Yotsuya Shoten — Restaurant in Tokyo

We had this the first night in Japan and it was amazing. We assumed we would have this same experience the rest of the trip but we were mistaken. First of all, locals don't really use Google reviews so all the 4.9s are tourists who wouldn't know good Japanese food if it slapped them in the face. We ended up visiting many of the same places you see people raving about on Youtube, accidentally, by trying the 4.9s on Google reviews. Mediocre at best. Rip offs at the worst. We picked this place because it was open and near our hotel. As I said before, we chased this flavor the rest of the trip and never got close. We had ramen almost every day in an attempt to find something similar. We have good Japanese food in the Bay Area but I have never had good Tonkatsu. The process is extremely labor intensive and American's generally don't know what it should taste like so most of the tonkatsu around here is fake chicken based tonkatsu. I had hoped that all ramen in Japan would be next level but this was not the case. This was heavenly. The broth was rich but not too rich. The pork was thick cut with lots of delicious fat. The noodles were the right thickness for the broth and tasted great with the perfect consistency. The only complaint I could give is the soft boiled eggs were cold as they had been prepared before hand obviously. The price for their deluxe offering was 1200 yen I believe. We paid much higher for much less later. At the time of this writing this was around $8 usd. I will pay 2x-3x as much in the Bay for crap in comparison. Well worth a visit and if you have a chance, visit it again after trying others. And a piece of advice, don't go to the 4.9s in Japan from Google reviews. Stick to the 3.9s as tourists are horrible judges of...

Quick and delicious late night meal. We came here on our first night in Tokyo as it's conveniently located near our hotel and it was open at 9pm. Other reviews mentioned how good the broth is (some said it was too salty). You order at the machine at the entrance and pay with Suica or cash, then a nice staff member comes to ask (using a laminated 'menu") about how you want your noodles, richness/fattyness and 'flavour'. I chose medium for all, if I visit again I would ask mild for richness and flavour for a lighter bowl of ramen. Everything was delicious, I ordered the one with the onsen egg and it also came with a little quail egg. The pork was thicker cut than I've had before and I...

This Tokyo ramen spot is a gem, offering delicious, customizable broth (3 kinds) and noodles (firm, normal, soft)—think rich soy sauce ramen with a magical flavor. Friendly, patient staff elevate the experience, alongside free rice and tasty condiments like garlic puree. Affordable and welcoming, it’s perfect for any time, though peak hours draw lines. A must-visit for ramen lovers seeking great food and service! Note: the "MAX" version you see on the outside sign is called "Deluxe toppings" on their English...