Japan is deeply in love with ramen. This slurpy noodle dish dipped in a savory broth is massively popular and is found in almost every neighborhood in Tokyo. This article brings to you the best ramens you can find along the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, so read on to start your ramen adventure!
1. Ichiran ramen - Shibuya station
Ichiran ramen is perhaps one of the best commercialized ramens in Japan. Founded in the 1960s Hakata Fukuoka, Ichiran serves up some good ol’ Hakata ramen together with Ichiran’s Hiden no Tare (spicy red sauce that is mixed with 3 type of spices). It is famed for its rich Tonkotsu (pork bone) soup and lip-smacking, thin, chewy noodles that always leave you craving for more. The freshly made noodles are prepared in-house daily, using only the freshest and finest flour and ingredients, and they are cooked under specially calibrated temperatures to give it the customized texture and firmness. The bowl is then completed with the flavorful broth, char siu, egg, seaweed and spring onions.
3 simple steps is all you need to get your very own “personalized” Ichiran ramen. First, queue at the vending machine to purchase a meal ticket (you’ll have to show the staff later). Second, when you are closer to your turn, the staff will hand you an ordering sheet where you can indicate your ramen preference like Flavor strength, Richness, Garlic, Green onion, Sliced Pork, Ichiran’s Original Red Sauce and Noodles texture (some choices may require additional charges). Lastly, you will be directed to an individual seating booth once you reach your turn, and hand your order sheet and ramen ticket to the kitchen staff at the window. Apparently, these seating booths are designed in a such a way that customers can fully savor the rich ramen taste at their own pace. This also increases the efficiency of the food serving process!
Wait no further, drop by the Ichiran ramen’s Shibuya Branch, just near the Shibuya Metro Station!
Ichiran ramen
Address: Iwamoto Building B1F 1-22-7 Jinnan Sibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0041
Access: 5 minute’s walk from Shibuya station
Website: Ichiran ramen
2. AFURI ramen - Omotesando station
If you are looking for unusual ramens, AFURI serves up some very good yuzu ramen that is uniquely different from the rest (Yuzu has a close taste to grapefruit and is used in many Japanese foods). Its signature dishes are Yuzu Shio Ramen (salt) and Yuzu Shoyu (soy sauce) Ramen, and the light, refreshing yuzu taste of the soup will surely freshen up your palate. Also, AFURI is famous for its charcoal-grilled char siu that is so amazingly fragrant and flavorful upon the first bite! As for the noodles themselves, they are cooked nicely - firm and springy, and the egg has a runny yolk that provides extra punch. The noodles are also topped with other ingredients like seaweed and bamboo shoots.
AFURI also serves other dishes like regular ramen shio and shoyu bowls, tsukeen and donburi options. Visit this popular ramen outlet for this mouth-watering yuzu ramen!
AFURI ramen
Address: 1F Grandeforesta, 3-63-1 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Access: 10 minute’s walk from Omotesando station
Website: AFURI ramen
3. Bario ramen - Toranomon station
Go big or go home - that’s the message Bario is driving. At this outlet, ramen is truly a gluttony affair. Ingredients are stacked to the brim, everything from slices of roast pork, bamboo shoots and a mountain load of bean sprouts, and frankly, first-time customers may be overwhelmed and amazed by the sight! The noodles are thick and firm and the ramen serving is huge, specially catering to the hungry stomachs of its stream of (mostly salarymen) customers.
Walk into the ramen store and you will be greeted by the kitchen staff wearing black t-shirts featuring the Japanese word “male” in the shape of the superman logo, living up to its “rough and rugged”, “manly” store image. Only 15 counter seats are available at this outlet, so there might be a slight waiting time. Nonetheless, if you are up for a super-sized ramen bowl challenge, Bario is the perfect place for you.
Bario ramen
Address: 1-21-1 Nishi-shinbashi, Minato, Tokyo
Access: 5 minute’s walk from Exit 1 of Toranomon station
Website: Bario ramen
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4. Kagari ramen - Ginza station
Tucked in a small alley in glamourous Ginza, Kagari is a famous ramen store known for its tori paitan, a creamy chicken broth ramen. Unlike the usual Tonkotsu (pork bone) broth ramen, the chicken-based broth is not too greasy and oily, and it doesn’t leave a heavy feeling after you drink the soup. Also, juicy, tender chicken meat is used instead of pork, coupled with seasonal vegetables and agitama egg. The taste is absolutely classic, with the other ingredients complementing the soft noodles and tasty chicken meat perfectly.
Some amount of effort is required for customers to get a taste of this unique ramen though. The restaurant has only 8 seats and there will be a queue at the store most of the time, even before the opening hours. The queue gets longer throughout the day and it is recommended to go early if possible. Nonetheless, the wait is definitely worthwhile. A rare treasure in Ginza!
Note: For those who have difficulty locating the main Kagari store or are reluctant to queue, there is another branch at Ginza subway station. The menu is slightly more limited as they offer only the Chicken Paitan Ramen and Chicken Paitan Tsukemen.
Kagari ramen
Address: 1F Ginza A Building, 4-4-1 Ginza, Chuo 104-0061
Access: 10 minute’s walk from Ginza station
Website: Kagari ramen
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5. Kikanbo ramen - Kanda station
Kikanbo ramen located near Kanda station is not your usual ramen outlet. Just from the store’s exterior, you will probably notice the place is rather dark, gloomy and “scarily” decorated with oni (Japanese demon) characters. But fret not, the restaurant is perfectly decent. Kikanbo, translating to “ogre’s iron club” in Japanese, is known to serve devilishly spicy ramen that will surely give a long-lasting burning sensation to your tastebuds. You must place your order at the vending machine, and from there, you can choose your preferred level of spiciness from a scale of 1 to 5. “Kara” refers to the chili heat, and “Shibi” refers to the numbing spice of Sansho pepper mix. Together, the two types of spice produce a really spicy and numbing taste, close to China’s Sichuan “mala” taste. Spicy food lovers and daredevils out there might want to give the “Demon level” of Kara and Shibi a shot!
Apart from its extreme spiciness, Kikanbo’s ramen also uses really thick slices of roast pork and thick gravy-like soup for its broth. The bean sprouts are also nicely seasoned to give your ramen experience extra punch and flavor. It’s highly recommended to order some cold beer for cooling down and reducing the numbing sensation in your mouth.
Kikanbo ramen
Address: 2 Chome-10-10, Kajicho, Chiyoda ward
Access: 5 minute’s walk from Kanda station
Website: Kikanbo ramen
6. Yoroiya ramen - Asakusa station
This ramen store near Asakusa Station is often overlooked by tourists. Yoroiya may look small and old, but this shop has been established for over 20 years in Asakusa and was the first ramen shop to be nominated in the Hall of Fame by the ramen king Ishigami in his book. Yoroiya’s ramen has a distinct and sophisticated soy-sauce base, and is topped with char siu, bamboo shoots, seaweed, agitama and a tinge of yuzu. If you notice carefully, Yoroiya’s agitama is a double yolk boiled egg!
There are seats on the first floor, and a larger dining area on the second floor, but the place is often crowded. An english menu is available.
Yoroiya ramen
Address: 1-36-7, Asakusa, Taito Ward
Access: 5 minute’s walk from Exit 1 of Asakusa station
Website: Yoroiya ramen
7. Zipang ramen - Ueno station
Located close to Ueno Station, Zipang serves a really special ramen. Its soup is made from pork bone and natural oils from prawns, giving it a deep, rich and exquisite taste. This unique broth originates from the store’s health conscious concept to provide customers hearty and tasty meals. Also, Zipang does not use any lard or artificial flavourings in its soup.
The ramen is accompanied with some sliced char siu, sakura shrimps, fresh onions, agitama and others. The noodles are cooked nice and soft, and do savour the sakura shrimps together with the ramen for extra flavour! At just 750 yen, this scrumptious ramen is definitely worth your money! Best part is there is no additional charge for upsized ramens! (selected ones only)
Zipang ramen
Address: 6-16-9 Taito ward, Ueno, Tokyo
Access: 7 minutes walk from Ueno station
Website: Zipang Ramen (in Japanese)
Take your pick!
There are simply so many different varieties of ramens for you to choose, just with a ride on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line. From ramens with rich Tonkotsu soup, specially grilled char siew, to ones with very unique broths, this selection of ramen will surely satisfy all your hunger cravings!
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