Culinary corner: List of the most famous ramen noodle shops in Japan (Part 1)

It can be said that Japan is one of the kings of noodle dishes, thanks to its long-developed cuisine.

1. Konjiki Hototogisu (Dainijuni Kyutei Mansion, 2-4-1 Shinjuku, Tokyo)

The soba noodles of Konjiki Hototogisu can be said to be a typical example of: Don’t judge ramen by its appearance.

Besides that, the ingredients that make up this pasta dish also include Italian white truffle oil, porcini mushroom sauce, bacon and inca berry sauce.

In the past, Konjiki Hototogisu Ramen used to have a very famous small shop in Hatagaya, in the Shibuya area of Tokyo, frequented by countless diners from all over.

2. Ramen Horiuchi (Shinbashi store, Minato City, Tokyo)

Ramen Horiuchi is not an overrated shop like the others, being considered an `overrated` place.

People here are even accustomed to waking up early to eat noodles before 7 am.

3. Papapapapain/Papapapapine (Nishi Ogikubo district, Tokyo)

A bit of an odd name, isn’t it, but it basically means `pineapple`.

4. Tenkaippin

Tenkaippin (roughly translated as `The World’s Best`, Tenichi for short) is a Japanese restaurant chain specializing in ramen, first opened by Kimura Tsutomu in Kitashirakawa, Kyoto on November 16, 1981.

The broth at Tenichi is inherently very rich, but it is not made from pork bone broth but is carefully stewed from chicken and vegetables.

In addition, you can also eat it with side dishes and ingredients such as garlic, eggs and dumplings.

5. Ramen Jiro

Ramen Jiro is a ramen chain founded by Takumi Yamada, with the first store in Meguro, Tokyo in 1968. In the 70s, this noodle shop was moved to Mita, Minato-ku and became famous as `Ramen Jiro`.

Ramen Jiro is famous for its broth that has a unique flavor, attracting one person after another to the point that it can become famous through word of mouth, without needing any form of media promotion.

This brand often uses concentrated pork bone broth mixed with soy sauce to create a delicious, irresistible broth;

But nevertheless, it is not a fixed formula.

Because Jiro’s noodles are thick and easily absorb the broth, diners must stir the noodles from the bottom up first and push the vegetables down to avoid the noodles from expanding.

Enthusiastic fans of this restaurant’s ramen will be called `Jirorians`, which can be considered people who `don’t like ramen, only like Ramen Jiro’s ramen`.

One piece of advice for diners is not to try the `Dai-buta` (large portion with pork) at Ramen Jiro if you can’t eat a lot, especially for girls.

To be continued…