Restaurants
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Marumi Shouten (丸美商店) at Marumi Shouten (丸美商店)
Recommended bowl: Station ramen
Marumi Shouten is located in the basement of the MIO Building, directly connected to Wakayama station. The shop serves your typical Wakayama-style ramen, with a tonkotsu-shoyu soup made from chicken carcasses and locally produced shoyu tare. It's almost like a poor man's Ide Shouten, but still good. There's also tsukemen... More
Recommended bowl: Station ramen
Marumi Shouten is located in the basement of the MIO Building, directly connected to Wakayama station. The shop serves your typical Wakayama-style ramen, with a tonkotsu-shoyu soup made from chicken carcasses and locally produced shoyu tare. It's almost like a poor man's Ide Shouten, but still good. There's also tsukemen on the menu, featuring a slightly different triple soup containing chicken, pork and gyokai. It's a nice choice for locals who don't have many tsukemen options in the area. Less
Copy the code to embed the post
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Marukou (丸幸 ) at Marukou (丸幸 )
Recommended bowl: 390 yen per bowl!
Not much has changed at this simple, old school shop since they opened in 1978. They offer a Hachioji-style shoyu ramen for just 420 yen — a hard price to beat for a tasty lunch. Deep, clear shoyu soup with diced onions, and two types of handmade noodles for customers to choose from — a thin, curly egg variety,... More
Recommended bowl: 390 yen per bowl!
Not much has changed at this simple, old school shop since they opened in 1978. They offer a Hachioji-style shoyu ramen for just 420 yen — a hard price to beat for a tasty lunch. Deep, clear shoyu soup with diced onions, and two types of handmade noodles for customers to choose from — a thin, curly egg variety, or noodles made with soba wheat. Marukou has a second branch located in Tachikawa. Less
Copy the code to embed the post
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Marukatsu (牛こくラーメン まる勝) at Marukatsu (牛こくラーメン まる勝)
Recommended bowl: A4 Rank Wagyū
Marukatsu specializes in Japanese beef ramen, using wagyu ranked A4 and higher. The bowls are simple and straightforward, with a beef bone-based soup. All of the bowls come topped with sliced roasted wagyu, and some include toppings like corn, cabbage and butter. The meat-topped rice bowls on the side are highly recommended,... More
Recommended bowl: A4 Rank Wagyū
Marukatsu specializes in Japanese beef ramen, using wagyu ranked A4 and higher. The bowls are simple and straightforward, with a beef bone-based soup. All of the bowls come topped with sliced roasted wagyu, and some include toppings like corn, cabbage and butter. The meat-topped rice bowls on the side are highly recommended, as is the curry rice (made with other beefy parts). Open since 2014. Less
Copy the code to embed the post
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Kōya (支那そば屋 こうや) at China Soba-ya Koya (支那そば屋 こうや)
Recommended bowl: Pork bones & onions
First opened in 1983 but moved to a new location in 2011, this family-run shop serves up a light tonkotsu soup made from pork bones and onions. The onions are boiled whole with the bones, and if you are lucky you might see the master scooping bones out of a big pot in preparation for the next day's soup. The soup... More
Recommended bowl: Pork bones & onions
First opened in 1983 but moved to a new location in 2011, this family-run shop serves up a light tonkotsu soup made from pork bones and onions. The onions are boiled whole with the bones, and if you are lucky you might see the master scooping bones out of a big pot in preparation for the next day's soup. The soup is much milder than typical tonkotsu, making it a bowl that most can easily enjoy. The housemade wontons stuffed with meat are especially popular and recommended, as is the pork-belly chashu, which comes in large, thin slices. Less
Copy the code to embed the post
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Kyouka (鏡花) at Kyo Ka (鏡花)
Recommended bowl: Sophisticated shoyu
Kyouka is regularly ranked among the best ramen shops in the large Tokyo suburb of Tachikawa. Shop master Keiichi Machida is an influential figure in the Tachikawa scene. He's a frequent guest lecturer at Shoku no Doujou, an area ramen school, and he was the driving creative force behind Tamayakata, a mini ramen... More
Recommended bowl: Sophisticated shoyu
Kyouka is regularly ranked among the best ramen shops in the large Tokyo suburb of Tachikawa. Shop master Keiichi Machida is an influential figure in the Tachikawa scene. He's a frequent guest lecturer at Shoku no Doujou, an area ramen school, and he was the driving creative force behind Tamayakata, a mini ramen theme park of sorts featuring four ramen shops packed into one small, local garage. Machida-san's finest work, however, can be found — and mealed — at Kyouka.
Kyouka's signature bowl is a high-quality shoyu ramen made from chicken, niboshi and 21 other ingredients. The soup is clear and dark, but it has a light, complex taste. The bowl comes topped with broad slices of glistening chashu, crunchy blocks of menma and a generous serving of fresh mitsuba. The mitsuba infuses the soup and counterbalances the deep shoyu flavors with a lively freshness.
Operating since 2000, Kyouka was among the first generation of shops to offer a new-school take on classic Tokyo shoyu ramen. High-quality shoyu shops using chicken and gourmet-grade toppings can be found across the city today, but Kyouka predates the trend.
The stylish shop interior is dimly lit and done mostly in wood. Each seat has a small adjustable spotlight that illuminates the bowl. Nice touch. Less
Copy the code to embed the post
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Kutsurogi (寛~くつろぎ~ ) at Hiroshi Kutsurogi (寛~くつろぎ~)
Recommended bowl: Nice shoyu w/ niboshi
Kutsurogi opened in 2016 under master Hiroshi Takahashi, who trained at Tsuta, the acclaimed Michelin star winner. Two main soups on offer here — pork and niboshi. The pork soup is made from pig bones, feet, cartilage, as well as chicken and gyokai. The niboshi soup is made from four different types of niboshi... More
Recommended bowl: Nice shoyu w/ niboshi
Kutsurogi opened in 2016 under master Hiroshi Takahashi, who trained at Tsuta, the acclaimed Michelin star winner. Two main soups on offer here — pork and niboshi. The pork soup is made from pig bones, feet, cartilage, as well as chicken and gyokai. The niboshi soup is made from four different types of niboshi and kelp. No meat goes into the niboshi soup. Fine Mikawaya Seimen noodles are served. On Thursday and Friday nights, Takahashi-san's mom apparently turns the space into an izakaya or snack bar and the ramen shop shuts down. Less
Copy the code to embed the post
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Kusumotoya (楠本屋) at Kusumotoya (楠本屋)
Recommended bowl: Smooth & cloudy
Before opening Kusumotoya in 2006, the master trained at the legendary Wakayama ramen shop Ide Shouten. He also happens to be the elder brother of the master from the Wakayama shop Marutaya. Needless to say, this shop serves Wakayama ramen in the ‘Ide Shouten’ style — a smooth, cloudy tonkotsu soup perfectly... More
Recommended bowl: Smooth & cloudy
Before opening Kusumotoya in 2006, the master trained at the legendary Wakayama ramen shop Ide Shouten. He also happens to be the elder brother of the master from the Wakayama shop Marutaya. Needless to say, this shop serves Wakayama ramen in the ‘Ide Shouten’ style — a smooth, cloudy tonkotsu soup perfectly balanced with local shoyu. The soup here is made from pig bones that have been completely drained and dried of blood. Kusumotoya also offers take out, a rarity at ramen shops in Japan — the raw noodles are served on the side (to boil at home) and the soup comes in plastic bottles. Less
Copy the code to embed the post
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Kurumeya (久留米屋ラーメン) at Kurumeya (久留米屋ラーメン)
Recommended bowl: Old school shack
This shop first opened in 1973 as a yatai (food cart), which are quite common in Kurume city. The OG master was a bit of a stubborn guy — on days when he couldn't get the soup to taste right he wouldn't open. Now the shop has a permanent location down a small alleyway. Old school Kyushu tonkotsu, super casual-style... More
Recommended bowl: Old school shack
This shop first opened in 1973 as a yatai (food cart), which are quite common in Kurume city. The OG master was a bit of a stubborn guy — on days when he couldn't get the soup to taste right he wouldn't open. Now the shop has a permanent location down a small alleyway. Old school Kyushu tonkotsu, super casual-style with no frills. There is also oden available to go along with beers and ramen. The shop is open from 8pm to around 3am. You come here for the overall experience as much as the ramen. Less
Copy the code to embed the post
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Kuromon (南京ラーメン 黒門) at Kuromon (南京ラーメン 黒門)
Recommended bowl: Light tonkotsu
Before opening this shop the master of Kuromon was a ramen geek himself, eating over 500 bowls a year around Kyushu. This is an especially impressive feat considering that about 90% of the ramen shops in Kyushu serve pork-rich tonkotsu ramen. This shop first opened in 2003, but has since closed and reopened again. The... More
Recommended bowl: Light tonkotsu
Before opening this shop the master of Kuromon was a ramen geek himself, eating over 500 bowls a year around Kyushu. This is an especially impressive feat considering that about 90% of the ramen shops in Kyushu serve pork-rich tonkotsu ramen. This shop first opened in 2003, but has since closed and reopened again. The soup is somewhat unique — it’s a tonkotsu shio, and the soup is neither clear nor totally cloudy. The noodles are soft boiled, which is somewhat rare for this genre. An original, well-balanced, and highly ranked bowl. Less
Copy the code to embed the post
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Kurenai (麺創研かなで 紅) at Men Soken Kurenai (麺創研 紅)
Recommended bowl: Red hot miso ramen
Kurenai serves some of the best spicy miso ramen in Tokyo – among the top five in town. Standard miso ramen and tsukemen are also offered. The shop name means “red” in Japanese – you'll know why when you get your bowl. The shop exterior is covered in pine paneling; you can’t miss it.
Kurenai’s soup... More
Recommended bowl: Red hot miso ramen
Kurenai serves some of the best spicy miso ramen in Tokyo – among the top five in town. Standard miso ramen and tsukemen are also offered. The shop name means “red” in Japanese – you'll know why when you get your bowl. The shop exterior is covered in pine paneling; you can’t miss it.
Kurenai’s soup is made with tonkotsu, chicken and miso. The spicy miso comes drizzled in a delicious house-made ra-yu (chili oil). The shop serves seven varieties of house-made noodles in every bowl – this is rather uncommon but the variety of textures is very enjoyable. Tasty strips of juicy yaki-buta (roasted pork) are the standard toppings, along with some cabbage, bean sprouts and shredded chili.
Kurenai is open every day of the year until 1 am. Spicy after-boozing goodness for those on the Keio line. Less