Restaurants
Recommended bowl: 300 kg of bones
For lovers of Yokohama style IEKEI, this Tokyo shop stands out. The head branch is located in Waseda, but one of the apprentices branched off to open a Nakano outpost which is now ranked even higher. Normally IEKEI-style soup is slightly golden from the chicken oil added to the tonkotsu soup, but the bowls at Budouka... More
Recommended bowl: 300 kg of bones
For lovers of Yokohama style IEKEI, this Tokyo shop stands out. The head branch is located in Waseda, but one of the apprentices branched off to open a Nakano outpost which is now ranked even higher. Normally IEKEI-style soup is slightly golden from the chicken oil added to the tonkotsu soup, but the bowls at Budouka are brown with an orangish tint. The secret? Three hundred kilograms of pork bones that go into the soup every day. Simmered for hours and stirred almost constantly— the result is a liquid pork bone elixir. Less
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ラーメン/ Ramen / Shantan Ramen Chorori — Ebisu, Tokyo
Mild shoyu pork based soup with fried negi. Noodles supplied by Maruyama Seimen. Topped with pork chashu, bean sprouts, menma and snap peas. Cha-han, yaki gyoza, kobukuro (pork uterus) on the side.
Shantan Ramen Chorori is a chūka style shop, serving a variety of noodle dishes and... More
ラーメン/ Ramen / Shantan Ramen Chorori — Ebisu, Tokyo
Mild shoyu pork based soup with fried negi. Noodles supplied by Maruyama Seimen. Topped with pork chashu, bean sprouts, menma and snap peas. Cha-han, yaki gyoza, kobukuro (pork uterus) on the side.
Shantan Ramen Chorori is a chūka style shop, serving a variety of noodle dishes and sides. Master Kaneo Moriyama-san trained at the legendary Kiraku in Shibuya before also working at Kaotan Ramen. Long known as a popular night hangout for locals. A 2nd branch previously existed in Meguro (1997-2021). 37 seats at the Ebisu flagship. Open since 1995. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Dinner at 白河ラーメンやまだ at Shirakawa Ramen Yamada
中華そば / Chūka Soba / Shirakawa Ramen Yamada — Koriyama, Fukushima
The soup is a blend of Aizu, Nagoya Cochin, Awao and Hakata chickens, with added Nagoya Cochin chicken oil. High-hydration chijire teuchi noodles. Charcoal-roasted and smoked pork leg chashu, menma, negi, nori and radish sprouts.
The master is self-taught. 19 seats. Open... More
中華そば / Chūka Soba / Shirakawa Ramen Yamada — Koriyama, Fukushima
The soup is a blend of Aizu, Nagoya Cochin, Awao and Hakata chickens, with added Nagoya Cochin chicken oil. High-hydration chijire teuchi noodles. Charcoal-roasted and smoked pork leg chashu, menma, negi, nori and radish sprouts.
The master is self-taught. 19 seats. Open since October 10th, 2019. @koriyama_yamada Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Santouka (らーめん山頭火 旭川本店) at Santouka (らーめん山頭火 旭川本店)
Recommended bowl: World famous flagship
Hitoshi Hatanaka founded Santouka in Asahikawa in 1988. Over the decades the brand has branched out to become a ramen behemoth with over 50 locations worldwide. The shop specialty is 'shio ramen,' a light tonkotsu broth seasoned with salt and topped with pork, sesame seeds and a small pickled plum. It's an easy... More
Recommended bowl: World famous flagship
Hitoshi Hatanaka founded Santouka in Asahikawa in 1988. Over the decades the brand has branched out to become a ramen behemoth with over 50 locations worldwide. The shop specialty is 'shio ramen,' a light tonkotsu broth seasoned with salt and topped with pork, sesame seeds and a small pickled plum. It's an easy bowl to crush, perfect for the novice enthusiast. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Dinner at さんくるげ at Sankuruge (さんくるげ)
塩らぁ麺 + 辛いらぁ麺 / Shio Ramen + Karai Ramen / Sankuruge — Tamura, Fukushima
The soup contains whole Aizu chickens, beef bones, red sea bream (madai) and oysters. Once finished cooking, the soup is chilled and left to rest so that the umami condenses. Shio tare uses Mongolian rock salt, dried scallops and yaki-ago (dried and grilled... More
塩らぁ麺 + 辛いらぁ麺 / Shio Ramen + Karai Ramen / Sankuruge — Tamura, Fukushima
The soup contains whole Aizu chickens, beef bones, red sea bream (madai) and oysters. Once finished cooking, the soup is chilled and left to rest so that the umami condenses. Shio tare uses Mongolian rock salt, dried scallops and yaki-ago (dried and grilled flying fish). Noodles are house-made with domestic wheat. The pork shoulder chashu is marinated in herbs before being grilled. No chemical additives or MSG.
The word 'Sankuruge' is local dialect meaning 'turn over,' it was a favorite phrase of the master's late mother. The master trained at multiple ramen shops including Ippudo, Chabuya and Nakiryū. He opened his own shop in the space where his parents previously ran a sushi restaurant. Open 7am-12pm or until the ingredients run out. Closed weekends and holidays. 13 seats. Since April 22nd, 2019. @sankuruge Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Edoya (麺 えどや) at Edoya (麺 えどや)
Recommended bowl: Comfort ramen
Master Masoka-san previously worked as a building contractor, before quitting his job and starting work at a ramen shop. It took him five years to come up with the ramen recipe that satisfied his intentions. He wanted to make ramen that people can eat every day, so he aims for a healthier approach with as few additives... More
Recommended bowl: Comfort ramen
Master Masoka-san previously worked as a building contractor, before quitting his job and starting work at a ramen shop. It took him five years to come up with the ramen recipe that satisfied his intentions. He wanted to make ramen that people can eat every day, so he aims for a healthier approach with as few additives as possible. The soup is a double-soup made from pork, chicken, and several different types of gyokai. The soup takes around eight hours to prepare. The chashu is also quite popular, stewed for six hours before it's served. The medium-thick noodles are special ordered (with no additives). Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Sankaku (さんかく) at Sankaku (さんかく)
Recommended bowl: Tokyo family style
This shop originally opened in Shinjuku on omoide yokocho in 1947. At one point it burned down in a fire, and now it’s located on a hill in Mejiro next to a Japanese shrine. The shop is in an old-looking wooden structure that looks like it once was someone's home. Sankaku describes itself as "true Tokyo ramen."... More
Recommended bowl: Tokyo family style
This shop originally opened in Shinjuku on omoide yokocho in 1947. At one point it burned down in a fire, and now it’s located on a hill in Mejiro next to a Japanese shrine. The shop is in an old-looking wooden structure that looks like it once was someone's home. Sankaku describes itself as "true Tokyo ramen." Clear shoyu soup with hints of fish, chicken and pork. Nice, thick, curly yellow noodles. The pork wontons are plump and juicy. Chashu, menma, negi and nori to top it off. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Dinner at ますや本店 at ますや本店 台新店
伝 / Den / Masuya Honten Ekimae — Koriyama, Fukushima
Koriyama Black. Tanrei soup contains chicken carcasses and pork bones, combined with katsuobushi and kombu dashi. The signature 'black' tare uses Kintakasago koikuchi shoyu, made in Aizu by a 5th generation purveyor with a 100-year history. Choice of straight or chijire low hydration noodles,... More
伝 / Den / Masuya Honten Ekimae — Koriyama, Fukushima
Koriyama Black. Tanrei soup contains chicken carcasses and pork bones, combined with katsuobushi and kombu dashi. The signature 'black' tare uses Kintakasago koikuchi shoyu, made in Aizu by a 5th generation purveyor with a 100-year history. Choice of straight or chijire low hydration noodles, supplied by local Koriyama maker Tomitaya Seimen. The noodles are made using the same machines and old-fashioned manufacturing methods once used at Masuya Shokudo, the shop known as the originator of this style. Topped with pork chashu, menma, naruto, negi and boiled greens.
The roots of this bowl go back 150+ years to the beginning of the Meiji Era, when a woman named Masu Shibahara opened the restaurant Masuya Shokudo in 1868. Located in front of Koriyama Station, the business served soba and udon, later becoming a ryokan (inn). The recipe for Koriyama black ramen is said to have been created and first served at Masuya Shokudo around 1945. Although Masuya Shokudo eventually closed, it was succeeded by Masuya Bunten.
Masuya Honten was founded by Hisao Shibahara, he is the great-grandson of Masu Shibahara and nephew of the master of Masuya Bunten. Hisao was worried about losing his family's history after it was announced that Masuya Bunten would close in 2003, thus he began studying ramen to preserve the legacy. Currently operating three stores in Koriyama, with 16 seats at the ekimae branch. Open since 2003. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at at Murata (中華そば むら田 )
Recommended bowl: Nakameguro ramen
One of the higher ranked shops in the Nakameguro area, run by master Murata-san. The soup is made from chickens, toribushi and gyokai. All of the ingredients are carefully sourced. The chickens come from Iwate Prefecture; the shoyu is from Ibaraki prefecture; and the mirin used is from Gifu. No MSG here. After the... More
Recommended bowl: Nakameguro ramen
One of the higher ranked shops in the Nakameguro area, run by master Murata-san. The soup is made from chickens, toribushi and gyokai. All of the ingredients are carefully sourced. The chickens come from Iwate Prefecture; the shoyu is from Ibaraki prefecture; and the mirin used is from Gifu. No MSG here. After the great Tohoku earthquake of 2011, Murata-san connected with noodle supplier Hanada Seimen in Fukushima prefecture, to help support the devastated region. Every noodle that is made by Haneda Seimen is checked for radioactivity. Until now no noodles have ever tested positive. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Dinner at 中華蕎麦うゑず at Chuka Soba Uezu (中華蕎麦うゑず)
つけめん / Tsukemen / Chūka Soba Uezu (Wez) — Kōfu, Yamanashi
Rich tonkotsu-gyokai double soup, gyofun (fish powder), negi, naruto and yuzu. Thick noodles are house-made. Pork chashu (using local Yamanashi pork), menma, nori on the side.
Master Uezu-san trained at the legendary Chūka Soba Tomita in Matsudo, Chiba. Considered a top disciple,... More
つけめん / Tsukemen / Chūka Soba Uezu (Wez) — Kōfu, Yamanashi
Rich tonkotsu-gyokai double soup, gyofun (fish powder), negi, naruto and yuzu. Thick noodles are house-made. Pork chashu (using local Yamanashi pork), menma, nori on the side.
Master Uezu-san trained at the legendary Chūka Soba Tomita in Matsudo, Chiba. Considered a top disciple, Tomita-san gave his blessing for Uezu-san to open his own shop. Although technically independent, Uezu's store information is listed on Tomita's official website. 12 seats. Open since April 6th, 2015. @wez_kofu Less