topping made from various Malaysian spices. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Chūka Soba Kai (中華そば つけ麺 甲斐) at Chuka Soba Tsukemen Kai (中華そば つけ麺 甲斐)
Recommended bowl: Old school & excellent
Kai has been a respected outpost on the Tokyo ramen scene since its launch in 2007. The master works from a simple kitchen with space for just one chef. The ramen is humble and straightforward – no bold or colorful flavors at work here. The soup is a simple shoyu with subtle hits of fish and gyokai. Both... More
Recommended bowl: Old school & excellent
Kai has been a respected outpost on the Tokyo ramen scene since its launch in 2007. The master works from a simple kitchen with space for just one chef. The ramen is humble and straightforward – no bold or colorful flavors at work here. The soup is a simple shoyu with subtle hits of fish and gyokai. Both ramen and tsukemen are available. Choose your toppings. The master makes the noodles from scratch. At just 650 yen, we defy you to find another meal that's more satisfying at this price point.
The terrain Kai is working is essentially Japanese comfort food, and it's beloved by the many local salarymen who stop in on their way home from work. A tiny TV, usually tuned to the news, sits atop the ticket machine. Kai is a great place to eat and unwind after a drinking session, and it's just a one-minute walk from the nearest station. Less