Special Edition: The Ramen Issue

Ramen is Japanese soul food. It’s spread worldwide and has die-hard fans everywhere. With regional styles (Hokkaido, Tokyo, and Hakata being very popular), numerous types of broth (pork-based, chicken-based, seafood-based, vegetable-based, or combinations that vary in richness), noodles ranging from thin to thick, and toppings like chashu pork, soft-boiled egg, green onion, corn, bamboo, bean sprouts, and nori, among other things, Japanese ramen has something for every palate and supporters that champion every style. 

Ramen is an affordable meal that will get you powered up and ready to explore. It’s also a perfect meal at the end of a night of Izakaya or bar hopping.

Here are five of my favorite ramen shops in Tokyo (I will cover other cities later). These shops are not necessarily nationally famous in Japan but they are locally famous in Tokyo.

If you go during typical lunch and dinner times, expect to wait in line. To avoid lines, try going during off hours. Have a late lunch, an early dinner, or a final meal after a night of bar hopping. That’s what I usually do. It’s also good to double-check the hours because some Japanese restaurants close for an hour or more between lunch and dinner. Also, check which days the restaurants are closed entirely.

Hopeken Honpo Kichijoji (formerly Homerunken) 

This place has been around since 1935 and if you mention it to locals, many will have a very nostalgic view of it since they grew up having ramen here. It’s quite popular. But there are many times when there isn’t much of a line if any at all.

The soup is delicious. It has a deep, rich flavor as it’s made with pork bones. However, it doesn’t have a greasy taste or lingering heaviness. Their Chinese-style thin, wavy noodles are homemade and without preservatives. You will taste the freshness.

I always get it with chashu (pork). You get five nice big slices and I add garlic, nori, a seasoned egg, and green onions. You can choose whatever combo you prefer at the ticket machine. It has an English translation on it. 

After you order at the ticket machine, give the ticket to the server. Since the noodles are thin, your ramen will arrive quickly, usually only about 5 minutes after handing over the ticket.

Another huge bonus for this place is its location just around the corner from Harmonica Yokocho, one of the best areas for drinking, snacking, and socializing in Tokyo. I will write more about Harmonica Yokocho in the future, but know that if you like Yakitori Alley or Golden Gai, Harmonica Yokocho is a much less touristy version of those places. You can easily find tiny local bars and izakayas to hang out and chat with Japanese people. It’s probably my favorite place to go out in Japan. And, because it’s in Kichijoji, you won’t be dealing with the crowds you’ll find in Shinjuku, Shibuya, Roppongi, and those types of places.

Hopeken Honpo’s location is right by Harmonica Yokocho and since it stays open until 3 am it’s the perfect spot to have your final evening meal after having drinks. I mean that’s a Japanese tradition you should try at least once.

Fun side note: If you can’t make it to this shop, you can get a tonkotsu (pork) shoyu (soy sauce) ramen made by Hopeken Kichijoji in instant ramen form from a konbini! It won’t be as good as going to the shop, but still, it’s a nice instant ramen.

Here’s a link to the English version of their website.

Afuri Ramen in Ebisu (and numerous other locations in Tokyo)

Afuri ramen is known for using a lot of yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit). This makes their ramen brighter and creates a very unique flavor. The menu includes tsukemen, seasonal offerings, cold ramen, the famous yuzu shio (salt) and yuzu shoyu (soy sauce), and even vegan ramen which is 100% plant-based including the soup (Vegan Ramen is not super common in Japan). 

I haven’t tried the vegan ramen so I can’t say how it is, but having that option is fantastic. My personal favorite is the yuzu shio with the Temomi Men noodle. The noodle is made from wheat and has a chewy texture. The soup broth is very light and bright. It’s completely different from the heavy curry of Tsukemen Enji or the rich pork bone-based Hakata ramen that I usually favor.

This place is fun because it is so different from most ramen joints. It is also extremely customizable, so you can indulge in whatever options suit you. If you like pork, add a side order of marinated pork belly with white onion on rice or the more popular pork chashu with yuzu and green onion on rice.

One of my favorite dishes in Japan is buta kakuni (simmered pork belly), so I like to add the buta kakuni chashu to my ramen. This goes in the ramen unlike the marinated pork belly on rice, which is a side dish. You can also add the usual standards like soft-boiled egg, nori, bamboo shoots, extra chashu, and mizuna (Japanese mustard greens).

The original shop is in Ebisu, but now there are numerous locations all over Tokyo (Harajuku, Nakameguro, Azabujuban, Roppongi Crossing, Roppongi Hills, Sangenjaya, 3 locations in Shinjuku, and now, international locations including Portland, Los Angeles, and Portugal).

I recommend coming early, a bit before they open for lunch or between lunch and dinner if you want a shorter line. Most of the locations don’t close between lunch and dinner. The original Ebisu shop stays open until 5 am and it’s only a short walk from Ebisu Yokocho, a street full of izakayas and small bars, so it is perfect for visiting after an evening out before you head back to your hotel.

Check out Afuri Ramen’s menu here.

Bazoku in Asakusa

This shop has been open for over forty years and stepping inside feels like going back in time to an older Tokyo. They’re famous for their noodles, which are handmade in the traditional Chinese style. 

You can watch the noodle master in a street-facing window make them fresh. It’s mesmerizing to see him pull and fold the noodles by hand, and then shocking and energizing to watch him slam the dough on the flour-coated table. You may even hear the slams as you walk up to this place. They don’t take shortcuts and it shows… the noodles are ridiculously good and super chewy.

Their menu is massive, and they have an English menu, but the staff doesn’t speak English. They are most known for their tantanmen. That’s what I almost always go for (more on that in a moment). Tantanmen is Sichuan-style ramen in sesame soup. It can be ordered from mild to extra-spicy (I prefer the extra-spicy) and comes with ground pork. The soup’s flavor is heavy, so if you like lighter broth, I’d recommend going to Afuri ramen instead. I tend to like richer, heavier flavors for ramen.

If you want to try another of their specialties and something slightly more unusual, go for the hiyashi chuka (cold Chinese-style noodles). This dish is popular in the summer when it gets hot, and humid in Tokyo. However, be warned, this is a massive serving. Only order it if you are exceptionally hungry.

This is a good spot to hit before or after visiting the famous attractions in Asakusa.

Tsukemen Enji Kichijoji 

Yes. Back to Kichijoji. Everyone should spend more time in Kichijoji. 

Just steps from the Kichijoji Station “Park exit”. Exit the station, turn right and you will see a McDonald’s a short way down on the right. Tsukemen Enji is down a hallway/alleyway just before the McDonald’s. It’s a very convenient location if you are exploring Kichijoji, which I highly recommend. 

Tsukemen is a ramen style where the noodles are served in a separate bowl from the soup. The noodles will be room temperature not hot. You take some noodles with your chopsticks and dip them in the soup bowl to coat and flavor them. Tsukemen Enji’s specialty is the extra thick wheat germ noodles. They’re nice and chewy with a soba-like texture. I like them with the spicy curry. The curry broth has a rich flavor, and the spiciness is not overwhelming, but it’s there.

Tabushi in Koenji 

Koenji is an under-the-radar fun part of town to visit with an artsy vibe not unlike Shimokitazawa, but with more edge, as Koenji was home to Tokyo’s punk scene in the ‘70s, so that influence can still be felt. Koenji is also famous for used/vintage/antique shops (ranging from furniture to clothes), record shops, and live music venues. Also, it is much less crowded than Shimokitazawa.

Koenji is a great location for ramen shops as they have numerous good shops scattered throughout Koenji and now even have a ramen street with four shops right by each other. Tabushi is one of these shops.

Tabushi has a variety of styles of ramen, but their version of tantanmen is fantastic; nice and spicy, but manageable spice-wise for most people.

They have a large serving for no extra charge, and their other styles of ramen are also delicious. I love the depth and spiciness of the tantanmen.

Tabushi is very close to the North exit of Koenji station. Only a 2-3 minute walk. It’s small like most ramen places with 10 seats at a counter.

Of all the places I’ve mentioned, this is the one I’ve gone to the least amount of times, so I’m looking forward to getting deeper into their menu on future visits. Its location near the station is super convenient and Koenji is a highly underrated part of town. So, this place also gets points for those features.

Whatever places you choose, don’t forget to bring cash (have smaller denominations as some machines don’t take the larger bills), keep in mind it’s hard to seat groups of more than 2 people next to each other since most of these places only have 9-12 available seats (usually just a single counter), and slurp to show your appreciation!