C onsidered a national dish in Japan, Ramen noodles come in an almost unbelievable variety of flavours and ingredients. From Pork Katsu Ramen to Miso Ramen, there’s a dish for everyone and with that in mind, there’s a ramen joint for everyone too. Read on the explore with me, the finest Ramen establishments in Tokyo.
1. Yasube
Yasube in Shinjuku is on this list more or less entirely because of the generous portion sizes. When I say generous, I really mean it – for just 790 yen you can choose any size from small, right up to extra-large. Extra-large, unlike most other ‘extra-large’ claims in Japan, really is immense and all at the same price.
The other amazing thing about Yasube, is that they serve tsukemen – literally translated as dipping noodles. These noodles are the same noodles used in Ramen – not served in the soup, but served with a dipping sauce instead. Delicious.
2. Aoba
Consistently heralded as one of the best ramen shops in the city by noodle buffs everywhere, Aoba in Tokyo’s Nakano district serves ramen dishes with only the finest ingredients and you can really tell just by the taste.
Aoba’s secret to success is twofold – The first element being the fact that they use a special combination of two types of broth (one chicken and pork bone and the other, Skipjack tuna), which they combine the moment before the dish is served to the customer. The second element is the fact that the restaurant closes as soon as they’ve run out of stock and we all know that when something’s limited, everyone wants some.
3. Kyushu Jangara
The name of this restaurant elucidates the fact that this special brand of chain ramen shop hails from Japan’s southern island of Kyushu. Jangara is a great place to visit if you’re a tourist or have never been to a ramen shop before, as they’re especially foreigner-friendly. They have a menu in English as well, so you don’t have to worry about deciphering any confusing hieroglyphics.
The ramen served here is of the Tonkotsu variety and it’s absolutely delicious. Tonkotsu ramen is made from boiled pork bones. Please don’t let that put you off, as it absolutely must be tasted to be believed.
4. Ramen Oyaji
If you want to try authentic Sapporo-style Ramen from the northernmost regions of Japan, you need to get on a plane or the bullet train – Ramen Oyaji located on the very edge of the Kanagawa prefecture, which while an hour or so away from Tokyo by train, is the closest place to the city for tasty miso ramen goodness.
The white miso broth used here is, as some state, the best they’ve tasted… ever. Without a doubt worth the train journey, the ‘Oyaji set’ will get you a healthy portion of ramen and a side of fried gyoza dumplings to fill the gaps that the ramen leaves.
To get the chance to go to Tokyo, you’ll need to fly into either Haneda or Narita international airports and then get on one of the many train or coach services that run into the city. Getting to Tokyo by air is really quite simple too, as flights are taking less time, all the time. It would be wise to make use of the very convenient Stansted airport parking facilities as driving to the airport rather than relying on public transport means less hassle.
