Chūkamenten Kiraku — Restaurant in Tokyo

When it comes to ramen in Shibuya, this legendary spot always makes the list—and yes, there’s a line. The location? Right at the edge of what used to be an old entertainment district, so you might spot some friendly “catch” staff hanging around the corner.

I went with the moyashi (bean sprout) ramen and gyoza. Thought about the wontons, but they seemed a bit too similar to the gyoza, so I stuck with my first choice. One surprise—the moyashi ramen doesn’t come with an egg!

The ramen itself? Absolutely delicious. The stir-fried bean sprouts and veggies add amazing flavor, and the noodles are thick and slightly chewy, almost like champon-style. Seriously good stuff. The gyoza was huge, packed with garlicky goodness and a natural sweetness from the veggies, perfectly cooked with a crisp bottom.

As for condiments, the table has just the essentials: soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil for the gyoza, and black pepper. But honestly, no extra seasoning needed—everything is already spot-on!

One unique point: payment is self-reported at the register. A rare system these days, but it adds to the charm.

A truly classic spot that lives up to its reputation. Check out the photos for...

Expect a queue of 5 - 6 people as they have only bar seats on the ground floor and shared table seating on the upper floor. I ordered the chashu noodle soup as it came highly recommended as an authentic old style noodle soup. The gyoza came first, crispy on the outside, meatball on the inside is moist and tender with a hint of herbs.

The noodle soup is delicious. It has the exact same “light soy sauce with lots of onions” taste as the Beach Road Prawn Mee noodle soup they serve in East Coast Road in Singapore (except prawns and pork ribs of course). Chashu was stiff, and slightly hard to chew which reminds me of toughness of pork ribs. Also they provide a mountain of beansprouts and noodles that are thicker than your average ramen. I couldn’t finish the noodles and beansprouts so I left in a hurry (they were good and fresh just that I’m a...

Found this spot via a Travel and Leisure list of ramen spots in Tokyo. Kiraku is not too far from Shibuya Crossing. It’s really easy to miss as the only sign announcing the restaurant is the tiniest lettering on the awning. We were seated upstairs almost immediately but by the time we left there was a line. I counted about 15 seats in total so this is not really a place to come and dilly dally. Order your food (which is a hefty amount so come with an appetite), then eat and leave. This seems to be reinforced by the menu as the selection is limited (4-5 options). I got the wonton ramen and gyoza. Again, portions are large.

Ideal for parties of 2-3 people max—definitely leave the little ones as there is no place to squirm or support...