Ramen TOKU — Restaurant in Tokyo

Upon entry, we see the ordering machine, not all machines work the same way. Owner decides to help, nice of him, right? Nope…

He begins to get condescending with his ‘help’ already did not like the guy and for whatever reason was rude. I’ve always thought if the customer service was rude the food would be fantastic, right? Nope…

The heart of the ramen is the broth, the broth was lifeless and tasteless - I know there’s such a thing as simple but being too simple is just plain naivety and they were hoping to play on the naivety of foreigners or ‘gaijin’ as we’re called. The chashu tasted like it was qbarely marinated to have that proper taste. Ramen egg was also barely marinated to taste like a proper marinated ramen egg, I would have been fine with plain boiled eggs but either do it properly or don’t do it at all. I make better ramen at home. Why were we there? We were trying out local restaurants because we believe in supporting local businesses as we stayed at the APA hotel. We’d already tried the 24hr place, the yakiniku place we were supposed to try next closed early and so the ramen shop was next on the list. We read the reviews and the recent ones were positive so it gave us hope that it would be good on our visit. Don’t hope for a good experience,...

All I had wanted was a quick bite after checking in to my hotel late in the evening. I was more than surprised to find this charming old school noodle stall right at the street corner just a few steps away from the hotel.

It was already rather empty when I arrived. I ordered what was labelled the "recommended noodle" on the ticket vending machine. It came with a few slices of pork and a boiled egg, together with some vegetables. The noodles had about just the right texture, the pork meat was delicate with a good balance of fat, the egg yolk was runny enough, while the broth was full of flavour. The overall experience was just great. (The picture only shows half an egg even though the order came with a whole egg - this is what happens when you are too hungry to remember to snap a photo first!)

While I was at the stall, I could see that the chef took great pride in his work, and the results can be seen (and tasted) in the quality of the food. Definitely...

Absolutely incredible experience! This little ramen shop is a hidden gem tucked away in a corner street of town. The atmosphere is cozy, just a few seats at the counter, which makes it feel like you’re being welcomed into someone’s home.

The ramen itself? Phenomenal. Rich, flavorful broth that’s been simmered to perfection, with noodles that have just the right chew. Every ingredient felt carefully chosen, and you can taste the love and dedication in every bowl. The chef was warm and friendly, the hospitality was top-notch.

Highly recommend stopping by if you’re looking for an authentic, soul-warming bowl of ramen in Japan. It’s the kind of place that leaves a lasting memory. I’ll definitely be back next time...