Honta 麺処 ほん田

About 20 minutes north of Shinjuku by train hide a small area called Jūjō (十条). This small town is actually a hidden treasure for ramen, believe it or not. With three of the top ramen shops in Tokyo in this area, I had to pay a visit myself. My first stop, Honta Men Toroko.


Even arriving pretty early one night after work, there was already a line outside. To my surprise, since Jūjō isn't exactly like a very populous place, I was amazed that there was a line, no matter how high it is rated.


My taste for tonkotsu gyokai (豚骨魚介) forced me to order their tokusei version of this ramen. The soup was very thick (濃厚), but more so than anyone I have ever tasted. As you can see with the picture, this soup was going to pack a serious punch of sodium.


The tamago was a bit disappointing here. Dried out and overcooked.


What makes Honta special here is that they give you two styles of meat. One is a very dried charshu.


The other being a smoked duck, which was a very different, but nice touch. Enjoyed that very much!


And the noodles were the highlight here. Nicely cooked, very chewy, definitely helped catapult the shop to the top tier of ramen shops in Tokyo.



At the time this review is written, Honta was rated #5 in ALL OF JAPAN according to ramendb. It's definitely a quality bowl of ramen, but a little too powerful for me as far as flavor, and I like my food on the heavy side. I went with a friend from Taiwan and it definitely was too salty for her. The quality is there for sure, but the taste may not be for everyone. They offer a shio version, and it was rated very high by many reviewed on ramendb. There is now a shop at Tokyo Ramen Street, which isn't rated as high, but I would say it shouldn't be that far off. If you can't make it to Jūjō, head to Tokyo Station and give it a try. You might find me there waiting in line to try their Shio ramen.

City: Tokyo, Japan
Location: Jūjō, 8-10 minutes from walk Jūjō or Higashijūjō Station (also at Tokyo Ramen Street)
Hours: 11:30am - 4pm (no longer opened at night)
Website: No official website, http://ramendb.supleks.jp/s/14009.html
Ordering system: Machine
Available in English: Minimal

Hayashi らーめん はやし

Simplicty is the word of the day. I love things being simple. Simple is always better. With all kinds of noodles you can get in Japan, from ramen, tsukemen, soba, udon, it rare to see a shop that sells just ramen, and nothing else. And here at Hayashi, things could not be more simpler.


Even on a rainy Saturday, off the beaten path from Shibuya station, I found myself waiting in line with the rest of the eager ramen lovers.


The say Hayashi is simple is an understatement. They sell three versions of their ramen, and they must do it well to be ranked as one of the better ramen shops in Tokyo.


It was unfortunate that I arrived late to the party, as by the time I got there, the charshu was already sold out. So I had to "settle" for the tamago ramen.


When my bowl of ramen arrived, you can immediately tell this was first class. I once told my Japanese colleagues that I compared ramen making to art, and this was ramen art at its finest.



The noodles was truly something special. It was slightly thinner than most ramen shops, but still slightly thicker than the thin hakata ramen noodles.


While some ramen shop has soup that is a bit too oily, and others not oily enough, Hayashi had the perfect balance.


Without getting the prized charshu, they still include a piece of pork with the tamago version. It was much leaner, but I was more than happy with it.


And what really made this shop that much more special was the tiny piece of orange peal that they used to decorate the ramen. But it was so much more than just decoration. As you get close to finishing the bowl, you can start to taste the citrus flavor. I don't know if this was intended, but it scored kudo points in my book.


If you haven't gotten the message, I loved Hayashi. At the time I was there, to the many shops that I have visited since then, this one was one of the most memorable experiences. I haven't gotten back there again only because there are so many places to try, but if I ever want a bowl of high quality ramen, this is very high on my list.

City: Tokyo, Japan
Location: Shibuya, about a 5-minute walk from west exit
Hours: 11:30am - 3:30pm, closed on Sunday
Website: No official website, http://ramendb.supleks.jp/s/177.html
Ordering system: Menu
Available in English: None

Hakata Nagahama Ramen Botan 博多長浜らーめん ぼたん

On my quest to find the best tonkotsu ramen, my journey this time takes me to Takadanobaba. This place is rated one of the best tonkotsu-based ramen according to http://ramendb.supleks.jp/, and I had to try it out.

It was truly a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and a good time to go to a rather popular place to avoid the potential long lines. Just walking down this street, I saw two other ramen shops, one of which was ラーメン二郎, which had a huge queue (its popularity is quite sickening, I’ll explain more in my ラーメン二郎 review).

The place was pretty much empty when I arrived. The typical ticket machine is here so you don't have to even speak Japanese to order, as long as you know what you want and can read a bit of Japanese. I quickly ordered the standard, chashu-men. Just minutes later, my ramen arrived.

Here is your conventional tonkotsu ramen: creamy colored soup, chashu with just the right amount of fat, green onions, kurage (mushroom), and of course the tamago. I also ordered gyoza as this was my first meal of the day, and I was hungry.

The chashu here is excellent. Roasted to perfection and not an overwhelming piece as most places will offer, this will fit in one bite.

The noodles are also very good. As with most tonkotsu ramen, the thin noodles are offered here. And of course you can tell them how long you want your noodles cooked to determine the hardness. I like mine less tender and a bit more chewy.

The gyozas here are also very tasty, pan-fried just right, with veggies and pork.

All in all, a great tonkotsu ramen, one of the highest rated ones in the Tokyo area. Definitely pay a visit if you are a tonkotsu ramen fan, especially if you are in the Takadanobaba area.

City: Tokyo, Japan
Location: Takadanobaba, minutes walk from the station

Hours: Daily 11:00am-4:00am
Website: http://ramendb.supleks.jp/shop/5585
Order system: Machine

Available in English? No

Hakata Tenjin 博多天神

My love for Hakata ramen should be well known if you are familiar with this site. No matter how much I love Tokyo ramen such as Kissou or Itsukiga, my heart still sits with Ichiran and Jangara like the love you had for your first car. It was just something special that can never be replaced. So I am always on the look out for good hakata ramen, and after seeing this chain nearly everywhere I go, I had to give it a try.

The first time I laid eyes on Hakata Tenjin was in Shinjuku's Kabukicho area, where there is this is this huge pig statute standing outside. Again, this is one place that always has customers, and even in there various location, it's never empty. With that pig standing there, I thought, well, the charshu here should be at least decent. So I gave it a shot!

I went with my friend Hiroko, and it's always nice to have a friend who speaks Japanese when you go to a place you never been before. It makes the ordering process much easier, especially since my Japanese is really, really bad. The menu actually isn't all that complicated. While there are several choices, it's mostly on the different toppings you can have. The foundation of the ramen is all the same, tonkotsu based.

I ordered the charshu men with negi and tamago, and when the bowl came, drool nearly came down the side of my face. I was't sure weather it was because I was hungry, or just how white and creamy the soup looked, but it sure looked damn good. I always take a sampling of the soup before I dive into the noodles, and the soup was very good, but not spectacular. You can, however, taste the tonkotsu, which you know it took hours and hours to make.

Onto the noodles, which was very standard Hakata noodles. Thin, cooked a bit harder than usual, which is Hakata style. The toppings were generous and blended well with the soup and noodles. The tamago was average and nothing special. But this bowl of ramen is good, and a good sign is when I enjoy the soup and noodle enough to get 'kaedama', which is an extra order. For the extra order, they will ask what your preference for the hardness of the noodles.

Hakata Tenjin doesn't have all the bells and whistles like the other ramen shops. It's a no-frills place that you go in, pay, eat, and leave. Kind of like Ichiran, but even more down to earth. It's not a place I would wait 60 minutes for, but it's not a place you will have to wait at all. With various locations around Tokyo, this place is perfect for a quick meal if you are on the go.

City: Tokyo, Japan
Location: Various location around Tokyo (Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, etc.)

Hours: Varies by store

Website: http://tokyo.cool.ne.jp/hakatatenjin/
Order system: Menu

Available in English? No (some of them speak a bit of English)