Restaurants
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Handicraft Works (ハンディクラフト ワークス) at Handicraft Works (ハンディクラフト ワークス)
Recommended bowl: Churrasco & duck
This shop is located out in Yashio, Saitama, near the borders with Chiba and Tokyo prefectures. The main dish and recommended item is the Classic Beef Pallete — an aburasoba dish containing housemade noodles, churrasco-style grilled beef, sausage, chicken, lettuce, grilled pineapple and a shio-like tare. It's unique... More
Recommended bowl: Churrasco & duck
This shop is located out in Yashio, Saitama, near the borders with Chiba and Tokyo prefectures. The main dish and recommended item is the Classic Beef Pallete — an aburasoba dish containing housemade noodles, churrasco-style grilled beef, sausage, chicken, lettuce, grilled pineapple and a shio-like tare. It's unique but perfectly balanced and memorable. Housemade fruit vinegar available as a garnish on the counter. The second signature menu item and quite possibly the most delicious thing on the menu is a shoyu ramen made with duck. Totally legit and one of the best newcomers to open in 2017 (April). Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Hananoren (生粋 花のれん) at Hananoren (生粋 花のれん)
Recommended bowl: New school ramen
A highly ranked shop run by a husband and wife team. The soup is a gourmet blend of chicken with a little gyokai. No MSG. The high-qual toppings are prepared in-house — egg, menma, chashu, as well as seasonal vegetables. Limited specials and rice bowls too. Noodles supplied by Yamaguchiya in Ikebukuro.
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特製昆布水つけ醤油 / Tokusei Kombusui Tsuke Shoyu / Hachan Ramen — Hamamatsucho, Tokyo
Soup contains Hakata and Kochi Jidori chickens, domestically sourced pork arm meat, sake, two types of niboshi, saba-bushi, katsuobushi and special flavored vegetables. Shoyu tare sauce uses four types of Honjozo shoyu, along with sake, honey, mirin... More
特製昆布水つけ醤油 / Tokusei Kombusui Tsuke Shoyu / Hachan Ramen — Hamamatsucho, Tokyo
Soup contains Hakata and Kochi Jidori chickens, domestically sourced pork arm meat, sake, two types of niboshi, saba-bushi, katsuobushi and special flavored vegetables. Shoyu tare sauce uses four types of Honjozo shoyu, along with sake, honey, mirin and several coarse grains. Shoyu tare is paired with chicken oil, while shio ramen uses sea bream oil. No msg. Medium-thin, high hydration Kokoro no Aji Shokuhin noodles are made with a blend of whole wheat and Haruyutaka brand flour. Noodles are served in kombu water containing Rausu and Gagome kelp, katsuobushi and salt. Consulting on the noodles is occasionally received by Tomita-san (of Chūka Soba Tomita). Other menu items like Mazesoba feature hand-rolled noodles. Tokusei comes with pork arm meat chashu (from the pork arms used in the soup), pork loin and low-temperature duck chashu. Ajitama are marinated in a special sauce with whiskey.
Master Ha-san is from Vietnam. Before going independent, he trained for nine years at both the old Mendokoro Honda in Higashi-Jūjō and the new Mendokoro Honda in Akihabara. 10 seats. Open since April 22nd, 2023. @hachanramen Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Hakata Daruma (博多だるま ) at Hakata Daruma (博多だるま )
Recommended bowl: Legendary Hakata shop
One of the more legendary Hakata-style tonkotsu shops, they now have over 12 branches in Japan and several more overseas. According to the shop’s website, the soup is made from only the back legs of the pigs. They use a continuous method of simmering the soup, with each day’s leftover soup being added to... More
Recommended bowl: Legendary Hakata shop
One of the more legendary Hakata-style tonkotsu shops, they now have over 12 branches in Japan and several more overseas. According to the shop’s website, the soup is made from only the back legs of the pigs. They use a continuous method of simmering the soup, with each day’s leftover soup being added to the pot for the next day. This style is called ‘yobimodoshi’ and is quite common amongst Kyushu ramen shops. Three different types of noodles are available. Open since 1963, with 39 seats and not too far from Hakata Station. Another bonus: open past midnight. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Hajime (らあめん 元) at Hajime (らあめん 元)
Recommended bowl: A true master of shio
Hajime was voted the top shio ramen shop in Tokyo by a few local ramen magazines some years back, and the shop has stayed popular ever since. They now have several locations specializing in different styles, and all are quite impressive. Master Hajime is a ramen junkie himself; and has been known to source... More
Recommended bowl: A true master of shio
Hajime was voted the top shio ramen shop in Tokyo by a few local ramen magazines some years back, and the shop has stayed popular ever since. They now have several locations specializing in different styles, and all are quite impressive. Master Hajime is a ramen junkie himself; and has been known to source special ingredients, such as Mongolian rock salt. He briefly offered a bowl laden with strips of Japanese wagyu, but he says each bowl actually lost him money because the ingredients were so expensive. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Dinner at 日本橋人形町 at Iseri
特製 醤油 中華そば / Tokusei Shoyu Chūka Soba / Chūka Soba Hashimoto — Ningyocho, Tokyo
Tori chintan soup uses chicken carcasses, niboshi and kombu, finished with chicken oil. Thin straight low hydration noodles are by Shinjuku Daruma Seimen. Ajitama, pork belly chashu, chicken, menma, aona, negi and nori. Niku-meshi on the side.
The... More
特製 醤油 中華そば / Tokusei Shoyu Chūka Soba / Chūka Soba Hashimoto — Ningyocho, Tokyo
Tori chintan soup uses chicken carcasses, niboshi and kombu, finished with chicken oil. Thin straight low hydration noodles are by Shinjuku Daruma Seimen. Ajitama, pork belly chashu, chicken, menma, aona, negi and nori. Niku-meshi on the side.
The concept at Chūka Soba Hashimoto is to enjoy noodles and soup together, with toppings served separately. Opened by the founder of Yakitori Torishō, a chicken skewer restaurant based in Ueno. The space here was previously operated as a branch of Torishō, before being converted to a ramen shop. 11 seats. Open since November 28th, 2022. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Hagan (破顔) at Hagan (破顔)
Recommended bowl: Legit aburasoba
This small shop specializes in aburasoba — i.e., soupless ramen with tare sauce and toppings, mixed together and splashed to taste with countertop-ready condiments like vinegar, black pepper and chili oil. The noodles are specially ordered from Mikawaya Seimen and you can have them served with a selection of tare... More
Recommended bowl: Legit aburasoba
This small shop specializes in aburasoba — i.e., soupless ramen with tare sauce and toppings, mixed together and splashed to taste with countertop-ready condiments like vinegar, black pepper and chili oil. The noodles are specially ordered from Mikawaya Seimen and you can have them served with a selection of tare sauces such as shoyu and shio. The cubes of pork chashu are seared with a blowtorch before being added to the bowls. Hagan now boasts a couple other branches but this is the original. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Hachiya (蜂屋 旭川本店) at Hachiya (蜂屋 旭川本店)
Recommended bowl: Asahikawa Legend
Ask locals for the best ramen in town and this place is one of the first answers every time. The head branch has been open since 1949 and is virtually unchanged since then, with an old school semi-grungy but totally awesome atmosphere. The soup is a combination of tonkotsu and aji (horse mackeral) broth, finished... More
Recommended bowl: Asahikawa Legend
Ask locals for the best ramen in town and this place is one of the first answers every time. The head branch has been open since 1949 and is virtually unchanged since then, with an old school semi-grungy but totally awesome atmosphere. The soup is a combination of tonkotsu and aji (horse mackeral) broth, finished with a touch of katsuo and blackened lard. The lard is the key here, adding a murky but intriguing deep brown color to the bowls. Most fans opt for the koi (heavy) version with extra lard. There is a second branch closer to Asahikawa station, but everything is still prepped here at the head branch, including the handmade noodles. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Dinner at Shindo Ramen 「新道らぁ麺」 at Shindo Ramen
スペシャル 新道らぁ麺 貝出汁 / Special Shindō Ramen Kai Dashi / Shindō Ramen — Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
Kai dashi soup uses shellfish found in Thailand including asari clams, hamaguri clams and oysters, combined with Japanese dried fish such as katsuobushi, saba-bushi and sōda-bushi. Noodles supplied by the Thailand branch of Kanezin... More
スペシャル 新道らぁ麺 貝出汁 / Special Shindō Ramen Kai Dashi / Shindō Ramen — Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
Kai dashi soup uses shellfish found in Thailand including asari clams, hamaguri clams and oysters, combined with Japanese dried fish such as katsuobushi, saba-bushi and sōda-bushi. Noodles supplied by the Thailand branch of Kanezin Japan. Topped with pork and chicken chashu, a paste made from oysters and mussels, red onion, lemon, negi, seaweed, boiled greens, togarashi and yuzu.
Shindō (新道) Ramen represents a new path, adapting Thai ingredients to the traditional concept of Japanese ramen. Master Jo Chawapon is self-taught and has eaten at some top ranked ramen shops in Japan. Reservations recommended. 14 seats. Open since 2017. @jo_chawapon Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Gotou (ごとう) at Gotou (ごとう)
Recommended bowl: Old school-style dbl soup
Master Gotou-san apprenticed at Higashi Ikebukuro Taishouken, a legendary Tokyo ramen shop that has been in operation since 1961. Perhaps that is why Gotou-san's bowls have such old-school homey appeal.
After many years in Ikebukurou, Gotou abruptly closed in April 2014. But to the delight of its many loyal... More
Recommended bowl: Old school-style dbl soup
Master Gotou-san apprenticed at Higashi Ikebukuro Taishouken, a legendary Tokyo ramen shop that has been in operation since 1961. Perhaps that is why Gotou-san's bowls have such old-school homey appeal.
After many years in Ikebukurou, Gotou abruptly closed in April 2014. But to the delight of its many loyal fans, the shop re-launched in a new location in Komagome three months later. Little changed during the hiatus. The new shop still has the lived-in, homey vibe of the original, and the ramen remains straightforward and soul satisfying.
The food here is nothing flashy. The soup is a light tonkotsu gyokai — a subtle blend of fish, chicken and pork. The egg, chashu and menma toppings aim for humble classicism rather than gourmet technique. The medium-thick noodles are house-made and taste like it. Whether you order the ramen, wontonmen or tsukemen, the sense of balance and timelessness in your bowl should impress you.
Family owned and operated, Gotou's only staff are master Gotou-san, his brother and wife. Many of the customers are longtime regulars. Less