Recommended bowl: Legit Kitakata ramen

Kitakataya is the first Kitakata-style ramen shop to ever open in Tokyo, now in business over 40 years. Family owned and operated, it’s more of a restaurant than just a ramen shop — serving various Chinese style dishes, yaki-gyoza, even occasionally basashi (raw horse sashimi) from Kitakata. The master will hang a sign out front to indicate whether horse meat is available or not. Master Hiroshi Saito hails from Kitakata himself, and makes ramen how he likes it. An authentic and original Japanese experience. Less