Ramen Walk: Kannana Dori

Description:

Akasaka (赤坂) ramen is another one of Tokyo's famous ramen chains. The main shop is in - you guessed it - Akasaka, but they've opened up a location on Setagaya's notorious Kan-nana dori. Specializing mainly in shoyu (soy sauce) based soups, but offering a large menu by ramen shop standards, Akasaka's main draw is its chashu (pork). When you approach the storefront, you'll see pictures advertising the restaurant's most infamous dish: a bowl of ramen topped with several incredibly thick slabs of bacon-like braised pork. They're marinated in miso and other sweet and spicy condiments, and basically cover the whole bowl. This is the dish to order for the true Akasaka experience.

Our Local Expert Says:

A jewel of the Kan-nana Dori ramen drag, not to be missed by anybody looking for some old-school Tokyo noodles.

Description:

The prestigious Ramen Database ramen ranking website (/) has great things to say about Ramen Fukumori (中華そば　ふくもり): 30th in Tokyo for tsukemen (ramen noodles and soup served separately) and 26th for its shoyu (soy sauce) based soup. It's one of the definite jewels of the Kan-nana Dori ramen drag, and is not to be missed by anybody wishing to try Tokyo-style noodles.
The interior is pleasant and downright spacious by ramen joint standards, with a tatami room to boot. The staff is friendly and helpful, although you should order from the ticket vending machines at the entrance. Unfortunately, there are no pictures, so you'll have either have to brush up on your kanji reading abilities or ask the staff for help. It could be as easy as asking for tsukemen or shoyu ("tsukebuto" or "chukasoba," on the menu).

Description:

Maru-kin (丸金) has locations all over Tokyo, bringing standard "Hakata tonkotsu" - Fukuoka-style ramen made from pork bones - to eager locals. Although the bowls are smaller here than at other ramen places, it's because of the incredible richness of the soup produced by boiling pork bones for days. Hold on to your soup and finish the noodles first, then ask for a "kaedama" (extra helping of noodles) for the genuine experience.

Our Local Expert Says:

It's difficult to find better chashu (braised pork loin made for ramen) than the one they serve at this place.

Description:

Men-Kurai (麺くらい) is a definitive local neighborhood ramen joint. Most times you go in there, you'll see the same middle-aged guy working behind the small, 7-person counter. He'll be making soy-, miso-, or salt-based soups from scratch in the large woks on the two burners in the kitchen. Make your choice, and he'll dump a portion of noodles into a specially designed noodle pot and ask you to wait. When the noodles are ready, he'll gingerly place everything into a bowl and top it off with some of the best chashu (braised pork loin) you'll ever taste. He makes it himself in the shop, and will give precious little information on how he does it. Just understand that this man knows what he's doing, and respect the bowl he lays in front of you.

Description:

The "jou" in Tsukemen-ya Jou (つけ麺や　穣) means 10 to the 28th power. As surprising as it may be that there is actually a Japanese character for this number, even more surprising is the amount of noodles they serve up on plates alongside bowls of savory dipping soup. Actually, there are three sizes to choose from, and the small is something anybody can handle. Order the large size (大盛り) from the ticket vending machine, however, and you're looking at around 600 grams of delicious, thick and curly noodles. All sizes are the same price, but beware: it's simply bad etiquette to order more than you can handle.

The dipping soups are some of the best that Tokyo's tsukemen (ramen with noodles and soup served separately) scene has to offer. They proudly advertise their tuna-based seafood soup on the storefront, but just as delicious - and oh-so-refreshing on a hot summer day - is their special yuzu (ゆず; lemon-like citrus fruit) soup.