If you’re looking for the best ramen shop in all of Japan, you may be embarking on a lifelong quest.

Tonkotsu gyokai ramen at Shono in Ichigaya, Tokyo (photo courtesy of Brian MacDuckston)
Along with sushi, ramen is the Japanese food you’ll find on the must-eat list of nearly every traveler to Japan.
But asking which ramen-ya (ramen shop) has the best ramen in Tokyo (or Japan) is akin to asking which pizzeria in New York has the best slice, or which brewery in Europe makes the best beer.
It’s not just up for intense debate, it’s basically a ridiculous, unanswerable question (but fun to consider regardless!).
The Ramen Boom
Despite ramen’s rising reputation, until recently the word ramen (at least outside of Japan) was synonymous with instant ramen: the iconic Cup Noodles made famous worldwide by now-legendary Osaka entrepreneur Momofuku Ando. Then the ramen boom began.
Google’s doodle of Momofuku Ando, creator of Cup Noodles
Much like sushi before it, shops specializing in ramen began to pop up in cities around the world. Nowadays, even non-foodies have come to realize that ramen can be much more than a cheap and convenient means of sustenance.
While some ramen evangelists – most notably chef David Chang – have proclaimed the ramen to be “dead,” we side with the Peter Meehans of the world, who proclaim that ramen is better than ever.
Interview with Brian MacDuckston of Ramen Adventures
To talk ramen, we spoke with...