April 2nd I hit up Hakata Ramen Fukuya on the west side of Ikebukuro. I randomly stopped into this place while looking for some place called Gyumon that was apparently closed… maybe forever. Not sure. It was unclear. Anyway, it was good, but I probably should have tried the non-spicy version first to really get a feel for the broth. I’ll do that next time. #food #foodstr #ramen #tokyo #japan

Went to Mutekiya in Ikebukuro for the first time last Wednesday for lunch. It was a 40 minute wait in line to get in, and I’m not usually one to wait in ramen lines. Was it worth it? I think it was, mainly for those thick, beautiful chashu slices. The broth was quite good too but it’s the chashu that did it for me. #foodstr #food #ramen #tokyo #japan

Katsuura Behara Ramen Yamamuraya for lunch today. I’m always happy to see more things popping up in Chiba, and this iekei style ramen was a great addition. It was solid, and worth a stop if you’re in the area and tired of Katsuura tantanmen. #ramen #chiba #japan #foodstr #food

In Kyoto yesterday and today and on our way to Senbon Tori and Inari Taisha we stopped at Ramen Hiwamatanoboru which was 5 minute walk away. It was a really thick chicken/pork broth with roast beef chashu. The broth was similar to Tenkaippin, which I also love. They also have wagyu shoyu ramen if that’s more your style. Heading to Osaka and Hakuba shortly so more to come. #ramen #foodstr #food #japan #kyoto

I was sad when they closed my local branch of Tenkaippin in Kanda, but they just reopened a new one! Woohoo! I love their kotteri (thick) pork broth, and the miso paste and white pepper they have on the table goes nice with it. Blast from the past. #foodstr #food #tokyo #japan #ramen

A variation of tantanmen from Meito Shokudo in Ichinomiya Chiba. The spicy meat, menma, and onions were great. My issue was the overabundance of moyashi. I think there was more moyashi than noodles. I also got some otsumami chashu, and the chashu was amazing, and definitely the highlight of the meal. If I go back it’s gonna be chashu ramen next time. #ramen #foodstr #food #chiba #japan

Taiwan mazesoba delivery from Kokoro for the Tyson fight event! #ramen #tokyo #japan #foodstr

Last night for dinner went to one of my favorite late night, after drinking Chinese ramen joints, Yoshi-Shonin in Akasaka. Shoyu wantanmen with chashu. Always tasty and they have a uniquely flavored chili oil on the table, so eventually added a bunch of that midway through. This place never gets old and they’ve got a huge selection. The simple shoyu broth in this one is addictive. #ramen #foodstr #food #tokyo #japan

Chicken based ramen from Torioh Keisuke in Akihabara. That’s a whole chicken leg in there. Also this one has the black spicy oil topping because I can never resist adding some excitement! #ramen #foodstr #food #tokyo #japan

Ushio ramen near Awajicho has one of my favorite tori paitan style ramen which comes with the signature pork wrapped asparagus stick and fried onion bits. I’m not shy about toppings so I also added chashu, duck, and extra negi on this one. Highly recommend this place if you’re in the area. #ramen #foodstr #food #tokyo #japan

This is another of my regular joints. Semakacchan Hakata Ramen in Uchikanda. Chashu men with additional negi, a spicy miso ball, and egg. Unfortunately kaedama costs a little extra at this place but you can buy half or full size. I’ll never turn down Hakata tonkotsu! #ramen #foodstr #food #tokyo #japan

Wantanmen with extra chashu from Kaotan in Akasaka. Great chashu and a nice simple broth with oniony flavor. Love this one. They’ve got other Chinese style dishes as well. Was on my regular lunch list back when I was working in the area. #ramen #foodstr #food #tokyo #japan

This is one of my favorite Tokyo Hakata ramen bowls from Hakata Ramen Kazu in Akasaka. They’ve got the spicy mustard greens and fresh garlic press on the table, and a great chashu don. Also free kaedama (extra serving of noodles) as is the standard for this style. I used to visit this place weekly, but it’s near my old office so I’ve been missing it lately. #ramen #foodstr #food #tokyo #japan

I know I posted toshomen last week but it was from a different place. This one I had today for lunch was from Chinkashisai, just east of Akihabara station. The chain is known for Sichuan style dishes including toshomen, tantanmen, and mabodofu, among others. I’m sure my doctor disapproved but it’s so damn good. Extra spicy, of course. Look at those glorious noodles!!! #ramen #foodstr #food #tokyo #japan

This is mazesoba (mixing noodles) from Menya Kokoro in Ogawamachi, near Jimbocho, a great shopping area for books, guitars/musical instruments, and ski/snowboard, camping equipment etc. This is one of my favorite mazesoba which has cheese melted into the noodles, and an egg yolk to really bring it all together when you mix it up. It’s soupless and extremely rich! I’m getting hungry writing about it. A nice little pile of garlic on the right there gives it a serious flavor kick in addition to the nira and negi. #ramen #foodstr #food #tokyo #japan

Hi All, I’ve been living in Japan for more than a decade and I love ramen so for now, I’m posting one of my ramen experiences every day to share it with others. Hopefully you all have a chance to try some of them! #introductions #ramen #food #foodstr #japan

Today’s ramen is another from Chiba that many may have heard of. Ariran ramen in Nagara Chiba has a great thin but rich oniony, garlic broth with pork and soy sauce flavors. Plenty of chopped onion included, and as usual, I often like to load on the chashu. You may need a car, or in my case, a motorcycle to get to this one which is a bit out there, but it’s a great stop on the way from Tokyo to China’s east coast. #ramen #foodstr #food #chiba #japan

Takeoka style ramen from Suzuya on the west coast of Chiba. This style has a dark shoyu broth made from the tare used to soak the pork chashu, which is a highlight of the bowl. The style is simple but tasty. #ramen #food #japan #chiba

Mala (Spicy) Toshomen is one of my guilty pleasures. This bowl is from Toshomen Karaya in Akihabara. Toshomen features super thick noodles sliced off a block, and broth is an oily, spicy, salty goodness. At this shop you can make it gekikara or double gekikara (caution). This is one that I often repeat. #ramen #food #tokyo #japan

Upload working again! Woohoo. This one is spicy tonkotsu from Nagahamaya ramen in Ueno. It was decent, but probably not a repeat for me. I added egg and Chashu, both not as soft as I would have liked. 5/10 for me. #ramen #food #tokyo #japan

Taiyo tomato ramen, an old favorite. Not that I lost interest, but my local shop left :( there are still a few around Tokyo and it’s still a great fusion ramen. It includes eggplant and chicken, and has a really nice mild spiciness with rich tomato flavor. Topping with cheese and black pepper is recommended. Once the noodles are done, you can finish off the broth by mixing in some basil rice for a nice refreshing finish. #ramen #food #japan #tokyo

Meihoya Yokohama iekei style ramen near Shin-Ochanomizu. A another favorite style of mine. Hearty tonkotsu shoyu broth and I loaded up on the sliced negi. Noodles are thick with great texture. You also get to choose flavor strength, amount of oil, and noodle hardness. Garlic, spicy miso, and ginger on the table for flavor changes. #ramen #food #tokyo #japan

Tsujita Miso at Awajicho. One of my favorite bowls in all of Japan after more than a decade. This is decadent and the spicy miso ball has got kick. This is stick to your ribs pork miso broth and a layer of oil that will keep the heat in for ages. If I ever leave Japan, I’ll come back for this one. I plan to post more ramen and other food experiences in Japan so follow if interested! #ramen #food #japan #tokyo