Ginza Hachigou — Restaurant in Tokyo

I’ve seen the reviews and decided to come here on a Monday morning as my accommodation was a short walk away.

It’s apparently a 1 star Michelin ramen place.

I arrived at around 10am on a Monday morning the week before Christmas and there was already a snaking queue. There’s 2 parts to the queue, one along the perimeter outside the shop and it continues on the other side of the street and goes pass the vending machine. At the point of arrival, I was at the end of the vending machines. I estimated that from where I was there were 35 pax infront of me. The queue grows and by the time the store opens, it has gotten to the area behind the building in the sunlight. I wasn’t sure the exact time, but shortly after 11am, a sign was placed at the end of the queue, signaling that it would be ‘sold out’. Do note that there is no seating area nor ticketing machine. After the store opens, a young gentlemen from the store would direct each member, 1 by 1, in the queue to go into the store to place their orders via a vending machine before going back in line to wait. I estimated there’s roughly only 60 pax, meaning only 60 bowls sold in a day.

How long did I wait before getting in? Roughly 3.5hours. That’s right, you can go to Kyoto and back on the Shinkansen in that time. I entered the store, watched the master chef prepare and deliver the long awaited bowl of ramen before I snapped the all essential photo at 137pm.

Was it worth the wait? Firstly, the whole experience upon entering the shop was very zen. Everything was clean and precise, from the seats there were precisely 6 seats, each with a mini spotlight shining on the table. Before being seated, there would already be a tray with a set of chopsticks, spoon, the clearest and cleanest cup of water and a warm towel. You listen to an interesting choice of music and watch the master chef prepare the ramen before he delivers it onto your tray, facing precisely in the same direction each time. In the bowl, noodles, an egg, 2 generous sized pieces of char shu, 3 bamboo shoots, some green onions, and probably a precise amount of broth down to the ml. Because by the time this broth is finished, it signifies ‘sold out’.

I finished everything down to the last drop in a fraction of the time I waited. Everything was great, amazing for the quality and the price. The broth from what I understood from the reviews is a mixed of chicken and duck broth, so clean yet flavorful. In the end, I can only say good things comes to those who wait. At least now you know how long you have...

A Michelin Bib Gourmand US$10 Ramen that you should definitely try to book a seat at.

I think there are currently three Michelin rated ramen restaurants in Tokyo, but don’t quote me on that.

I managed to make a booking and had lunch on 21st March 2024, the following week.

The Ramen is light and flavorsome - more like a French consommé, rather than a traditional ramen broth and that has a lot to do with the Chef’s previous Paris restaurant experience decades ago.

The charsu pork is soft and succulent and the fat tastes almost buttery. The egg is perfectly cooked - the white is gently hard and the yolk perfectly soft.

And the ravioli- yes, an unusual addition for a bowl of ramen - is hands-down the best ravioli I have ever eaten in my life.

I read somewhere that Chef Yasufumi Matsumura-San couldn’t find ramen noodles that suited his more delicate ramen broth, so he went to a local ramen maker and had them make it to his exacting specifications - talk about dedication to his art 👌

I will definitely be back there again - if I manage to make a booking 🤞

Only 70 people a day get to eat at this tiny 6 counter seat restaurant.

Online reservations open every Saturday at 9am (Tokyo time) for the subsequent week, offering time slots at half-hour intervals from 12.30pm to 2.30pm

Google it, find out where to book it - fill in all the information needed, including your credit card payment, then set your alarm for when the next week’s bookings are released and be super-fast when clicking ‘book’ at the exact second the bookings are released.

Do note there is a booking fee of ¥500. With only 70 people able to dine each day, they can’t afford to have no-shows.

You can risk it and queue early morning for the early lunch sittings where there are no pre-booked seats, but probably won’t get in, as they can only accommodate walk-in guests from 11am to 12.30pm (before the reserved seat dining commences), and there's a limit of a meagre 30 spaces for walk-ins per day.

Please note that you only get 30 minutes to eat, but don’t worry, they’ll have already taken your order at the door before you step inside and your ramen will be placed in front of you moments after you sit down. You won’t even need to ask for the bill afterwards, as they will charge the card you made the booking on, the moment you...

This is a very small six (6) bar stool ramen shop. Our group lined up at 0700 on a Thursday (10OCT24) and were first in queue. Our entire group had to be present in order for us to be together. They only had 11 openings this day. (OMG) My little sister found this spot online, tiktok and Google. Here's is my honest review since I acknowledge myself as a ramen conesour. 🤭

Appearance (outside)- on the corner their entrance is as dainty as can be. Not flashy, or bright but simplicity makes it stand out best. You line up to the left down the alley on the corner where the ramen shop is. A kind lady (worker) will come and check the queue often and when close top open time will ask you to place your order. They have English menu and Japanese. (INSIDE) Once they open you will go into the ramen shop with two steps up where the bar is. six barstools with back rest and platform for your feet. Behind you is a narrow walk way and a counter to place your personal belongings.

CHEF- There is your Executive chef and his sous chef behind the bar preparing your ramen. NO PICTURES OF KITCHEN PLEASE Be respectful 🙏 They are very kind and do an AMAZING job with presentation and speak softly.

FOOD- We ordered the chefs special which has, 1 boiled egg, foie gras, pork, green onion & bamboo chute. The soup was very clean tasting, fullness and bold in flavor. The boiled egg was like no other I've had. still a little raw inside but instantly cooks when it hits the soup. The pork was so tender at each bite.

You are given a glass of water, and Japanese tea as beverage. Since it's only a 1hr time slot you must eat quickly and be respectful of the time. I

I thoroughly enjoyed the culture thru their food and hands that prepared it. Everything was very clean and smiles all around. Great experience for us all.

We caught the train there as Google maps is...