Ramen lovers thrive on seeking out new and obscure ramen shops, but it would be a mistake to overlook the classics, so we’re thrilled to introduce these 5 historic Tokyo ramen shops.
With thousands of ramen restaurants across Japan, and a countless number abroad, ramen today is loved the world over. But this Japanese noodle soup staple is actually only about 100 years old.
The short story is that many Chinese noodle dishes were brought to Japan in the late 19th century (read more from the Yokohama Ramen Museum), and gradually evolved to better match Japanese tastes. This is how Japanese ramen as we know it eventually came to be!
In 1910, one of Japan’s most legendary old-school ramen shops, Rairaiken, opened in the Asakusa neighborhood of Tokyo. Rairaiken is renowned as having been instrumental in establishing a “Tokyo-style ramen.”
What we refer to as Tokyo-style ramen today often features a relatively light shoyu (soy sauce) seasoning, and a soup that?s a blend of chicken or pork bones, katsuobushi (bonito fish flakes), kelp, and other ingredients.
While Rairaiken itself is no longer around, the 5 historic Tokyo ramen shops featured below have been flag-bearers for this Tokyo style since as early as 1949. Their collective lasting power speaks volumes about their popularity, and their historical place in the Tokyo ramen world.
1. Harukiya, Ogikubo
Ramen shop Harukiya (???) will immediately pop up during any “classic ramen” conversation....