Recommended bowl: Cappuccino paitan

Considered a 'legend' shop in Nara Prefecture, the white tori paitan soup served here takes eight hours to make, using chicken and pork. Served whipped to a froth with a hand blender, cappuccino style. Homemade noodles contain 100% Japanese wheat with 48% water content. Choice of shoyu or shio tare—shoyu is made with four types of soy sauce, shio uses six varieties of salt. Master Sugiura-san first trained at the famous Kyoto shop Ore no Ramen Appareya. Open since 2011.