Miyamoto (煮干しつけ麺宮元) Tokyo

Recommended bowl: Crazy niboshi punch

Miyamoto was one of the hottest Tokyo ramen shops to open in 2015, winning multiple awards in magazines and publications. The master, Miyamoto-san, trained at Nagi in Shinjuku and Ittou in Koiwa, two high-level shops that are considered pillars of the scene.

Inside the shop you'll see large vats of fish matter and congealed soup bubbling behind the counter. Apprentices bustle about shouting and receiving orders. Miyamoto-san is a nice guy but also has a certain level of intensity about him in the kitchen. He's definitely in charge and you can feel the other staff members' respect for him.

The top recommendation at Miyamoto is tokusei tsukemen, with one of the heaviest niboshi soups in the game. The soup just exudes delicious fishiness — there is much gutty niboshi packed into this soup. It's made from three different types of iwashi niboshi — katakuchi, seguro, shirokuchi — as well as aji and squid niboshi. It's rich, thick and concentrated, almost grey-green in color. The umami is incredibly heavy.

The handmade noodles are top notch — on par with all of the top tsukemen houses — medium width with excellent bounce. The toppings also extremely on point. The tamago is lightly smoked — a mellow, soothing smokiness. The bowl comes with two types of chashu, both soft and flavorful. In addition, the bowl is laden with tiny triangular and cubed-shaped pieces of pork fat, which add a marvelous richness to the pungent soup. A powerful bowl. Less