Tomita 中華蕎麦 とみ田

I have been monitoring ramendb for a few years now, and in the past two years, there have been a few shops that are consistently in the top. For a good year or so, it was Menya Kissou, but in the last a year or so, a new shop in Chiba took over the crown. And since it took over, it has not looked back.


Tomita is not to be messed with. It's been on top of the ramendb charts, and with my love for ramen never wavering, I had to try it out for myself. Now Chiba isn't exactly close, but traveling to far places to try ramen was never a problem for me.


Located within minutes walk from Matsudo Station (松戸駅), I treked out from Shinjuku on a Saturday morning, and arrived around 11am. As you can see, the shop is not hard to find. Just look where the crowd is.


This shop definitely has character. From the exterior design of their window, to the interior decor of a traditional Japanese furnishing, it makes this shop a unique experience just to be here. But of course people don't travel all the way to Chiba for the decor. I must first apologize for the poor lighting of the pictures. I forgot to check the setting on my SLR, so the pictures turned out way too dark.


Tomita offers ramen and tsukemen, but it was evident that tsukemen is the prize here. From reading the reviews, it was clear tsukemen was going to be my choice. The picture isn't clear enough, but the tonkotsu gyokai (豚骨魚介) soup was absolutely superb. Some place is too light, some place too heavy, Tomita provide just the right balance of flavor and taste.


To achieve top billing in ramendb, you must do everything well. And tamago is one of the most critical piece to any ramen/tsukemen. Tomita is no exception. Soft on the outside, liquidy yolk on the inside, just perfect.


The amount of noodles you get with tsukemen, even with a normal order, never ceases to amaze me. It's a wonder how Japanese stay so skinny (but I guess not everyone eats ramen as much as me). The noodles were a prize possession here, thick, chewy, and immensely satisfying. The charshu, not charred as much as I like on the outside, but the serving was so generous and well marbled which made up for it.


The thickness of the soup can be seen through how it stays on the noodles. And when I took my first bite, it was as good as I expected. Sometimes when you set expectations too high, often times you are disappointed. Not here. Tomita is ranked #1 for a reason. It does everything well and has no weaknesses. If there are any minuses here, it's that it is all the way out in Chiba, which makes it a bit hard to get to. But if you are ever adventurous, and just want to have the best, head to Chiba. You won't be disappointed.

City: Chiba, Japan
Location: Matsudo, minutes walk from the station
Hours: 11am - 5pm (closed on Wednesday)
Website: No official website, http://ramendb.supleks.jp/s/282.html
Ordering system: Machine
Available in English: Minimal

Warito 麺屋 和利道

Rain or shine, when it comes to ramen, I will travel to the ends of the earth to eat the best ramen in the world. On a gloomy and rainy Saturday, I decided to give one of the top ranked tsukemen shops in Tokyo a try.


Warito sells on tsukemen, and I love shops that sell only one thing, because chances it's going to do it well. It's ranked as a top-5 tsukemen shop as long as I remembered, so it's consistency has been tested, tried and true.


Even on the rainy Saturday, there was a line, although all were standing inside the shop. Chances are on a nice day, the line would easily be outside.


I order the usual, with the tokusei toppings, and quickly realized why this is top 5 shop. Let's start with the charshu. Charred to perfection on the outside, a nice thick cut, and so well marbled, this should be the standard that all charshu is measured to.


Tamago here wasn't shabby either, although a bit dried out. It was not the highlight of Warito but definitely wasn't a weakness.


And on the the noodles. You typical thick version for tsukemen, it was cooked just right and at the right chewiness. Very impressed!


The tonkotsu gyokai (豚骨魚介) soup here is excellent. Perfect balance between tonkotsu and gyokai, not too heavy and not too light. It's very very balanced.


I dug in, and being hungry and cold, this was very satisfying. However, the problem with tsukemen is after a while, the soup gets cold. Days like these I always wish there is a ramen option, no matter how much I am in love with Tsukemen.


But never fear! Those of you who have been around knows what this is. So one of the coolest thing about Warito is that they have a grill going at all times keeping these rocks very hot. What's the purpose? Well, since the soup gets cold after dipping the cold noodles, this rock will heat the soup back up. Such a cool and inventive way!


And it sure did the trick. By the time I finished the noodles, the rock came. And within minutes, my soup was warmed up, and I added some clear soup and drank every last drop. It could not have been a more satisfying experience, and definitely ranked right up there with the best of the best. It's not at such a convenient place as it is a bit out of the city, but for one of the best tsukemen experiences in Tokyo, you should definitely give Warito a chance.

City: Tokyo, Japan
Location: Ikejiriohashi, 7-8 minute walk from the station
Hours: 11am - 3:30pm, 6 - 10pm (closed on Wednesday
Website: No official website, http://ramendb.supleks.jp/s/22563.html
Ordering system: Machine
Available in English: Minimal

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

Rokurinsha 六厘舎

In Tokyo, there perhaps is no ramen shop that is more famous than Rokurinsha. Even my friends who do not like ramen have heard of this place. At the time I started using ramendb, this shop was consistently in the top 10, and it is known to be the godfather of tsukemen, where the tsukemen sensation all started. Since then, tsukemen shops have popped up EVERYWHERE, and like the greats, the new shops have slowly but surely surpassed Rokurinsha as being the best.

I was fortunate enough to have gone to the original shop in Ōsaki. This place is of course no longer opened, due to the neighbors complaining about the number of people waiting in line during business hours. And the amount of people waiting in line is pretty ridiculous. On the day I went, my friend and I arrived at the shop at 11:10am, and by the time we sat down, it was 1pm. No sane person would wait nearly two hours for ramen, but I guess those of us who were waiting were all crazy.

One of the possible reasons for a usual two-hour wait is due to the size of the shop. I think they only seated 12 people, so turnover definitely going to be slow. Now, one of my BIGGEST regrets that day was forgetting to charge the battery for my SLR, and thus, after taking pictures outside, my camera was dead when I got indoors. The following pictures was taken with my pathetic Nokia E71 at the time, and the pictures are blurred... (TEARS)

Even with the blurred pictures, the ramen looks amazing, and just by looking it brings back memory. This was one of my first experiences to have gourmet ramen. What is gourmet ramen? Well, Rokurinsha defined it for me. At no point in my life did I ever wait two hours for food. And Rokurinsha was well worth the wait. From the limited menu, seating, to the quality of the food, this was gourmet ramen.

The charshu here isn't just done well, it's nearly perfect. I consider good charshu being well marbled, charred from the outside, soft inside, and Rokurinsha's effort was absolutely superb.

The tamago was just as good, with the yolk half boiled and still liquidy. Just the way I like it!

The noodles, amazing. Just the right thickness, just the right amount of chewiness. Absolutely amazing!

My friend went the tsukemen route, which also looked amazing. Now most tuskemen shops only offer cold noodles due to the cooking and cooling process, but Rokurinsha will add another step and warm the noodles again. This was for those who don't want their tsukemen soup to be cold after half way through the meal.

This had to be one of the best ramen experiences I had at the time, and even with my many other adventures, to date. The shame is that the original shop is close. But never fear, Tokyo Ramen Street is here.

On my subsequent trips to Tokyo, after learning the Ōsaki location had closed, I was so happy to hear that it opened in Tokyo Ramen Street. By this time, I had started my tsukemen tour, so Rokurinsha had to be experienced.

The consistency of the soup is seen here. From my first trip to Rokurinsha, to this experience at Tokyo Station, the soup looks pretty much the same. I didn't get to try the Tsukemen at Ōsaki, so I can't compare the two. But ramendb has the Ōsaki branch rated much higher, but I found the Tokyo Station shop pretty amazing.

If anything, the charshu didn't look as good compared to Ōsaki, this could be because for Tsukemen they provide different charshu. Who knows? But it is evident that this serving is a bit thinner.

The noodles however, absolutely amazing.

As with most tonkotsu gyokai (豚骨魚介), the soup is thick, rich, and topped off with bonito powder for extra flavoring.

The tamago remains of the features for Rokurinsha, and done just as well as the Ōsaki.

This picture is simply painful to look at not being able to take a bite. It is every bit good as I expected it to be, and it was easily one of the most memorable tsukemen experiences I had.

Rokurinsha has lost some of its mystique over the years, but it continues to have the longest line at Tokyo Ramen Street for a reason. Whether it is just because of the name, or the quality of the food, Rokurinsha continues as a strong presence in Tokyo. It's like a veteran ball player who knows all the tricks. The newer shops may all the flare and fame, when it's all said and done, if you need a closer at the end of the game, you don't need to look much further than Tokyo station.

City: Tokyo, Japan
Location: Ōsaki (closed)
Website: http://rokurinsha.com/

六厘舎TOKYO
City: Tokyo, Japan
Location: Tokyo Station
Hours: 7:30am - 10am (breakfast), 11am - 10:30pm
Website: http://www.tokyoeki-1bangai.co.jp/shop/shopinfo.php?shopcode=S0161&kubun=1
Ordering system: Machine
Available in English: Minimal

Sakura Zaka 中華ソバ 櫻坂

Shibuya is known for many things: shopping, nightlife, hachiko, 109 girls, but not really known for being a ramen place. But just within walking distance from the station, I found not only Hayashi, which easily became one of my favorite shops for tonkotsu gyokai ramen, but found Sakura Zaka, which was also highly rated on ramendb.

Sakura Zaka is known for some very interesting ramen styles. There was one called tonkotsu shio, which was pork bone w/ salt, and this I had never seen before in any other shop. But at the time when I visited, I was on a tsukemen eating streak, so I ordered the tonkotsu gyokai tsukemen.

Very standard tonkotsu gyokai soup, whether you are looking at the texture, thickness, or transparency, it was everything you expect from a tonkotsu gyokai base.



Noodles once again very good. I felt a bit thinner than some of the shops that serve the real thick variety, but this I didn't mind at all.


As you can see the thickness of the soup, with some hints of black sesame seeds, and it was not oily at all.


Charshu was very good here. Very soft, very good for tsukemen. It blended well with soup, and make the easy experience very easy.


We have a winner with the tamago here. It was done very very well. One of the highlights at this shop.


All in all, a very good experience. I regret not trying the tonkotsu shio, and it looked very good and definitely worth a shot. Foot traffic is already pretty dead by the time you reach this shop, but it's good ramen attracted enough people as it was more than half full on a Saturday afternoon. Pretty impressive for non-feeding hours. The tsukemen is good, and the tonkotsu ship ramen is just interesting enough that I will have to visit this place again.

City: Tokyo, Japan
Location: Shibuya, 5 minutes from east exist
Hours: 11:30am - 9pm,
Website: No official website, http://ramendb.supleks.jp/s/309.html
Ordering system: Machine
Available in English: None

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