The Best 10 Ramen Shops You Must Eat in Tokyo

No need to tell how many people lives in Tokyo. During the day time its population is like the whole Australian living in the continent. There are millions of restaurants tucked in the tiny city and you can imagine how competitive they have to be to be noticed. Ramen restaurant is not an exception. There are so many of them and the originality is the key to survive. Here are some of the well loved places by locals and not to be missed if you are in their neighbourhood.

1. Yakumo

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Yakumo is located about ½ miles from Shibuya, one of the most popular districts for shopping in Tokyo. It’s been one of the most popular Ramen restaurants for many years. The tasty broth and the volume of Prawn and Pork wontons will keep your tummy full for hours.

Unfortunately there is no English and no pictures. Orders are taken by buying a ticket at a vending machine and all names are in Japanese. But the staffs are very friendly and helpful. If you shout out “Wonton Ramen!” then they will tell you which button to select. From my point of view, you will love whatever you chose because everything is so yummy!

2. Aoba

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Everybody knows “Aoba” in Tokyo as there is more than one branch. There are only 4 items on the menu so it is easy for foreigners to choose: “Chinese Noodle”, “Special Chinese Noodle”, “Dipping Noodle”, and ”Special Dipping Noodle”.

Specials have more toppings and flavored eggs with them. The rich broth has a beautiful combination of Chinese and Japanese flavors. You can enjoy the same taste in any branch so just pop in when you see the sign 青葉.

3. Ishin

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The flagship of Ishin is based in a town called Yokohama where the largest China town in Japan still stands. Ishin is well-known for its soft noodles and clear broth. The fish for broth comes from Chinese mainland carefully selected by the master chef.

Ishin has been listed on “Bib Goumand” which honours exceptional good food at moderate prices by Michelin Guide, in two consecutive years. Ishin Ramen comes in a beautiful bowl made of famous Arita pottery. That’s how much they are rroud of their Ramen.

4. Menya Kintoki

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Menya Kintoki is another Ramen restaurant which has been a regular on Michelin Guide for Tokyo. Its broth is so clear and thin but so flavored and tasty. Highly recommended for Ramen beginners. And believe me it looks good. You need to buy a ticket from a vending machine and unfortunately no photo attached. However, there are some photos on the walls.

I strongly recommend having Shio (salty) Ramen. Another one to recommend is Shiru nashi Tantan Men (Ramen without broth). It is like spaghetti bolognaise in Chinese flavor but it’s really good. You can order smaller portion for children.

5. Konjiki Hototogisu

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Although it is not located in any touristy area, this Ramen restaurant has very good reviews by foreigners. It is probably because it is on the list of Michelin’s Bib Gourmand. Their flavour in broth is so simple and everyone loves it. Their Shoyu (Soya sauce) Ramen is just tasty. It’s something you can eat everyday really.

You need to buy a ticket to order and there is very little English inside the restaurant. Just ask which button is for Shoyu (Soya sauce) Ramen. If you are brave I will recommend trying the one with plum flavor. Shout out which one has Niboshi (dried plum) in it. By the way Hototogisu means lesser cuckoo which is a breed of beautiful humming birds in Japan.

6. Senrikigan

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“Senrikigan” is a kind of ESP in Japanese and the restaurant definitely has the power. The power is to see through what people want – value for money! This Ramen shop is located close to Tokyo University, one of the top in the world, and is loved by thousand of hungry students.

The noodles are in very rich tasty broth topped with a mount of bean sprouts. Most of the time you find Japanese portion of food so small but not here. Satisfaction guaranteed. No English written but I’m sure you will find a student or two who can help you in English. Ask for extra meat if you are really hungry!

7. Yamate Ramen

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It is common knowledge that Japanese are fanatic about healthy diet. So this is the ultimate. It is obvious that Ramen is high in Calories. So how can you make it healthy? This is the answer. Yamate Ramen has its own colourful selection of broth. White is thin pork broth, Red is chilli or tomato, Brown is soya sauce, black is black sesame and garlic, then green is Euglena, a kind of microorganism.

The thought of eating microorganisms might put you off but believe or not it is tasty. Just like eating spinach. You can have noodles in broth or dip them in soup.

8. Ramen Jiro Mita Honten

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I wouldn’t recommend going to Ramen Jiro when you are not hungry. As a matter of fact, you hardly ever see girls going in. It’s only because the portion of every plate and bowl is massive. The noodles are covered with chunky meat, bean sprouts and cabbages and you can’t even see them in the bowl. Say sauce they use is specially made for Ramen Jiro and broth made with it is so tasty.

It is a chain restaurant and you will see the branches all over Tokyo. Highly recommended for budget travellers. There are a few vending machines in front of each shop and you can bring them into the shop, which is rather unusual for Japanese custom. Some branches offer smaller portion or less oily broth so it’s worth asking.

9. Miharu

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Located in Ikebukuro, this is one of the most sophisticated looking Ramen restaurants in Tokyo. It actually looks like a cool bar. It is well known for its organic ingredients. Absolutely no artificial flavor is used. The fish stock is made from scratch and tastes so organic. The mirin they use is the one used for imperial family.

How posh is that! On top of regular Ramen menu, they have something called Abura Soba, Ramen without soup. The noodles, fish, veggies and egg are all flavored and all you need to do is to mix them and eat. The taste of tuna flakes is absolutely delicious.

10. Motenashi Kuroki

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Motenashi Kuroki doesn’t look like a typical Ramen restaurant. It actually looks like an authentic Japanese Udon restaurant. Kuroki is a place to have lunch for a day out in Akihabara which is famous for any electrical items and animation lovers.

The signature dish is called Tanmen and this is good. Salt broth Ramen is the most popular kind but this Tanmen is exceptionally good. It has a hint of Japanese citrus called Yuzu and slightly sweet. It’s not oily at all and tastes very healthy. The two pieces of meat were cooked in different ways and the color is beautiful. The noodles are thicker than usual ones but not too heavy. Lots of veggies and lots of flavors. No wonder people queue up to eat!

Let’s enjoy Ramen in Tokyo!

So what do you think? I’ve given you a pretty good idea of how much Japanese love Ramen noodles. This is just a tip of an iceberg. There is no street without Ramen shop in Tokyo. Although you don’t have time to find those restaurants, just pop in your local place and you may find your favorite kind there. From authentic to modern taste, Ramen business will continue to grow in Japan.