Ramen Mistress

Ultra local spot Tsukemen Haruki, down near Maita station in Yokohama. The locals hang out with some of the izakaya fare like sauteed negi and beef liver, or pork and garlic over rice. The tsukemen noodles are what drew me here; they’re darker and looked pretty unique.

Walking in, it was pretty apparent this is a quiet corner shop… only a few counter seats, old posters on the walls, and a couple people nursing a highball or two. I got the spicy tomato curry tsukemen. Like the atmosphere, it was strange.

But in a good way. Tangy from the tomato acidity, tingly from the spice. A little sour. Nonconformist to other tsukemen genres you normally encounter. Slight seafood whiff. They do their own thing here, and it works. Husband and wife run the place, and my research shows they’re both of Chinese descent. I’d love to hear their story! Less

Whenever a ramenhead mentions the name “Toy Box”, they get a certain glint in their eye. More than simple bragging rights, but a sense of deep satisfaction and adoration for such a delicious bowl. It’s one of those ramen that not only lives up to the hype, but is BETTER than you expect it to be. And, yes, it’s one of my favorite shoyu in Tokyo.

Open since 2013 and near Minowa Station, Toy Box serves one of most satisfying chicken ramens in the city. A humble store front with only 8 counter seats, its intimate and somewhat intimidating. Silent inside, as if devotees to a religion are communing with a sacred ritual. If the name “Toy Box” sounds like it’ll be a lighthearted romp, you’re in for an awakening.

As I watched my ramen being assembled (and you can; you’re literally seated looking into the kitchen), I was properly shook at the amount of chiyu they top these babies with. It’s SO rich and opaque it almost looks like butter, or egg yolks. As it melts atop your hot soup, the flavor is booted into silky chickeny overdrive. The rest of the bowl is equally fabulous, but this was an unforgettable sight.

Toy Box made it into the Michelin Bib Gourmand again this year, and rightfully so. Get there soon. Less

Sometimes you just know a bowl of ramen is going to be good the moment you see it. This one had me at first glance. The clear, glassy stock, the pristine surface of the soup, and the hypnotically textured noodles.

This is Shonan no Temae (湘南の手前) a 12 minute bus ride from Totsuka Station. If you’re up for a ramen day trip, don’t miss it. The noodles are from reputable noodle maker Mikawaya Seimen, and are hand-rolled in house. This gives them that luscious varied texture. If you’ve been to Men Kurai or Hikaage, it’s reminiscent of that.

The soup is built on chicken bones, with kelp and vegetables to deepen the umami. I went for the shio (salt-based) ramen (an excellent choice, in my humble opinion) though a lot of people swear by the richer, darker, temari-style shoyu. The shio is subtle and mild, which lets these gorgeous noodles shine.

The noodles themselves are springy and chewy, somewhere between udon and fresh pasta. I like to order it without the back-fat topping, which can overwhelm the delicate balance of the bowl. Without it, the silky noodles float in a light, dashi broth that’s just perfect. And did I mention they’re open at 7 AM? Did somebody say the perfect breakfast?

The shop’s interior is rustic with unfinished wood and bare concrete floors. But you don’t come here for the atmosphere. You come here for the earth-shatteringly good noodles. Less

The mother lode. A bowl of ramen that comes screaming down the chute like an avalanche on Everest. If you don’t know what you’re getting into when you humbly hand your ticket to the chef at this joint, you’re in for a surprise.

In the belly of Kannai subway station is Ore No Ikiru Michi, a Jiro inspired shop that opened in July 2024. It’s a rich, pork broth with extra thick homemade noodles. But those are minor details when you’re staring down the barrel of this monstrosity I accidentally ordered. Not only was it 300 grams of noodles, but another pound of bean sprouts, gigantic slices of pork, and literally pork back fat crowning the peak. And - the fool that I can sometimes be - ordered EXTRA back fat that they served in a literal bowl on the side. Don’t ask what I was thinking; it was a fugue state.

Swipe to see what a normal bowl looks like here. Downright innocent in comparison. To be honest, the pork is really good, and the simple miso tonkotsu ramen slaps.

So think twice before you place your order. Better yet, think three times. You won’t regret the big bowl, but you better be up to the challenge. Less

Back like a bad habit. One of my favorite ones. People use the words “hidden gem” too loosely, but I would get this spot’s GPS coordinates tattooed on my arm if it meant I could eat here the rest of my life.

It’s called Hama Momiji in Yokohama and is genuinely one of the best tsukemen around. And the crazy thing is, there’s never a line. They make their noodles by hand, in-house, with bags of flour stacked up at the entrance when you walk in next to the noodle machine.

They have five different types of noodles, ranging in thickness, texture, and waviness. I always go for the extra-thick, hand-massaged ones. I love the bite and the way that getting the extra-thick style lets you appreciate their flour blend.

It’s a husband-and-wife duo, and they’re always super friendly. It seems like one generally manages the noodles and the other preps the plates.

The soup is a pork-and-fish blend. A little bit sweet. Not too fishy. All-around pleaser for anybody. And arguably the most addictive thing is their special plate, which comes with succulent flame-grilled pork belly to order, a marinated egg, tangy bamboo shoots, and the softest gyoza added to your soup.

If you’ve been following me for a while, I post about this place often. But that’s because I keep going back—and I just can’t keep a secret. Less

The only time it’s a bad choice is when you DON’T order ramen.

The shop is called Ramen Jazzy Beats and is next to the train tracks in Naka Meguro. The inside is super classy and so is the ramen. Perfect for date night or tourist bucket list.

And again, it’s a great choice. You will not have FOMO afterwards. Thank me when you write your personal memoir about all of the excellent decisions you’ve made.

#ramen #japan #noodles #tokyo #tokyolife Less

Ramen or a work of art?

Ramen Jazzy Beats is under the train tracks at Naka Meguro station and serves a picture perfect toripaitan (creamy chicken ramen).

This is the limited edition chilled summer bowl, with chewy noodles and silky smooth cold soup. It’s as if your grandma’s chicken salad sandwich met your favorite celebrity chef.

The toppings are deluxe: crisply onion, dried iwanori, that amber hue marinated egg.

You used to need a reservation, but it’s calmed down and now walk-ins are possible. But you should run - not walk - to this babe of a bowl! Less

I’ve never used the phrase “fire sale” more literally than right now. Get this wok-fried, fire-licked Miso ramen before the CERTE building in Kannai literally goes up in flames at the end of 2025.

It’s sad but true, the 6th floor ramen alley will be demolished along with the other floors of intrigue in this stalwart bastion of Kannai’s food culture.

BUT! There’s still time to enjoy this fire 🔥 miso ramen from 味噌麺処 にそう(Miso Noodle Shop Nisou). The noodles are hefty, curly boys that stand their ground against the robust miso soup chock full of stir-fried vegetables. The pork belly is super soft, and the soup’s not overly salty at all. Extra thick soup with a dash of sansho peoper. The depth of flavor in this one is grand, and I’ll miss it dearly when they ride off into the ramen sunset. Less

Soy & Ginger = A magic combination. There’s nothing more satisfying than the harmony between zesty fresh ginger and the deep umami body of high quality soy sauce. Nagaoka, up in Niigata, is famous for soy Ginger ramen, but you can also get it at quite a few shops in the greater Tokyo area.

This is Nagaoka Shokudo, a chain that does the style decently well. The soup is a blend of chicken, pork and back fat simmered for a long time, and topped with raw fresh ginger prior to serving. The noodles are smooth and the pork is sliced to order, a perfect meaty ratio with less fat than other ramen styles.

I avoid shoyu if it’s bitter or astringent, but this blend uses shiitake mushrooms and kelp. It’s rich and mellow and super yummy. Less