Recommended bowl: Tequila ramen

Previously located in a cramped location in Nerima with just six seats, Kouno moved to a more spacious spot in Itabashi-ku in mid 2018. Run by a sole master and his assistant, Kouno specializes in fresh, hand-made and hand-pounded to order teuchi temomi noodles.

The main soup is a chicken-based shoyu, but also on the menu is a special shio soup spiked with a shot of premium tequila. When you order the tequila version, the shop will confirm that you're not driving. The bowl is topped with a heap of fresh coriander, paprika-dusted pork belly chashu and a fresh lime wedge. The tequila meshes with the soup better than you would expect. Recommended.