Restaurants
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Aoba (旭川らぅめん青葉 本店) at Asahikawa Ramen Aoba Hon Ten (旭川らぅめん青葉)
Recommended bowl: Family run since '47
One of the oldest ramen shops in Asahikawa, Aoba has been run by three generations of the same family since 1947. The soup is fish and vegetable-based with shoyu, topped with your usual fixins' of chashu, menma and nori — the seaweed is even stamped with the shop's name on it. What makes this shop special is... More
Recommended bowl: Family run since '47
One of the oldest ramen shops in Asahikawa, Aoba has been run by three generations of the same family since 1947. The soup is fish and vegetable-based with shoyu, topped with your usual fixins' of chashu, menma and nori — the seaweed is even stamped with the shop's name on it. What makes this shop special is the staff, aka the founding family, who are extremely hospitable and welcoming to all customers, whether they speak Japanese or not. One of those shops where the old school homey atmosphere makes the bowl taste that much better. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Antai Noodles (アンタイヌードルズ) at Antai Nu Doruzu (アンタイヌードルズ)
Recommended bowl: A gem in West Tokyo
Master Isoda-san worked at several famous Tokyo ramen shops before opening his own place, Antai Noodles, in August 2014. All of the shops where Isoda-san apprenticed specialized in a different style of ramen, so he had a lot elements and techniques to choose from when creating his own signature bowl.
Antai Noodles... More
Recommended bowl: A gem in West Tokyo
Master Isoda-san worked at several famous Tokyo ramen shops before opening his own place, Antai Noodles, in August 2014. All of the shops where Isoda-san apprenticed specialized in a different style of ramen, so he had a lot elements and techniques to choose from when creating his own signature bowl.
Antai Noodles serves both ramen and tsukemen. The shoyu soup is made with chicken and gyokai. The tsukemen contains those ingredients, plus tonkotsu. The noodles are supplied by Murakami Asahi Seimen, an elite Tokyo noodle maker. The shop was among the 20 best new ramen shops to open in 2014, a competitive year for rookie ramen shops.
Antai Noodles is located in Isoda-san's hometown of Akishima in the outskirts of Tokyo. It's about 45 minutes by express train from Shinjuku – deep outskirts. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Dinner at 鈴屋ラーメン at Suzuya
チャーシューメン / Chashumen / Suzuya — Futtsu, Chiba
Pork soup is combined with a koikuchi Miya shoyu based tare. Miya shoyu is naturally brewed in wooden barrels using wheat grown in Chiba. Located nearby in the Sanuki area of Futtsu City, in business since 1834. Medium width straight noodles are provided by Bunmeiken, which started... More
チャーシューメン / Chashumen / Suzuya — Futtsu, Chiba
Pork soup is combined with a koikuchi Miya shoyu based tare. Miya shoyu is naturally brewed in wooden barrels using wheat grown in Chiba. Located nearby in the Sanuki area of Futtsu City, in business since 1834. Medium width straight noodles are provided by Bunmeiken, which started out as a ramen stand in Kisarazu in 1923, opening a noodle business in 1953. Topped with extra pork chashu, extra negi, menma, nori and naruto.
Suzuya is said to be one of the oldest operating ramen shops in all of Chiba Prefecture. Considered Takeoka style ramen by some, but with its own unique characteristics. Open 10:30am until the soup runs out, closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. 36 seats. Open since before 1954 (exact date unknown). Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Dinner at スモールアックス at Small Axe
ラーメン / Ramen / Small Axe — Ōimachi, Tokyo
Jiro-inspired ramen. Non-emulsified tonkotsu-shoyu soup is seasoned with shoyu kaeshi. Noodles (250g) are house-made. Topped with pork chashu, boiled vegetables (beansprouts and cabbage), pork back fat and garlic.
A small shop run by a lone master who listens to reggae and dancehall music... More
ラーメン / Ramen / Small Axe — Ōimachi, Tokyo
Jiro-inspired ramen. Non-emulsified tonkotsu-shoyu soup is seasoned with shoyu kaeshi. Noodles (250g) are house-made. Topped with pork chashu, boiled vegetables (beansprouts and cabbage), pork back fat and garlic.
A small shop run by a lone master who listens to reggae and dancehall music while he works. Because the interior of the store is small, cooperation between customers is required when seating and leaving. If customers order extra toppings or veggies, it is expected to eat them all or risk being scolded by the master. Eight seats. Since March 30th, 2012 Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Ame Wa Yasashiku (雨は、やさしく) at Ame wa, Yasashiku (雨は、やさしく)
Recommended bowl: Super unique bowls
This shop is beloved by ramen heads and regularly draws a line. The soup is a niboshi base made with Japanese-style wafu dashi, served in both shoyu and miso versions. The unique toppings really set this shop apart — they include four kinds of chashu (two chicken, two pork), burdock root tempura, minced konbu... More
Recommended bowl: Super unique bowls
This shop is beloved by ramen heads and regularly draws a line. The soup is a niboshi base made with Japanese-style wafu dashi, served in both shoyu and miso versions. The unique toppings really set this shop apart — they include four kinds of chashu (two chicken, two pork), burdock root tempura, minced konbu and a white chicken-liver paste, all of which you mix into the soup as you eat. Ame Wa Yasashiku now has a second shop, with a slightly different menu, located closer to Sapporo station. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Akaishi Shokudō (明石食堂) at Akaishi Shokudō (明石食堂)
Recommended bowl: Monster spareribs
One of the highest ranked and most popular noodle shops in the Yaeyama archipelago, this local soki soba spot on the north end of Ishigaki can get crowded during peak hours. Customers patiently wait to get served up a cloudy but light pork and katsuo-based noodle soup, with a topping option of monster pieces of... More
Recommended bowl: Monster spareribs
One of the highest ranked and most popular noodle shops in the Yaeyama archipelago, this local soki soba spot on the north end of Ishigaki can get crowded during peak hours. Customers patiently wait to get served up a cloudy but light pork and katsuo-based noodle soup, with a topping option of monster pieces of sparerib meat, often times with tendon and/or cartilage still attached. The classic Yaeyama soba noodles are still made on the island. Less
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白美卵まぜ SOBA / Hakubi Tamago Maze Soba / Mugi to Olive — Ginza, Tokyo
Rich egg mazesoba consists of noodles tossed with tare sauce and topped with a white egg yolk. The noodles are developed jointly with the Kyoto based Menya Teigaku. Other toppings include pork chashu, negi, pickles, fried tofu, fish cake, mitsuba and nori. Parmesan cheese... More
白美卵まぜ SOBA / Hakubi Tamago Maze Soba / Mugi to Olive — Ginza, Tokyo
Rich egg mazesoba consists of noodles tossed with tare sauce and topped with a white egg yolk. The noodles are developed jointly with the Kyoto based Menya Teigaku. Other toppings include pork chashu, negi, pickles, fried tofu, fish cake, mitsuba and nori. Parmesan cheese can be added as a free condiment. The standard ramen menu features bowls containing a shoyu triple soup of chicken, niboshi and hamaguri clams.
The name 'Mugi to Olive' refers to wheat and olive oil. When the shop first opened they encouraged customers to add olive oil to your ramen midway through your bowl. A second branch is located in Kanda, 15 seats at the Ginza flagship. Open since February 2014, renewal opening on May 27th, 2023. @mugiolive Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Ajitoku (ラーメン専門 味特本店) at Ajitoku (ラーメン専門 味特本店)
Recommended bowl: Local favorite
Ajitoku doesn't get as much fanfare as other famous Asahikawa shops, but some locals consider it to be just as good as any shop in the city. The original shop opened over 40 years ago, but later relocated closer to Asahikawa station. They now have a second branch as well. The soup here is 100 percent pork-based with... More
Recommended bowl: Local favorite
Ajitoku doesn't get as much fanfare as other famous Asahikawa shops, but some locals consider it to be just as good as any shop in the city. The original shop opened over 40 years ago, but later relocated closer to Asahikawa station. They now have a second branch as well. The soup here is 100 percent pork-based with a shoyu tare blended in. The key though is the noodles, still handmade each day by the original founder's grandson at an offsite location. The shop closes when the soup runs out — usually around 2am. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Dinner at 新橋 (Shinbashi) at Yakiniku LIKE Shimbashi
特製つけ麺 / Tokusei Tsukemen / Menya Sugo — Shimbashi, Tokyo
Rich tonkotsu-gyokai dipping soup is boiled at 136 °C and contains pork, chicken and five types of gyokai. The tare sauce uses shoyu from Akita Prefecture. Kanno Seimen noodles are made with a custom recipe and only available at this shop. The noodles contain one type of domestic... More
特製つけ麺 / Tokusei Tsukemen / Menya Sugo — Shimbashi, Tokyo
Rich tonkotsu-gyokai dipping soup is boiled at 136 °C and contains pork, chicken and five types of gyokai. The tare sauce uses shoyu from Akita Prefecture. Kanno Seimen noodles are made with a custom recipe and only available at this shop. The noodles contain one type of domestic flour, sourced from Fukuoka. Three kinds of chashu include special brand pork belly and shoulder, as well as chicken which is seasoned with salt only. Menma is house-made. Nori seaweed is sourced from Chiba and grilled every morning. The soup is topped with red onion, menegi and yuzu. Wari-soup uses shellfish and katsuo dashi.
Master Sugo-san ran Menya Kotobuki in Edogawa-ku for seven years, then studied Japanese cuisine at the Tsuji Culinary Institute. He researched ramen for another year on his own before opening Menya Sugo in Shimbashi. Five seats. Since June 18th, 2021 @menya_sugo Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Ajito Ism (アジトイズム) at Ajito Ism (アジトイズム)
Recommended bowl: Pizza mazesoba?
Ajito Ism is located down a quiet alleyway in Oimachi. 'Ajito' means 'hideout' in Japanese — if you're not looking carefully, you could easily walk past without even knowing the shop is there. Inside the ceiling is black and the walls are black, red or raw concrete. Dark but slick. There's one long counter with 11... More
Recommended bowl: Pizza mazesoba?
Ajito Ism is located down a quiet alleyway in Oimachi. 'Ajito' means 'hideout' in Japanese — if you're not looking carefully, you could easily walk past without even knowing the shop is there. Inside the ceiling is black and the walls are black, red or raw concrete. Dark but slick. There's one long counter with 11 plush, leather stools — pull up a seat and get to work.
Ajito Ism's master is a guy who goes by the name Mr. M. Trained as a French and Italian chef, Mr. M ran as many as seven restaurants in Tokyo before changing his focus to ramen. He's brought his background in Italian cooking to bear on the bowls at Ajito Ism, creating a weird but compelling Italo-Japanese fusion.
The shop is well regarded for its tsukemen, of which Mr. M serves three varieties: shoyu, rosso (a tomato-based sauce) and pepe rosso (a spicy version of the rosso). The dish that made him famous, however, is even more eccentric: pizza soba.
M's pizza soba is served maze style: high-quality tsukemen noodles from Kanno-Seimen are draped on a bed of tomato sauce made with blended vegetables, se-abura, chicken oil and gyokai dashi. M heaps a pile of classic pizza ingredients on top, including fresh tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, olives, anchovies and garlic. Mix everything up like you're saucing a pasta and dig in. There are a variety of condiments on the counter — salt, pepper, curry powder, Tabasco, garlic chips, etc. Season to taste.
Naturally, this dish calls to mind a hearty plate of pasta, but the chewy tsukemen noodles and mode of presentation are unmistakably of the ramen world. Pizza ramen could easily be some sort of gross chain restaurant novelty item, but Ajito's version is a legit fusion — a well-crafted bowl rooted in knowledge of both cooking traditions. Less