《Japan Ramen Guide/日本拉面指南》

《日本語》《ENGLISH》《中文》

Menkui Wanderer（麺喰ワンダラー）

column 2025.09
Despite being a TRY(Tokyo Ramen of the Year) judge for 20 years, I’m not particularly fond of ranking ramen shops. However, a staff member asked me to do a “special feature,” so I decided to give it a try. It’s also a revival of a feature I did on “All About” about 20 years ago. Since I choose shops from a wide variety of options, the shops I visit are “the shops I chose” or “the dishes I wanted to try.” Now, after actually eating them, and about a month later, I’m introducing shops that I want to eat again or recommend to others. I originally wanted to narrow it down to about five, but I ended up choosing loosely, so I ended up with nine… I recommend them all. *The order of the introductions is not a ranking, but the order in which I ate them.

01.”Gangimari”(頑極/Musashi-Koyama Sta.)

Opened June 26, 2025. Since turning 60, I’ve had fewer opportunities to eat hearty meals like this. But when I try it, it’s still delicious, and I love it. Personally, I don’t think it’s delicious everywhere, but this place was delicious. I’d love to eat it again, and I recommend it to anyone who’s too scared to go to Ramen Jiro but still wants to try it.

01.”Gangimari”(頑極 Shinagawa Ward/Musashi-Koyama Sta.)

Official Information:
4-4-14 Ebara, Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo 142-0063

02.”RAMEN and TSUKEMEN Number.9″(Jiyugaoka Sta.)

Opened June 27, 2025. This is their second location, the first of which was produced by INGS, which also produces “Hayashida(はやし田).” So, this is also a likely location. Many ramen enthusiasts dislike these types of shops, but I often eat there. There are plenty of recommended shops, whether they’re chains, owned by a company, or produced by a company. So, I’m not picky, so I’ll give it a try. I thought this place was well-made. The service was great, and I highly recommend it.

02.”RAMEN and TSUKEMEN Number.9″(Meguro Ward/Jiyugaoka Sta.)
Official Information:
1-12-6 Jiyugaoka, Meguro Ward, Tokyo 152-0035

03.”3931WORKS.”(Sankyu Sanichi Works: Ichinowari Sta., Kasukabe City)

Opened December 2024. The owner trained at Tochigi’s renowned shops “YOKOKURA STOREHOUSE” and “UNITED NOODLE Amenooto.” This is RDB’s second-place ranking among new shops in the Tokyo metropolitan area in the first half of the year. I went there with that information in mind, but I had a lot of ideas in mind. However, it was even more delicious than I’d imagined. Despite my previous statement that I don’t want to rank shops, this is my July number one pick. It’s definitely one of the top new shops of the first half of the year. Not only is the food outstanding, but the customer service is fantastic, especially the female staff. I imagine it must have a lot of fans. Its popularity can be a bit overwhelming, but the sheer quality of the food makes up for it.

03.”3931WORKS.”(Sankyu Sanichi Works/Kasukabe City/Ichinowari Sta.)
Official Information:
344-0031 1-7-35 Ichinowari, Kasukabe City, Saitama Prefecture

04.”Tsukemen Sanada NNS”(つけめんさなだNNS/Souka)

The “NNS” in the shop’s name stands for “Neo Nostalgic Style.”
Pre-opening: September 6-8, 2024, with a grand opening on September 10.
Renovated from “Sanaji Final(さなじファイナル).”
The owner is a former member of the renowned shop “Rokurinsha.” While the main shop is in Kita-Senju, he leaves that to the staff and instead serves “what I want to eat right now.” The dish he served was a rich, almost nostalgic tsukemen. The shop’s name, “Neo Nos,” combines both newness and nostalgia. While the rich pork bone and seafood ramen has been around for over 20 years, the delicious food remains consistently delicious. Highly recommended!

04.”Tsukemen Sanada NNS”(Soka City/Soka Sta.)
Official Information:
1-12-43 Takasago, Soka City, Saitama Prefecture 340-0015

05.”Fresh Clam Ramen Orni Ebisu Branch”(生しじみラーメン オルニ 恵比寿店/Ebisu)

The ramen is scheduled to open on August 4, 2025, but I ate here during the trial run on July 4. Of course, the price is the same, and I paid. I’ve also eaten here in Nishi-Azabu, but the main store is in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, and Ebisu is the third location. The hours are a bit daunting, from 11:30 PM to 5:00 AM, making it difficult for anyone other than heavy drinkers to visit, but the concept is incredible. “Healing livers all over the world!” Their dream is to “eliminate hangovers from this world!” They’re aiming for 100 shops nationwide and even global expansion. I somehow feel like supporting this dream. So, I recommend it to drinkers!

05.”Fresh Clam Ramen Orni Ebisu Branch”(Shibuya Ward/Ebisu Sta.)
Official Information:
3rd Floor, Ebisu Time House, 1-7-9 Ebisu Nishi, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo 150-0021

06.”Miso Ramen Factory ReNge”(味噌Ramen Factory ReNge/Asagaya)

Opened July 6, 2025. The image of the yakimiso(Seared-miso) ramen is reminiscent of a “junsumi(純すみ系)” style, but it’s not far off the mark. I think they’re somewhat conscious of it, but it’s not so much copycat as it is an original yakimiso ramen. Rather than being too close, I think they’re trying to create a unique flavor. I think many people will enjoy it, so I recommend it! However, the lighting was poor, and my shadow was in the photo of the ramen. I corrected it on my computer, but it might not post on a smartphone. That may be a key factor in whether a ramen becomes popular.

06.”Miso Ramen Factory ReNge”(Suginami Ward/Asagaya Sta.)
Official Information:
2-1-1 Asagaya Kita, Suginami Ward, Tokyo 166-0001

07.”Marugen Ramen Shinagawa Seaside Branch”(丸源ラーメン 品川シーサイド店/Shinagaw)

I often eat at chain ramen shops because it’s educational. However, it had been a while since I’d been to Marugen Ramen. Then, a new location opened in Shinagawa Seaside, so I went and tried it, and it was even better than I expected. I think families would leave satisfied. Perhaps because it only just opened, there was a wonderful female manager-like person in charge of operations, and she was incredibly helpful. While this isn’t a ramen shop for enthusiasts, I highly recommend it for the general public and families.

07.”Marugen Ramen Shinagawa Seaside Branch”(Shinagawa Ward/Shinagawa Sta.)
https://ramendb.supleks.jp/s/164778.html
Official Information: https://www.syodai-marugen.jp/shop/235
Address: 1, Shinagawa Seaside Forest Oval Garden, 4-12-6 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0002

08.”Chuka Soba Shinmasuda”(中華そば 新増田/Chitose Karasuyama)

At the reception for the shop’s opening on August 1, 2025. The former owner of “Elbisu” (Ikebukuro) returns to the ramen world after a four-year hiatus! Since it was a reception, each bowl was carefully crafted, and both were incredibly delicious. However, I had concerns about whether he could serve this flavor alone. It seems that this concern surfaced, and he quickly changed his mind and decided to only serve one bowl per day. What do you think? It’s one of the joys of heading to the shop, wondering, “Which one should I order today?” On some days, there are probably days when you want two bowls. Since that’s not possible, my recommendation rating drops significantly. Perhaps it was too much to offer two varieties of that quality after all. I’m sure he’ll be able to serve them once he gets used to them… If that happens, I’ll recommend it again!

08.”Chuka Soba Shinmasuda”(Setagaya Ward/Chitose-Karasuyama Sta.)
Official Information:
Address: 1F-101, Miyamoto Building, 5-12-11 Minami-Karasuyama, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-0062

09.”Aizu Kitakata RAMEN Iwaiya 2nd”(会津喜多方RAMEN 二代目 いわいや/Nogizaka/Akasaka/Aoyama 1-Chome)

Grand opening on July 28, 2025. The young son of the founder of Aizuwakamatsu’s incredibly popular “Medetaiya(めでたいや)” ramen shop was the manager. This ramen is a combination of Aizuwakamatsu and Kitakata ramen, making it “a ramen you could eat every day.” Personally, I’m from Aizu and love it, but maybe it’s just too normal that my RDB score hasn’t improved. But I love it. And I recommend it!

09.”Aizu Kitakata Ramen Iwaiya 2nd”(Minato Ward/Nogizaka Sta./Akasaka Station)
Official Information:
Address: 7-5-33 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 Belleban Akasaka B104

Also, since it’s July, I ate a lot of “chilled ramen.” It’s only available in the summer, so I won’t mention it here, but I mentioned it in a previous article, so please refer to that. We recommend Rokugetsu, Hisui, Shichisai Hanten, and Gyoro! You’ll have to wait until next year to try these chilled ramen.

Autor of this article