Restaurants
- Abram Plaut added a new meal Dinner at 丸長 at Maruchō (丸長 荻窪本店)
えのき入つけそば / Enoki-iri Tsukesoba / Maruchō — Isesaki, Gunma
Tokyo style shoyu soup relies heavily on kombu, pork bones and gyokai, including katsuobushi. The noodles are house-made. Served with enoki mushrooms, negi, half ajitama and sesame seeds. Gyoza on the side.
Maruchō Isesaki is a Chinese restaurant, aside from ramen and... More
えのき入つけそば / Enoki-iri Tsukesoba / Maruchō — Isesaki, Gunma
Tokyo style shoyu soup relies heavily on kombu, pork bones and gyokai, including katsuobushi. The noodles are house-made. Served with enoki mushrooms, negi, half ajitama and sesame seeds. Gyoza on the side.
Maruchō Isesaki is a Chinese restaurant, aside from ramen and tsukesoba there are a number of stir-fried Chūka style dishes on the menu. Part of the Maruchō Norenkai group, meaning direct relations to the original Maruchō which opened in Ogikubo, Tokyo in 1947. This is the only branch in Gunma Prefecture. 73 seats. Open since February 1966. @maruchou_isesaki Less
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担々麺 / Tantanmen / Chūka Soba Hirai — Fuchū, Tokyo
100% doubutsukei (animal bone) soup contains pork knuckles, whole pig heads, beef bones, chicken carcasses and chicken feet. Noodles are house-made with Hokkaido wheat. Other ingredients / toppings include sesame, spicy chili, Szechuan pepper, pork chashu, menma, green negi and nori. The... More
担々麺 / Tantanmen / Chūka Soba Hirai — Fuchū, Tokyo
100% doubutsukei (animal bone) soup contains pork knuckles, whole pig heads, beef bones, chicken carcasses and chicken feet. Noodles are house-made with Hokkaido wheat. Other ingredients / toppings include sesame, spicy chili, Szechuan pepper, pork chashu, menma, green negi and nori. The regular menu consists of straight tonkotsu tsukemen and ramen, limited tantanmen only available on certain Fridays and weekends. Sumibiyaki chashu rice bowl on the side.
Master Ryuichi Ueno-san trained at several ramen shops while he was in college, including Ramen Jiro Hachioji Yaenkaido. It was during that time he picked up the nickname “Hirai” because he resembled the singer Ken Hirai. After graduation, he joined the noodle machine company Yamato Seisakusho and began researching noodles with the intention of eventually opening his own ramen shop. Nine seats. Open since May 2021. @tyukasoba_hirai Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Maikagura (らーめん MAIKAGURA) at Maikagura (らーめん MAIKAGURA)
Recommended bowl: Chicken & water
Come to Maikagura for simple bowls of clear, shoyu ramen (w/ or w/o yuzu) and limited bowls of creamy chicken paitan. Master Ichijou-san trained at and eventually became the manager of the famed shop Nakamuraya, where he worked for seven years. The soup here is made from equal parts chicken and water, and nothing else.... More
Recommended bowl: Chicken & water
Come to Maikagura for simple bowls of clear, shoyu ramen (w/ or w/o yuzu) and limited bowls of creamy chicken paitan. Master Ichijou-san trained at and eventually became the manager of the famed shop Nakamuraya, where he worked for seven years. The soup here is made from equal parts chicken and water, and nothing else. The chickens are sourced from Iwate prefecture, and the water used is a special variety called RO water which is almost 100% free of impurities. The shoyu tare contains three varieties of shoyu. Noodles supplied by Mikawaya Seimen. No MSG. Open since February 2018. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Oborodzuki (銀座 朧月) at Oborodzuki (銀座 朧月)
Recommended bowl: Rich tsukemen
This tiny shop in central Ginza serves up the ever so popular style of rich tonkotsu gyokai tsukemen. Thick, creamy, almost gravy like, and drizzled with a black gyokai sauce. Thick, straight noodles supplied by Mikawaya Seimen. Standard pork chashu and ajitama topping options. If you don't want tsukemen they also serve... More
Recommended bowl: Rich tsukemen
This tiny shop in central Ginza serves up the ever so popular style of rich tonkotsu gyokai tsukemen. Thick, creamy, almost gravy like, and drizzled with a black gyokai sauce. Thick, straight noodles supplied by Mikawaya Seimen. Standard pork chashu and ajitama topping options. If you don't want tsukemen they also serve ramen with a lighter soup. The master trained at a Chinese restaurant for 14 years before opening Oborodzuki in 2010. Often a small line out front. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Maishi (麺屋ま石) at Maishi (麺屋ま石)
Recommended bowl: Uni ramen
Open since April 2018, Maishi occupies the small alleyway space that was formerly home to the famous tori-paitan shop Kagari. Maishi is run by the Toratsue company, a restaurant group based in Tsukiji that currently has over 30 establishments across Tokyo. This is their only ramen shop though. The soup here is made with... More
Recommended bowl: Uni ramen
Open since April 2018, Maishi occupies the small alleyway space that was formerly home to the famous tori-paitan shop Kagari. Maishi is run by the Toratsue company, a restaurant group based in Tsukiji that currently has over 30 establishments across Tokyo. This is their only ramen shop though. The soup here is made with tai (Japanese sea bream) and kombu. It's 100% meat free. No MSG either. Officially the noodle supplier is a secret, but according to the shop staff they are delivered daily from Nagoya. What makes the spot special though are the toppings. The most popular choice seems to be the Sakura-Ebi Tai-Ramen, served with a sakura shrimp on top. There are also oyster and uni ramen options. The oyster ramen is served with fresh Hiroshima oysters. The uni ramen comes with scoops of sea urchin — three different varieties, in fact, which change daily depending on what is available in the market. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Seitoku (勢得) at Seitoku (勢得)
Recommended bowl: Solo operation
Seitoku has long been known as a top shop for ramen and tsukemen of the tonkotsu-gyokai variety. Shop master Sasaki-san is self-taught and handles all prep, cooking and handling shop operations solo. The soup is a double blend of tonkotsu and gyokai, of course, topped with shrimp oil. Well-balanced, pure umami. Every... More
Recommended bowl: Solo operation
Seitoku has long been known as a top shop for ramen and tsukemen of the tonkotsu-gyokai variety. Shop master Sasaki-san is self-taught and handles all prep, cooking and handling shop operations solo. The soup is a double blend of tonkotsu and gyokai, of course, topped with shrimp oil. Well-balanced, pure umami. Every morning Sasaki-san comes in to make the noodles by hand from scratch. Hours are lunch only, from 11am to 2:30pm, or until the ingredients run out. Originally opened in Machiya in 2001, then briefly closed in 2005 and reopened in the current location of Chitose-Funabashi in 2007. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Kazuya (かづ屋 ) at Kazuya (かづ屋 )
Recommended bowl: Old school wontonmen
First opened in 1989 by master Yutaka Kazuie, who had previously been the tenchou at Tantantei, another legendary Tokyo wontonmen shop. Kazuya briefly closed in 2012 and then reopened in a new space just 150 meters away. Take a seat in front of the kitchen or grab a spot at one of the few tables. Towards the back... More
Recommended bowl: Old school wontonmen
First opened in 1989 by master Yutaka Kazuie, who had previously been the tenchou at Tantantei, another legendary Tokyo wontonmen shop. Kazuya briefly closed in 2012 and then reopened in a new space just 150 meters away. Take a seat in front of the kitchen or grab a spot at one of the few tables. Towards the back of the shop there is a window with a view of the noodle-making room, where they crank out fresh house-made noodles and wontons daily. You might also see some boxes of niboshi lying around. Kazuya's soup contains niboshi, katsuo, mackeral, chicken, pork bones and pork meat. It's a broad mix but the soup is clear and light yet fulfilling. Menu options include shinasoba, tsukemen, and even tantanmen. But the most popular choice seems to be the wontonmen or chashuwontonmen. The later comes with two types of pork chashu and six plump wontons. Open late, this spot was a favorite amongst taxi drivers until the parking police recently got a little stricter. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Menya Yūsaku (麺屋 優創 ) at Menya Yūsaku (麺屋 優創 )
Recommended bowl: Crab & shrimp soup
A higher-than-average-ranked shop in a quiet area of Okubo, just north of Shinjuku. The main bowl and most popular option is the 'gyokai miso ramen', made with a crab and shrimp-based soup, served with nori and wakame seaweed. At one point in time each bowl was served with a topping of shrimps and clams; but alas,... More
Recommended bowl: Crab & shrimp soup
A higher-than-average-ranked shop in a quiet area of Okubo, just north of Shinjuku. The main bowl and most popular option is the 'gyokai miso ramen', made with a crab and shrimp-based soup, served with nori and wakame seaweed. At one point in time each bowl was served with a topping of shrimps and clams; but alas, this practice is no longer active. The bowl is well-balanced though; the thicker but slightly wavy flat noodles pair well with the rich soup. Not in the mood for something fishy? Some regular customers swear by the other soup options on the menu — among them a purely pork-based tonkotsu shoyu ramen. Less
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at Garaku (雅楽) at Garaku (雅楽)
Recommended bowl: High level miso & shoyu
The master of Garaku worked for the famous Tokyo shop Do Miso before opening this joint in 2014. Miso ramen and shoyu ramen highlight the menu, but everything is above average and it’s worth trying the seasonal specialties as well. Don't hesitate to go with the spicy, either. A clean, neat shop.
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- Abram Plaut added a new meal Ramen at at Miso Chūka-Soba Mutahiro (味噌中華そば ムタヒロ )
Recommended bowl: Miso w/ pork fat
The miso specialty outpost of Mutahiro, king of the Kokubunji ramen scene. The bowls here are loaded with pork, wontons, and other toppings. Reminiscent of the bowls at Muta-san’s other shops, but with the miso element. All of the Mutahiro shops are above average. This branch has been open since 2015.