Aside from Ippudo, there are even more delicious options — try these five top-rated local ramen shops in Tokyo

▲Menya Itto’s rich tsukemen with fish broth. The photo above was taken at Menya Itto in Taiwan. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Ramen is a must-try local dish for many travelers visiting Japan. However, don’t limit yourself to chain ramen brands like Ippudo or Ichiran. If you’re a true ramen lover, you shouldn’t miss the top five ramen shops ranked by the Japanese food website “Tabelog.” Coming in at No. 1 is Menya Itto, famous for its rich tsukemen with fish broth. Among these five top ramen shops, only Menya Itto has a branch in Taiwan.

No. 1: Menya Itto
Menya Itto in Japan offers only super-rich tsukemen with fish broth, super-rich ramen with fish broth, salt ramen, and soy sauce ramen. Among them, the super-rich tsukemen with fish broth is also known as the champion tsukemen. Its broth is made by simmering chicken bones, chicken feet, chicken fat, ground meat, and five different types of fish broth. It also features Japan’s first low-temperature cooked chicken and pork chashu.

The broth is the soul of ramen, and each variety at Menya Itto has its own unique flavor. For example, the super-rich tsukemen with fish broth uses four ingredients — chicken bones, chicken feet, chicken fat, and ground meat — which are simmered for eight hours in a proprietary ratio and extracted in three stages to create a rich, smooth white broth. Then, five types of fish components are added to enhance the depth of the broth.

Address: 1-4-17 Higashi-Shin-Koiwa, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3697-9787

No. 2: Homemade Ramen Muginao
Located in Shinagawa, Homemade Ramen Muginao is a relatively new ramen shop, opened in 2016. Its signature ramen is a special soy sauce ramen, with a broth made from chicken and tuna, low-temperature cooked chashu, and handmade medium-thin noodles. With only nine seats and high popularity, there’s usually a queue during meal times.

Address: 6-11-10 Minami-Oi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3298-5158

No. 3: Nedan Ramen Yorimichi
Nedan Ramen Yorimichi is a well-known shop in the Hachioji area. Its most memorable offering is the signature soy sauce ramen. As the name suggests, this ramen shop specializes in ramen with the flavor of niboshi (dried small sardines).

Address: 21-21 Yokoyama-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo

No. 4: Tsukada Nojo
Tsukada Nojo was the first ramen shop to earn a Michelin one-star rating. However, its Tabelog ranking wasn’t high when it first received the star. But over the past two years, its ranking has soared, especially after regaining its star status and breaking into Tokyo’s top five ramen list. Due to its immense popularity, be prepared for a long wait. Its signature ramen includes white truffle salt ramen and black truffle soy sauce ramen, which incorporate truffles to add a richer, more layered flavor to the ramen.

Address: 1-14-1 Daimaru, Plateau-Saka 1F, Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3943-1007

No. 5: Chuka Soba (Buckwheat) Ibuki
Address: 1F Mitsugi Building, 4-58-10 Maenocho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 080-4928-0013