Nakiryu has gained an incredible amount of fame after being awarded one Michelin star, making it the second Japanese ramen restaurant to earn the highly sought-after award.

Lunchtime usually comes with a 2-hour waiting period, but you might have better luck in the afternoon and evening on weekdays. Nevertheless, for Japan ramen fans, the food is definitely worth the wait, and we especially recommend trying Nakiryu’s special shoyu ramen.

The bowl appears simple, yet it looks absolutely amazing. It is generously topped with three different kinds of chashu (barbecued pork), various pork parts cooked in different ways, shrimp wonton, a half-boiled egg, homemade menma (salted bamboo shoots), and green onion.

The noodles are also exquisite, boasting a wonderfully smooth mouthfeel and harmonizing perfectly with the rich soy sauce soup.

Although tantanmen, the Chinese version of Japan's favorite noodle soup, isn't technically ramen, we highly encourage you to try Nakiryu's tantanmen. The noodles are delightfully firm and add to the deliciousness of the pungent soup. You can use the hanazansho (the flower of the Japanese pepper) available on the table to further enhance the fragrance and flavor.

The owner of Nakiryu previously worked as a chef at MIST, a famous ramen specialty shop in Hong Kong that earned a Michelin star in 2011. Nakiryu is located just a 5-minute walk away from Otsuka Station. Be sure to visit for a unique ramen experience!

Haru is a Japanese ramen noodle restaurant that opened in 2012 and quickly gained popularity. It was initially favored by ramen enthusiasts and later became popular among Tokyo’s general gourmet scene as its reputation grew.

The must-try dish is the shop’s “special soba,” which features rich and thick soy sauce ramen topped with generous and flavorful slices of chashu pork. The juicy meat, which gets better with every bite, is further topped with a seasoned egg, dried seaweed, green onion, and menma.

The Japanese ramen noodles are thin but firm, providing the perfect texture for the dashi and soy sauce soup. The addition of chopped green onions adds a satisfying crunch and extra flavor to the broth.

For a small additional charge, you can get a noodle refill. We highly recommend trying the “ae-dama” refill, which features Haru’s original flavored noodles enhanced with salt or soy sauce.

We were pleasantly surprised by how well the soy sauce-flavored noodles complemented the soy sauce ramen. The combination enhances the flavors without being overwhelming.

Haru is located just a 1-minute walk from Iriya Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line. Despite being a popular restaurant, it is surprisingly calm right after opening and in the evening, so feel free to stop by for a delicious ramen brunch or dinner.

Toripaitan Kageyama is located close to Takadanobaba Station, just a 4-minute walk away. This ramen restaurant specializes in tori paitan, a white, thick soup made with chicken, and its savory version is immensely popular among locals and tourists alike.

We visited Toripaitan Kageyama around 3:00 p.m., just after lunchtime, and we didn’t have to wait to be seated.

The paitan ramen has a surprisingly refreshing taste with a nice aftertaste. The broth alone is delicious and filling, while the noodles are provided by Asakusa Kaikaro, one of Tokyo’s most famous noodle makers.

The pleasantly chewy noodles perfectly complement the rich soup. Kageyama’s chicken paitan ramen features steamed chicken, fried green onions, a half-boiled egg, and red-leaf lettuce, creating an original bowl that will melt in your mouth.

Take advantage of the lemon that comes with your ramen – a squeeze of citrus juice will give the broth a subtle sourness and a bit of zest, enhancing the otherwise mild flavor.

We suggest enjoying half of the soup before adding the lemon! If you have any broth left at the end, feel free to savor it with the complimentary rice. It’s truly delightful.

Toripaitan Kageyama is run by Kageyamaro, a prestigious Chinese restaurant located in Jiyugaoka, Tokyo. The head chef of the ramen shop previously worked at Kageyamaro, which is one of the reasons why the noodle soup here is exceptionally delicious, making it one of the most popular spots in Takadanobaba.

The shop is within easy walking distance from Takadanobaba Station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line and JR’s Takadanobaba Station, served by the Yamanote Line.

Ushio quickly became a favorite among Tokyo's ramen enthusiasts right after it opened in 2012. The must-try dish here is the Nihon-ichi shoyu soba ramen, a masterpiece featuring soup enriched with premium Hokkaido kelp, perfectly paired with noodles and toppings.

The soup is the star of this bowl. It starts with a base of unpasteurized, aged soy sauce, further enhanced with fish to create an incredibly rich umami flavor and an aroma that will make your mouth water from the first sniff.

The toppings include pork shoulder chashu, a seasoned egg, and a generous variety of vegetables. The bowl is a harmonious blend of these ingredients, delighting your taste buds with its rich flavor and medium-thick noodles.

Next to the toppings described above, every bowl comes with three slices of smoked duck meat. The meat has an amazingly unique flavor that’ll leave you craving for more. The gently fishy flavor of the soy sauce broth enhances the exquisite duck even more.

Ushio is conveniently located near Awajicho Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, practically right next to it. This stylish ramen shop provides a peaceful retreat in the bustling city of Tokyo, allowing you to savor a delicious bowl of ramen at your own pace. While lunchtime can get busy, you usually won't have to wait long to be seated. The best time to visit is right after they open.

When you visit Shibuya, you might not immediately associate the area with some of the best ramen in Tokyo. However, Shibuya is home to many popular ramen shops that are favorites among ramen enthusiasts. There are also hidden gems within Shibuya that might surprise you with their popularity.

If you're on the hunt for great ramen in Shibuya, be sure to add these shops to your list!

Fashionable clothing shops line the back streets of Shibuya's Koen-dori. Kugatsudo is located in a slightly complicated place on the second floor of a building. The interior features a predominantly white, cafe-like atmosphere. You can even make a reservation, and with an English menu available, this place is very tourist-friendly.

The secret of its popularity lies in the exquisite ramen. The base is a soy sauce soup known as "W [double] soup," made by combining animal broths like pork and chicken bones with seafood broth. They then add aromatic vegetables and black beans, simmering the soup to perfection throughout the day. While black soybeans are an uncommon soup ingredient, they contribute a subtle sweetness to this recipe.

Tonari is the sister store to the neighboring oyster bar Spiral, with the oyster bar being the main business. The owner, Aoki Kozumi, has a background in Japanese cuisine but is relatively new to running a ramen shop. He decided to open his own place after exploring and trying many ramen shops throughout Japan.

The unique bowl is made with chicken broth and features tender oysters from Hyogo Prefecture, boiled in stock. Oyster wontons and chicken slices complement the noodles, garnished with yuzu and mitsuba leaves. The result is undeniably one of the best ramen bowls in Tokyo!

Since not everyone can make it to Fukuoka during their trip to Japan, we've found four of the best ramen spots in Tokyo that capture the authentic taste of the prefecture. So don't hesitate—dive into a bowl of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen and enjoy the flavors of Fukuoka right here in Tokyo!

Ichiran is one of the Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen shops that has expanded internationally, with locations in the United States and Hong Kong. This makes Ichiran extremely popular not only among Japanese but also among ramen fans worldwide.

Ichiran's pork bone broth is a unique soup perfected over many years. The red sauce added to each bowl contains over 30 different ingredients, simmered for several days, and is one of the shop's best-kept secrets. It's said that only four people at Ichiran know the exact recipe.

Both the sauce and the soup, along with the noodles, are based on original recipes. Specialized chefs ensure the presentation, aroma, and taste of each Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen bowl from Ichiran are perfect before they are sent to all stores in Japan.

Since opening in 2002, Yamachan has maintained an incredibly comfortable atmosphere, making the experience of enjoying Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen truly wonderful.

To serve Hakata Tonkotsu as authentically as possible, fresh ingredients like noodles and green onions are delivered daily from Fukuoka Prefecture. The soup is made by boiling pork bones for one to two days, which brings out the rich flavors. Despite this, the original broth is surprisingly odorless and refreshing.

Ippudo, originally from Fukuoka, has become a global sensation. One of its standout features is the use of thin, homemade noodles with a rich, delicious wheat flavor. These noodles pair perfectly with the refreshing yet full-bodied soup, which has a refined taste. Perfected over 30 years, Ippudo's broth is so smooth and silky that it’s known as Hakata Silk Tonkotsu.

To enhance the layers of flavors and aromas, pork bones are boiled for 18 hours in a specially designed pot, then simmered at low temperatures for an entire day.

The most popular dish is "Akamaru Shinaji," which offers a delightful flavor, enriched with homemade spice oil. From the first spoonful, the flavor spreads wonderfully in your mouth, complementing the noodles perfectly. We guarantee you won't be able to stop until your bowl is empty!

Akihabara is a paradise for every anime fan. As tourists started flocking to the area, ramen shops began to pop up around the station, turning Akiba into one of Tokyo’s major ramen battlegrounds. Here are some must-try spots in this popular ramen neighborhood!

Motenashi Kuroki’s menu centers around two types of ramen: shio soba (salt-based ramen) and asari miso soba (clam and miso-based ramen).

In addition to these, you can enjoy various seasonal dishes. The must-try specialty at this renowned store is undoubtedly the “tokusei shio soba,” or special salt-based ramen. The stock for this dish is made from three types of locally raised chicken, and it is topped with an olive wrapped in chicken meat, two kinds of tender, slow-cooked roast pork, roasted tomato, and Japanese mustard spinach. It's a feast for all the senses.

Ramen Tenjinshita Daiki originally opened in Yushima in 1999 but later relocated to Akihabara. Since the move, its popularity has skyrocketed. The shop features a modern white interior, creating a relaxing atmosphere for those sitting at the counter. Daiki offers a diverse menu primarily based on chicken soup, and it is celebrated by ramen enthusiasts from across the nation and around the world.

Tanaka Sobaten is an offshoot of the wildly popular Tanaka Shoten, a specialty ramen shop known for its Hakata-style ramen. While the main shop serves a rich, white-colored soup, Tanaka Sobaten offers an excellent, highly flavorful clear tonkotsu (pork bone) soup. Its signature dish is the Chinese-style Chuka ramen.