Rāmenya Shima — Restaurant in Tokyo

We were the only westerners on the list that day, and we felt bad about that; but we were on a honeymoon trip and this was on my short list of things I had to try.

We tried our best to come as prepared as possible but still had some mishaps so here is what to know if you’re not fluent.

60 bowls / day, ingredients run out as day goes on and you aren’t guaranteed to get a certain bowl. The specialty bowls of course run out first.

A list goes out at 830am or so, maybe earlier now, and you sign up in the next available opening (no picking a time). I posted a photo of what to do, which includes saying do not write more than one name. This confused us as other people were writing (1) or (2) beside their name so at first we thought only write one name and how many with your group. That is not correct. Each person needs to write their name on each line, he is just saying that you can only write your own name - and each person needs to be there if you want a seating. No cheating and writing names for anyone else 🙏🏽.

We were 46/47 for 12:45. You come at your time and line up on the side walk, nearest the street. We were the first ones there to wait and didn’t know where to stand. Others walked in and got yelled at, do not walk in the store ever until you’re invited in. Seriously though, especially if you’re not Japanese. It’s only for people eating and it’s tiny. Once you’re invited in you will pay at the vending machine as usual and give him your order ticket. I shared a photo of the offerings current as of February. Just keep in mind to be prepared to eat faster than you’re used to, people are waiting and you have a time slot. This one was easy for us as we’ve been working hard to speed up our eating time, as we are still a few minutes slower than locals; at other places without the nice dedicated time slot it’s more of a burden to others waiting to eat.

Food: Best ramen of my life, and I’m a tonkotsu lover. My wife agrees and in the video you can see her quietly whispering me “it’s soo good”. We are not ramen food critics by any means but we have had hundreds of bowls of ramen all over the world, as well as about 10 Michelin star recognized places now and this is hands down my favorite. The variety of chashu, the thought that goes into the arrangement, the varied texture, fattiness and complexity is incredible. Some melts, some melds with each bite. Wontons - possibly perfection as far as ramen wontons go For me, the ingredients are just incredible.

The soup / base - Up there with the best I’ve had, possibly my favorite. I thought it got better and better as it slightly cool

The noodles - we went with the hand rolled and thought they were quite good. Not my ideal noodle style or thickness but an 8/10 still.

Pork rice bowl was super good and left us overstuffed but while we had the opportunity, I had to get it.

Loved getting to watch his workflow putting the bowls together, raise and drain the noodles.

While a high hurdle to get a seat, and a bit stressful as a foreigner - it was such a pleasure to get...

Got in line at 9am sharp on a Tuesday. An employee came out just a few minutes later with the signup list. I ended up with the 21st spot, one of six seatings in the 11:05 time slot. Since I was staying in Shinjuku, it was easy enough to go back into town and walk around until it was time. When I returned, I also only waited a few minutes, probably totaling to just around a 10 min wait between the signup line and the arrival wait.

I ordered the tokusei shoyu ramen, which has so many differnt toppings I couldn't even see the noodles. It almost seemed borderline excesive, with the ~4 different preparations of chicken and pork along the fatty to lean scale, as well as the two wontons. Due to all the different textures however, it didn't get old and it was a pleasure to cycle between all the toppings while consuming the noodles and soup. The shoyu soup was well balanced - not too heavy due to its chicken base yet still very savory and flavorful with its slight seafood notes as well. The noodles were tasty and cooked to the perfect snappy texture with great hold and harmony with the soup. The egg was nicely soft boiled, no overcooking in the yolk. Overall an amazing medley of flavors and textures that made for an engaging and filling lunch.

I definitely would like to return to try the shio...

One of the top hitters on Tabelog, and reservations have to be made the day before on omakase at 8am. I got the 1:3pm slot but by the time I got there the tsukemen was sold out, to my incredible disappointment.

I’m not a fan of ramen generally so I reluctantly got the shoyu ramen special. It was beautifully presented, and the piece of chicken was absolutely delicious, but every other item was second-tier.

The broth was so hot that the egg was cooked even further resulting in a hard-ish layer of yolk on the outside. Sad. The (thin) noodles are on the softer side, and again, it’s just not my preference.

The char siu is decent but… when you’re this highly ranked on Tabelog I expect a char siu that will make me go wow. It only made me wonder why I wasted a lunch at this place 😕

The bamboo slices portion was so small I could hardly taste it. There was the prettily-presented mustard seeds and sliced shiso leaves on the char siu, but sadly the substance isn’t quite there. The broth is… ok, and slightly salty.

I’d rate this experience 5/10. It’s ok if you like shoyu-based ramen but for those who are impartial or for those who prefer tsukemen, you should skip this place.

6 counter seats. One chef. Too much smoke from the kitchen. Can get warm...