The best Tokyo ramen of 2024

Kameido has emerged as a hot ramen destination over the past few years, and Hanaikada undoubtedly counts among the most in-demand recent additions to the area’s noodle landscape. Since starting business in September 2024, these shio specialists have been attracting rave reviews with their complex chicken-based soup, flavoured with pork and beef dashi, katsuobushi, niboshi and aromatic veg and seaweed.

It all comes together spectacularly in their Tokusei Ramen Shio (¥1,450), infused with oysters and several kinds of clams for an extra punch of umami that hits you from the first sip. The soup reveals its many layers of flavour over time as it lines the thin, straight noodles, which come topped with two types of char siu pork – one lean and smoked, the other fatty – plus some feather-light wonton and a sweet flavoured egg.

Besides the star of the show, Hanaikada offers regular shoyu ramen (from ¥950) and a selection of sides that includes a moreish beef tendon stew with noodles (¥350).

Gyokai-tonkotsu (seafood and pork bone) broth flavoured with shoyu tare had its moment in the spotlight not too long ago, and the style stills has plenty of fans among noodle fiends who like their ramen rich with a heavy marine aroma. Minohi up in Shimura-Sakaue has captured that demographic effectively since opening in September 2024, at one point going viral with its thick, well-balanced soup that sticks satisfyingly to the medium-thick noodles.

As for toppings, we’d be remiss not to mention the char siu pork, a thick, invitingly sweet and fatty affair that’s best left to soak up the soup for a minute before digging in. Minohi does both ramen and tsukemen, as is par for the course at most gyokai-tonkotsu joints. Bowls start at ¥1,000.

A veteran of Gakugeidaigaku stalwart Bigiya, the ramen artist behind Natsuya no Chuka Soba out in the wilds of Ota – a short walk from Shimomaruko Station on the Tokyu Tamagawa line, in other words – made his name with an eponymous pop-up before opening this permanent location in his home neighbourhood. Besides the signature chuka soba (¥950), the menu includes several versions topped with chewy, almost mochi-like wonton (from ¥1,150).

You’ll also want to explore the sides menu: the Natsuya Chawan curry (¥300) is made with a recipe borrowed from the chef’s parents’ yoshoku restaurant, while the daily rice dish (Kyo no Gohan, ¥250) showcases Natsuya’s culinary creativity.

Meat, fish, ginger and some seriously rich soy sauce come together in a power-packed dark broth that underpins the diverse variety of ramen available at this offshoot of long-running Shin-Kawasaki favourite Hikage.

Be prepared to queue up for a taste of offerings such as standard ramen (¥950), wontonmen (¥1,100) and chashumen (¥1,250), all served with piping hot, super-thick flat noodles and soft and fluffy char siu pork. The Shogadon (pickled ginger over rice, ¥150) is well worth a punt, too.

With stints at niboshi temples like Nagi and Kamata’s Miyamoto under his belt, the chef behind Nanigashi in Komagome knows a thing or two about crafting boldly flavoured soup from dried fish. Fans of pungent niboshi ramen have been forming queues outside his shop by the Yamanote line tracks ever since it opened in December 2023, pilgrimaging from far and wide to sample concoctions such as Yakiago ramen (from ¥950).

Soup bursting with marine flavour from Kyushu-style ago niboshi (dried ‘flying fish’) is accompanied by extra-thick house-made noodles, thick and fatty char siu pork and an ajitama flavoured egg you’ll want to have soak up the soup for a while. The Yakiago ramen is available in both shoyu and shio versions; for an even thicker concoction, go for the Yakiago tsukemen.

Orthodox Tokyo-style chuka soba is given a contemporary twist at this Nakameguro newcomer, run by a chef trained at Sugamo’s ever-popular Marue. Mikan’s version of the capital classic (¥950) takes the usual clear chicken broth and spices it up with several kinds of dried fish, including niboshi and katsuobushi. Paired with a crisp shoyu tare, the mixture assumes a distinctive flavour that should satisfy both traditionalists and slurpers on the hunt for something new.

The curly house-made noodles are a bit thicker than in your usual chuka soba, while the toppings check all the required boxes: mustard greens, menma, scallion slices, char siu, a boiled egg, and the obligatory naruto. We were especially impressed by the two varieties of char siu; one a fatty belly cut, the other a thick red braised chunk.

Other options include shio soba (from ¥950), mackerel-broth tsukemen (¥1,250) and a rice and char siu bowl (¥450) that big eaters should find a nice complement to the noodles.

Perhaps the most raved-about ramen shop in western Tokyo in 2024, Kamofuku isn’t what you’d call conveniently located – prepare for a 15-minute trek from Hachioji Station – but this is a joint we’d seek out anywhere.

Their standard chuka soba (¥1,100), available in shoyu and shio versions, sits in a stock made with kombu, several kinds of dried fish, duck and brand-name Shamo chicken, and flavoured with a duck aroma oil. The result is a striking balance of sweetness, gamey aromas and savoury punch. 

The flat, layered noodles are an artisanal achievement in themselves, with a chewy centre part made out of semolina flour – the kind used in many types of pasta – inside a fluffier shell. Regular bowls come topped with slices of pork and duck char siu, while ordering the Tokusei chuka soba (¥1,500) gets you an extra duck meat wonton plus some grilled duck on a skewer and an onsen tamago on the side. The slow-poached egg can be dunked into the soup or used for dipping, sukiyaki style.

And if that isn’t enough duck already, try the Kamodon (¥500), a small bowl of rice topped with a generous serving of charred bird. Quack.

Roka-Koen shio ramen favourite and Michelin Bib Gourmand holder Seijo Seika is the force behind the equally salt-focused Kasho, set up in June 2024 near Chitose-Karasuyama, the next station on the Keio line. Compared to its refined and easily approachable big brother, Kasho gives off a more experimental vibe: the speciality here is Kaki Soba (from ¥850), a clear oyster-based soup flavoured with clams and chicken stock. It’s an innovative interpretation of shio ramen, and one that can take some getting used to.

But once you’ve crossed that threshold, it’s easy to get hooked on the simple combo of umami-rich soup, thin noodles, thin slices of rare char siu, flavourful menma and scallions. Bowls come with oyster paste, lemon and matcha powder for you to mix into the soup as you go, and you can order a ‘full package’ of toppings – more char siu, an ajitama egg and a fresh oyster – for an extra ¥500.

Shinbashi has been a bit of a ramen desert for a while, so the August 2024 opening of ambitious seafood noodle specialist Sato came as a pleasant surprise. The shop started life as a temporary lunch-only purveyor on the premises of an izakaya, but soon set up a permanent location to match its burgeoning reputation.

The menu revolves around the twin poles of Kaki Soba (¥1,200) and Scallop Butter Soba (¥1,200), with the former riding the wave of oyster-based soups with a rich and umami-packed but refreshingly light soup we couldn’t resist drinking up every last drop of. Paired with thin straight noodles and artisanal char siu, it’s one of the most memorable ramen we had the pleasure of tasting in 2024.

Extra noodles (¥400) are available and come topped with your choice of either oyster or crab paste; you can mix in the paste and slurp them up as such, or dunk the serving into any leftover soup.

Oimachi’s Higashi-Koji yokocho is riddled with dirt-cheap izakaya and other more or less unseemly boozers, but it also hides a few real gems – including this tiny standing-only noodle joint. Only five people can fit along the counter at the same time, and you’ll literally be rubbing shoulders with fellow slurpers as you dig into Irikoya’s old-school niboshi ramen.

Their signature Iriko Ramen is available in usukuchi (light, ¥950) and koikuchi (rich, ¥1,000) versions; we prefer the former soup’s mellow fish aroma and gentle sweetness, achieved by the addition of pork fat. You also get to choose either flat or curly noodles, both of which combine nicely with the flavourful soup. All bowls come with a generous cut of soft and fatty char siu pork, while deep-fried tofu slices can be added for ¥100.

While Yamagata boasts Japan’s most prolific slurpers – the northern prefecture regularly tops per capita ramen consumption rankings – finding proper Yamagata ramen in Tokyo has long been far more difficult than it should be. Since August 2024, relief has been offered by Musashi-Koyama’s Ikkyu, an upstart shop aiming to bring the flavours of Yamagata institution Kin-chan Ramen to the capital.

Their signature Yamagata Chuka Soba (¥850) comprises a chicken-based soup incorporating kombu and a burst of aromatic greens, a punchy shoyu tare, and round, endearingly fluffy house-made noodles. Toppings include meaty wonton, soft-boiled egg, and premium char siu pork barbecued in house – all essentials elevated to a level you rarely get at this price point.

For a change of pace, try the Niboshi Chuka Soba (¥1,080) or tsukemen (¥980) – or queue up really early for a shot at one of the ten daily servings of Kinkaton Chashumen (¥2,500), a bowl topped with Kinkaton (Jinhua pig) char siu from Yamagata’s Hirata Farm, one of only two locations in Japan that raise this premium pig.

Stroll down the Sun Road shopping street west of Kamata Station to find this no-frills shop distinguished by the thick plastic sheet that protects its frontage from the elements. A throwback to simpler times, Kikutani’s Chuka Soba (from ¥860) oozes nostalgia and seafood aroma.

The chicken- and pork-based soup is low on grease and gets its strong umami from several types of smoked fish flakes, making for that rare kind of ramen you could eat at any time of the day without thinking twice. Aged to bring out their full flavour, the house-made noodles are light but have plenty of texture. The satisfying bowl is finished off with fresh scallions and soft belly cut char siu. 

Hungry carnivores should go for the chashumen (¥1,210), while the tuna chirashi (sashimi trimmings over rice, ¥360) is a refreshing option off the sides menu.

Kagaribi has some serious pedigree: the chef trained at Tsuta – the first ramen shop to receive a Michelin star back in 2015 – and Hatchobori’s Menya Shichisai before breaking out on his own in April 2024. As you might expect from someone who received his ramen education at some of the city’s most illustrious purveyors of shoyu ramen, soy sauce-flavoured bowls are the name of the game here.

Kagaribi’s shoyu ramen (from ¥1,300) – the only ramen on the sparse menu – can be ordered with either an ajitama egg or extra char siu. The dish wows with its delicate chicken broth, crafted by balancing the flavours of several varieties of bird, which when paired with the soy sauce blend results in an addictively sweet and gentle concoction perfect for the wavy, hand-massaged noodles. Standard toppings include char siu, menma and scallions.

Note that Kagaribi doesn’t take cash or even Suica/Pasmo payments. You’ll need another contactless or QR code payment option, or a credit card.

DJ Takuro Yanase’s Ramen Break Beats turned up the volume further with the August 2024 opening of this second offshoot, tucked away under the railway tracks in Nakameguro. At Jazzy Beats, the Tori Nibo Ramen (from ¥1,380) is the signature bowl: a milky, fragrant paitan soup made with heirloom Amakusa Daio chicken from Kumamoto – a staple ingredient at all three of Yanase’s eateries – and several kinds of dried fish, paired with reliable straight noodles from Mikawaya Seimen, one of Tokyo’s premier artisanal noodle factories.

The premium Tokusei version of the dish comes topped with scallions, red onion, a soft-boiled ajitama egg, lightly grilled char siu and wonton, plus chopped nori whose aroma helps bring out the seafood elements in the soup. Jazzy Beats also does regular shoyu and shio ramen (from ¥1,230), as well as a soupless mazesoba version of the Tori Nibo (¥1,200).

The future of iekei ramen can be found behind a blue door a five-minute walk from Higashi-Koenji metro station. The classy Tonkotsu Aoto is the brainchild of a chef who did time at Tachikawa iekei institution Tsubasaya and is now leveraging his mastery of the style to create a lighter, gentler, more refined version of the beloved Yokohama-born dish.

Aoto’s standard ramen (from ¥980) features a gently savoury but still power-packed take on the familiar pork-bone broth, paired here with a lighter soy sauce tare than you’d usually find in iekei. The result is a moreish soup that leaves an indelible impression while bringing out the best in the springy, texture-heavy straight noodles, made entirely with domestic wheat.

In another departure from iekei orthodoxy, Aoto’s Tokusei Ramen (¥1,520) – the regular bowl plus the shop’s full line of toppings – comes with wonton, a plump and juicy bundle of joy that incorporates ground pork, ginger and black pepper. Other toppings include three types of painstakingly prepared char siu – thigh, belly and chuck loin – a soft-boiled egg and mustard greens.

Another splinter faction from the church of pork-bone broth and soy sauce, House Ramen Noodles – a literal translation of ‘iekei ramen’ – popped up in Kameari in July 2024 on a mission to take the venerated style in a rich new direction. The kitchen is manned by a chef with years of experience at several iekei joints, whose dedication to craftsmanship shines through in his extra-thick, meticulously flavoured soup.

In House’s standard ramen (from ¥900), the potent concoction combines effortlessly with classic medium-thick straight noodles and essential iekei toppings such as nori, spinach and scallions, plus meaty chuck loin char siu that deserves attention all on its own. Just this once, forget about calories and cholesterol: here’s a bowl that deserves to be finished, preferably by ordering some rice on the side to soak up the leftover soup.

Niboshi ramen that’s good for you – once a revolutionary concept, now accepted wisdom, in large part thanks to Shimotakaido’s Himawari. After starting business a couple of days before the end of 2023, this dainty shop by the Koshu Kaido highway has attracted a fanatic following with its all-natural, 100-percent domestic ramen.

Their signature Niboshi Soba (from ¥1,100) is built on a soup combining dried fish, kombu and brand-name Satsuma Chiran chicken for a dizzying depth of additive-free flavour. Combined with house-made medium-thick noodles exhibiting the aroma and sweetness of high-grade Hokkaido wheat, it makes for an often imitated but never bested bowl. Toppings include king oyster (eringi) mushrooms and aromatic char siu cut and seared to order.

For a change of pace, visit on a Sunday for the chance to try their Niboshi Tonkotsu Soba (from ¥1,100).

Jiro-style ramen gone classy – well, not quite, but this Shin-Koiwa newcomer is certainly doing its best to clothe the infamous macho-noodle style in respectable garb. The stylish, even sleek interior is a far cry from the grimy and unloved surfaces of your average Jiro location, and while portion sizes are still outrageous enough to give dieticians nightmares, Butcher’s takes great care to craft balanced bowls out of quality ingredients.

The servings of ‘Hi-Fat’ noodles – thick and straight, but significantly less coarse than regular Jiro noodles – start from ¥900 and come served swimming in a nicely balanced pork stock flavoured with a heavy dose of shoyu tare. Beat yourself up by adding some extra garlic and fat, and choose from an appropriately broad range of toppings that includes huge chunks of pork, nori, cheese, soft-boiled and raw eggs, raw onion, katsuobushi and ginger. Tsukemen (from ¥1,100) and soupless noodles (from ¥900) are available too.

Only one explicitly tsukemen-focused joint made our list this year, but it was a unanimous choice. Menya Shiki in Monzen-Nakacho coasted far ahead of the dipping-noodle competition all year, building city-wide fame with its potage-like soup.

A combination of chicken stock and broth made with half a dozen kinds of seasonal root vegetables, blended together until thick and foamy, this concoction wouldn’t seem out of place in a fancy French restaurant. Shiki serves it with perfectly springy, thick and straight noodles that when ordered as Tokusei Tsukemen come served with an array of different char siu cuts, a soft-boiled egg, and onion both raw and fried.

Not afraid to trumpet its dedication to artisanship and top-quality ingredients, Craft Ramen Bit exhibits the influence of Kuramae favourite Kai, where the chef worked for years before setting up shop in Iriya in February 2024. Dried shiitake mushrooms add an earthy touch to the venison and chicken stock that forms the foundation of the shop’s Shio Consomme Ramen, served with house-made, hand-massaged curly noodles whose chewy texture helps highlight the soup’s depth of flavour.

The shoyu version of the same dish leaves the forest for the ocean, relying on katsuobushi and other dried fish products to draw out the umami in the animal-based broth. Combined with house-made straight noodles plus a rotating selection of game meat char siu, dried tomatoes, herbs and other nominally Western flavours, it’s one of the best fusion ramen we’ve come across in Tokyo in a long time.