Great ramen in Tokyo
#16
Join Date: Sep 2009
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Ichiran is a chain place that's a safe choice.
Lots of little great hole-in-wall ramen places in Ikebukuro.
It's okay imo. I enjoy it. Enjoy it more than their meal, actually. The soup comes out pretty good, but the noodle is where it gets butchered compared to the real deal. But overall better than just about any ramen I've had in the States.
Lots of little great hole-in-wall ramen places in Ikebukuro.
It's okay imo. I enjoy it. Enjoy it more than their meal, actually. The soup comes out pretty good, but the noodle is where it gets butchered compared to the real deal. But overall better than just about any ramen I've had in the States.
FWIW, I also like Ichiran, but most Japanese I've queried seem to dislike it.
#17
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
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I happen to like shoyu ramen but the question came about because one of my kids has a friend going to Tokyo and asked me. Shouldn't have to be limited to Ebisu. I'd say that traditional ramen (for a first-time visitor) is either miso or shoyu and has round noodles. I'd even argue that traditional would have to include char-siu (however it is pronounced).
Now I can just reference them to this thread, thanks!
Now I can just reference them to this thread, thanks!
#18
Moderator, All Nippon Airways and Japan
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Soba House Hototogisu in Hatagaya is reportedly very good (Tokyo Time Out). Yamaguchi near Waseda is also a solid example of shoyu ramen with a chicken-based soup stock.
I also like niboshi ramen, which uses dried sardines for the soup base. Nagi in Shinjuku does a good version.
This blog has a good roundup of Tokyo ramen in English.
I also like niboshi ramen, which uses dried sardines for the soup base. Nagi in Shinjuku does a good version.
This blog has a good roundup of Tokyo ramen in English.
#19
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,369
Yeah, I'm sure there's decent ramen in the US. I'll be honest, I haven't made enough ramen rounds in the US. In the Bay Area, I've had Santa in S.Mateo, this place off Castro in MtnView, couple places in S.Jose. Think the best of the bunch was Santouka inside Mitsuwa in S.Jose. Santouka is really about the best ramen I've had in the States, but I'm sure there's better ramen elsewhere. I personally would rate ANA's Ippudo ramen more highly than Santouka. It'd be fantastic if ANA could figure out a way to stick a couple slices of chashu in there.
#22
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 175
This is like asking "what kind of pizza do you like?" (but probably more so). There are so many different types of soup (shoyu, shio, tonkotsu, gyokai, etc. in a variety of consistencies), noodles (thin, fat, straight, kinked, etc.), and ways to eat it (noodles in soup, noodles on the side, no soup, etc.), so it would help if you let us know what your preferences are.
#23
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Then why bother with a forum, Strawboy1230?
There are plenty of guidebooks and websites out there that will give lists of suggestions. Here, there is a chance of communicating and finding out more about the person making the request. The person querying may not even realise they've made a vague request and that there are literally thousands of X kinds of restaurants and shops in an array of styles using an assortment of techniques and offered at a wide range of price points. A bit of dialogue can help the seasoned travellers and expats here work out what it might be that they actually want.
As jib71 said, there's be little point sending someone off to Minowa for Ramen if they are staying in Ebisu, just as sending off to have their digestive tract violently assaulted at Ramen Jiro is not a kindness if it turns out that they would prefer to dip their toes into the Ramen world with the lighter citrus scented offering from Afuri.
There are plenty of guidebooks and websites out there that will give lists of suggestions. Here, there is a chance of communicating and finding out more about the person making the request. The person querying may not even realise they've made a vague request and that there are literally thousands of X kinds of restaurants and shops in an array of styles using an assortment of techniques and offered at a wide range of price points. A bit of dialogue can help the seasoned travellers and expats here work out what it might be that they actually want.
As jib71 said, there's be little point sending someone off to Minowa for Ramen if they are staying in Ebisu, just as sending off to have their digestive tract violently assaulted at Ramen Jiro is not a kindness if it turns out that they would prefer to dip their toes into the Ramen world with the lighter citrus scented offering from Afuri.
#24
Join Date: Sep 2009
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That would be no fun at all. We might as well just write comments on Trip Advisor. Here we can be opinionated, contrarian, bombastic or whatever else suits our moods.
#26
Join Date: Aug 2002
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I tried to write a review on Tripadvisor and it was rejected because it was too negative. It was an awful hotel.
#29
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
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Have a piece of horsemeat sashimi on me.