One of the fun parts of travelling through Japan is discovering the little differences each region has to offer when making the same dish. A well known example here would be Ramen – with each region serving up their own take on the noodles, broth, and toppings.
It can be a bit tricky to travel to all of them in one go, given Japan’s geography, but at Tokyo Station, there exists Tokyo Ramen Street – an area featuring famous ramen shops from all across Japan. You’ll likely end up passing by Tokyo Station during your travels in Tokyo, so what are some of the options you can find here? And is this place worth taking a trip to? Let’s get to it. How Good Is Tokyo Ramen Street Actually?
–Tokyo Ramen Street Overview–
–Ordering System–
–Shio Ramen Senmon Hirugao–
–Regional Ramen Challenge–
–Soranoiro Nippon–
–Tonkotsu Ramen Oreshiki Jun–
–Other Ramen Shops–
–Other Areas at Tokyo Station–
–Full Review: Tokyo Station—
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🍜 Tokyo Ramen Street Overview 🍜
Right around the entrance, you can find a map featuring the different shops within Tokyo Ramen Street. Each shop specializes in a different regional variety of Ramen, from broths like Tonkotsu and Shio, to different serving styles like Tsukemen and Soba. If you’re unsure which place to stop by, have a look at the map and check out what each store has to offer.
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📋 Ordering System 📋
Within Ramen Street, you’ll order your meal at each shop’s ticket machines.
Once you arrive at the store (or it’s your turn in line,) select the dishes you’d like by pressing on the button on the display, and a ticket will be printed out below.
Once you order everything you need, grab your tickets (and any change,) and the staff will guide you to your seat once it’s available.
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🍜 Shio Ramen Senmon Hirugao 🍜
For today’s visit, I decided to stop by Shio Ramen Senmon Hirugao for some Shio Ramen.
As the name suggests, this place specializes in Shio Ramen – ramen with a salt-based soup.
Flavor-wise, you’ll find this style closest to Chinese wonton soup, resulting in one of the more lighter-profile broths you can find throughout Japan. Typically, you’ll find Shio Ramen topped with a combination of Chashu (sliced pork), Menma bamboo shoots, sliced scallions, and shrimp wontons.
I’ve been wanting to try out Shio Ramen for a while now, so I got their Shio Ramen with extra Chashu today. Here’s my thoughts.
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🍜 Shio Ramen with Chashu (¥1,180) 🍜
First up, a sample at their Shio broth. As one of the lighter tasting options in the ramen world, the broth here is a really pleasant one – slight hints of chicken and seafood stock, brought together by the saltiness of the sea salt they use.
Their ramen noodles are on the thinner side, while the thick sliced Chashu pork adds a meaty kick and some sweetness to the dish.
Top that with some sliced scallions for a bit of crunch, and finished with a side of Menma bamboo shoots and some seaweed, and you have a simple ramen bowl that’s all around very solid.
The flavors here aren’t too strong, so if you’re new to the different types of ramen, this Shio Ramen is a great introduction to the cuisine before you experiment with some of the stronger varieties.
Shio Ramen Senmon Hirugao
💻 Website 💻
https://english.setaga-ya.com/store/hirugao/
⏰ Opening Hours ⏰
10:00 A.M. to 10:30 P.M.
📖 Online Menu (English) 📖
https://english.setaga-ya.com/struct/wp-content/uploads/hirugao_tokyo_en_202210.jpg
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I only had time to check out one store at Ramen Street today. But if you’re wondering about what the other stores here offer, here’s a quick rundown of what you can find here.
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🍜 Regional Ramen Challenge – Hakodate Menchubo Ajisai 🍜
Looking at the other shops at Ramen Street, let’s start off with their limited-time Regional Ramen Challenge store.
For a period of a few months, a new ramen shop is featured inside of Tokyo Ramen Street – spotlighting a different region each time.
For my visit, the shop was Hakodate Menchubo Ajisai, a ramen shop from Hakodate.
While specializing in Shio Ramen (with several different strengths), this place also features some other dishes like Miso Ramen, White Miso Ramen, Squid Ink Ramen, and their Ramen Street-Exclusive Smoked Buri (Yellowtail) Miso Ramen. Definitely some interesting combinations, so check it out if you’re visiting sometime soon. (Even if this specific one is gone, have a look at what the current shop is when you visit.)
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🍜 Soranoiro Nippon 🍜
Here’s something you don’t see everyday at ramen shops. Soranoiro Nippon has a few standard ramen types to choose from, including Shoyu and Shio-based broths. But their big selling point here is their selection of Veggie Soba, Vegan Ramen, and Gluten-Free Ramen options.
You don’t typically associate ramen with those words, so I’m very curious to see what they actually taste like (especially the gluten-free one – how’s the texture of the ramen anyways?). And as a Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient in 2015, 2016, and 2017, if you want to try out a unique spin on ramen, then Soranoiro Nippon is the shop to head to.
💻 Website 💻
https://soranoiro-vege.com/en/
⏰ Opening Hours ⏰
8:30 A.M. to 10:30 P.M.
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🍜 Tonkotsu Ramen Oreshiki Jun 🍜
For something full-bodied, Tonkotsu Ramen Oreshiki Jun’s got you covered. Tonkotsu Ramen features thin, straight, and slightly firm ramen noodles served with slices of chashu in a slow-simmered pork bone broth.
Oreshiki Jun’s signature topping is their Teriyaki-Grilled Chashu, for a rich protein with a hint of sweetness. I’m a Tonkotsu Ramen guy, and if it wasn’t for my curiosity in Shio Ramen, this place would be my pick today. (My personal preference, of course. Have a look around to see what yours may be.)
And per Tonkotsu Ramen tradition, if one bowl isn’t enough, you can always order their “Kaedama” for an extra serving of noodles. Just be sure to save the broth!
💻 Website 💻
https://english.setaga-ya.com/store/oreshiki/
⏰ Opening Hours ⏰
8:00 A.M. to 10:30 P.M.
📖 Online Menu (English) 📖
https://english.setaga-ya.com/struct/wp-content/uploads/oreshiki_tokyo_en_202210.jpg
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🍜 Other Ramen Shops 🍜
There are eight ramen stores in total within Tokyo Ramen Street, and here’s a quick look into some of the places I didn’t get to cover in this review.
🍜 Tokyo Niboshi Ramen Gyoku 🍜
Niboshi (Dried Anchovy) Ramen
🍜 Rokurinsha 🍜
Tsukemen
🍜 Tsujita Miso no Sho 🍜
Miso Ramen
🍜 Tokyoeki Ikaruga 🍜
Seafood Tonkotsu
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🛍 Other Areas at Tokyo Station 🛍
Tokyo Station isn’t home to the train station and Ramen Street, of course. For some restaurant options outside of ramen, you can visit Nippon Gourmet Road – located right next to Ramen Street.
Full Review: Tokyo Gift Palette & Tokyo Okashi Land
As one of the main hubs connecting Tokyo and the rest of Japan, Tokyo Gift Palette at Floor 1 features a variety of different snacks only available in Tokyo. From the iconic Tokyo Banana to my personal favorite in Butter Butler, there’s really no shortage in some amazing options to try out or bring back home.
Plus, for other snacks you can find only in Japan, you can also head over to Tokyo Okashi Land right next to Ramen Street, with snacks from Calbee, Yoku Moku, and Shiseido Parlour.
Full Review: Tokyo Character Street
And for some shopping, Tokyo Character Street features a multitude of different merch shops. From anime and game stores such as Pokemon Center, Jump Shop, Kamen Rider Store, and Studio Ghibli Store, to other brands like Rilakkuma, LINE Shop, Harry Potter, and Mofumofu.
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⭐VERDICT⭐
So how good is Tokyo Ramen Street at Tokyo Station actually? Let’s split it into two parts – starting with Ramen Station as a whole. This place does a pretty good job in spotlighting the different regional varieties of ramen you can find in Japan, and – given enough days – you could easily try out all of them and see which one of ‘em is your favorite.
And as for Shio Ramen Senmon Hirugao? Yeah, it’s good! I’m a Tonkotsu Ramen guy, so the lightness of the broth isn’t what I’m used to. But the combination of the light broth, slightly chewy noodles, and leaner chashu slices really make for a wonderful combination. It’s a relatively simple dish – flavor-wise – but it makes up for it with the depth of that Shio broth.
But whether it be the Shio Ramen at Hirugao, or any of Ramen Street’s other shops, if you want to explore and try out some regional varieties of one of Japan’s most famous dish, then stop by Tokyo Station and head over to Tokyo Ramen Street.
Full Review: Tokyo Station
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🚗HOW TO GET THERE 🚗
Tokyo Ramen Street is located right at Tokyo Station – one of Japan’s largest busiest stations – accessible via the Marunouchi Line and the JR Lines.
As for where Ramen Street sits inside of Tokyo Station? Well, the station’s really big, so once you arrive at the station, head out towards the Yaesu Underground Central Exit and once you scan out and make a right turn (opposite side from Tokyo Character Street.) You should arrive at Ramen Street in about a minute.
And if you’re walking here from a nearby station, once you’re at the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station, you’ll find Tokyo Ramen Street at Floor B1 around the First Avenue Tokyo Station area.
Tokyo Ramen Street (Tokyo Station)
🌏 Location 🌏
Japan, 〒100-0005 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Marunouchi, 1 Chome−9−1 First Avenue Tokyo Station Floor B1
🗺 Map 🗺
https://goo.gl/maps/Tqrc4rEPTXGjGNT56
⏰ Opening Hours ⏰
Varies by store, roughly 8:00~10:00 A.M. to 10:30 P.M.
💻 Website 💻
https://www.tokyoeki-1bangai.co.jp/street/ramen/en/
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💬 Parting Words 💬
One part of Tokyo Station down, quite a few more to go! Tokyo Station really is a huge place, so I’ll be breaking down the other areas of it over the coming week or so. I’ll probably go over the snacks area next, so definitely stay tuned for what Tokyo Station has to offer, and whether or not you should travel there for some last minute shopping.
