Harukiya

If you could only visit one of the thousands of ramen-ya in Tokyo, Harukiya in Ogikubo should be it.  “This is considered the original Tokyo -style ramen,” says Ramen Adventures founder Brian MacDuckston. 

Tokyo-style means traditional shoyu soup supplemented with a good amount of dried fish, usually bonito flakes and whole dried sardines. But don't ask for the recipe. "The exact amounts of fish, as well as the rest of the ingredients, have remained a guarded secret for the greater part of the last hundred years,” says MacDuckston.

The place seats just eight customers. The staff is noisy and welcoming. The air is steamy and aromatic. The menu is simple. It's exactly how a ramen shop should be. 

The pricey wonton-men (wonton ramen, ¥1,200) are worth every yen. Other options include basic Chuka-soba (Chinese soba, ¥800) and fully loaded Omori chashu wonton-men (Omori barbecue pork wonton ramen, ¥1,900), which includes extra noodles, extra pork, and plenty of the shop's famous wontons.