Honmarutei (本丸亭) Atsugi

Recommended bowl: Top shio in Kanagawa

Shio ramen fans, put Honmarutei high on your hit list. Shop master Tooru Kanemaru established his first ramen shop, Marutei, in Osaka in the mid 1990s. In 2000, he relocated to Tokyo and launched Honmarutei in Hon-Atsugi. Kanemaru-san's shio ramen ranks among the genre's best in the Kanto area.

Everything in the bowl here is high quality: The soup is a delicate chicken and gyokai blend made with dried flying fish stock (agodashi). The noodles are provided by the Kamioka Seimen noodle company based in Tochigi. Slightly flat, thick and translucent yellow, they are prepared in the aodake teuchi-men style. The bowl's most unique characteristic is the use of shungiku as a topping. The greens have a fresh, slightly herbal taste that nicely compliments the soup. Other toppings include a few plump and flavorful wontons, and two juicy slices of roasted chashu — homey and belly-pleasing. The house-made hanjuku tamago is available in shio or shoyu flavors and must be ordered separately. Both options are great; don't miss it.

Another tip: Order the gyoza. Handmade each morning, Honmarutei's delicious gyoza come hot from the pan, fused together in a tasty, crusty sheet. This is a must-order for big eaters.

Honmarutei has two additional branches in Yokohama, but the head shop is the best. Expect at least a short line at the door. Less