Oreryū Shio Ramen Harajuku Ekimae — Restaurant in Tokyo

I've heard locally that it's hard for a ramen restaurant to score above 4.5. I'm doing my part to help here to ensure this location stays at 4.5. My wife and I were touring the Shibuya area and decided to stop for food. This spot had the highest ratings we found, so we decided to give it a chance. Keep in mind that if you are using Google maps, it's a little tricky to find. Our directions implied we had arrived (on a main street) but couldn't find the restaurant. Turns out, you had to go around the corner to a side street and down a few doors. You place your order at a vending machine just in front. Cash only. The items have photos, so it's fairly easy to figure it out. We both chose a combo dish with a bowl of pork ramen and 3 dumplings on the side. After ordering, you present your ticket inside. The woman running the seating area was incredibly welcoming and kind. She asked us what spice level we preferred and relayed the instructions to the chef a few feet away (small restaurant, perhaps 5-6 tables). All locals were dining when we entered (usually a good sign). The food came out fairly promptly. Everything was delicious! Temperature hot, spice, the correct level. If you need to use the restroom, you exit the restaurant, turn right, walk straight up the outside stairs, and walk through the green door. First door on your left. Excellent experience! If we're in the area again, we will...

Must visit ramen place in Harajuku. It is just one street off of the main Harajuku street so won't be as busy as the other places. It uses a typical vending machine ticket system but there were plenty of choices on the type of broth for the ramen and sides.

The staff were very friendly and accomodating, and the seating was comfortable but somewhat limited given the size of the restaurant. The ramen in the combo was a bit light in protein so if you are very hungry, I would suggest ordering extra pork. The broth was very light and easy to drink. On the other hand, the tonkotsu ramen broth was very nice and creamy.

It was empty when we visited at 11:30am but quickly filled up during the lunch rush. I would visit again if in the Harajuku area.

Pictured: ramen and gyoza combo + rice (1100 yen) special tonkotsu ramen (1000...

I have slightly mixed feelings. My rating is a solid 3.8.

I tried the Oreryu shio ramen – very decent, simple but good flavor, though it lacked depth. The noodles were excellent, firm just the way I like them. In the Special tonkotsu ramen, all the toppings were outstanding, the meat and noodles were great, but the broth itself was weak, not very aromatic and too light in taste. The gyoza dumplings were good, juicy, and full of flavor.

Our expectations were much higher after reading the available reviews – maybe we need to come back once more to either change our opinion or confirm it, we’ll see.

The atmosphere was cold, which rarely happened to us while traveling around Tokyo. The lady at the front was very indifferent and rather discouraging when it came to entering the place, while the lady in the kitchen was very warm...