Hienadz Vardanyan 
If you’re in Japan, ramen is unavoidable, and for good reason. It holds its place as one of the country’s signature dishes for a reason.
The balance between the flavorful broth, tasty noodles, and the wide choice of toppings and varieties make ramen the perfect comfort food.
So if you’re in Japan and want to get the best of the best ramen, we’ve got two restaurants here, famous with both locals and chefs!
So if you’re either local or a tourist and want some of the best ramen out there, keep reading to get genuine recommendations from the Japanese ramen experts!
Japanese Ramen Noodle Lab Q
Located in the Sapporo region of Hokkaido (the northernmost island of Japan) is Japanese Ramen Noodle Lab Q.
Located in a clean chic underground location, this restaurant will reinvent your expectations for Ramen with its highly acclaimed meals.
The most popular ramen on the menu at this famous restaurant is the “Soy Sauce Ramen” a clear soup with an artistically thin layer of oil making the dish visually spectacular.
The aromatic chicken stock is the star of the meal. The flavor put into the stock can be credited to the locally sourced Shintoku chicken, the only breed of chicken found in the Hokkaido region.
This focus on using only the freshest, high-quality ingredients is what makes Ramen Noodle Lab Q so popular!
With this focus on high-quality ingredients, the chef doesn’t over-complicate his masterpieces, keeping his recipes simple.
He is open about the only ingredients in his rich broth being; soy sauce, chicken stock, and water.
As well as the chicken ramen, the chef also offers mouth-watering Char Siu pork as an option, with both loin and ribs as choices.
The pork sourced from the Rusutsu region of Hokkaido gives the masterfully cooked pork an unforgettable flavor.
The story behind the chef of the restaurant is as interesting as his food is delicious. Mr. Hiraoka was a Professional Snowboarder but with the sport not being a sustainable income he spent his college days working at a different ramen shop called Ippudo.
It was there he found his passion and skill for making unforgettable ramen.
He takes great pride in his noodles, saying that each bowl of ramen is 100% his creation and every element of the meal is assembled within the restaurant.
Since then, Hiraoka has gained the nationally acclaimed title of noodle-making technician.
But even this isn’t enough for Hiraoka who continues to follow his passion to make the best ramen available!
The restaurant won the vote by “Hokkaido Ramen Walkers Grand Prix” judged by a panel of ramen experts and then went on to win the title of best ramen restaurant in Hokkaido!
For an unforgettable bowl of ramen in the northern region of Japan, this is a restaurant you can’t afford to miss!
You can call the shop to ask any questions at +815055949594 and their opening hours are exclusively during the daytime from 11:00 till 15:00 Mondays through to Saturdays. During the evenings the restaurant becomes Yakitori Q!
The location is here: https://goo.gl/maps/Hs1JDmG18DNFWXKz9 and is a 3-minute walk from Exit 31 of the “Odori” station.
If you, unfortunately, can’t visit in person check out their Instagram so you can marvel at the amazing ramen creations!
Ramen Yagaguchi (らぁ麺やまぐち)
Now if you’re visiting the Shinjuku region of Japan’s capital Tokyo, the most famous recommendation is Ramen Yagaguchi.
This is one of the best ramen shops in Tokyo for tourists!
The most impressive feat of this restaurant is that it’s been listed as a winner of the Michelin Bib Gourmand award for 3 consecutive years.
This reward is a sign of a balance between high-quality dining and good value food!
As well as this reward Ramen Yagaguchi has been consistently receiving rewards and is recognized as one of the best ramen restaurants in Tokyo, and believe me when I say that’s stiff competition.
The Chicken Soba is the most popular ramen at this location boasting a perfectly balanced umami flavor profile.
The chicken used is from Aizu, Fukushima prefecture, keeping the flavor of the meat delicious.
Yagaguchi offers both chicken and pork Char Siu as options for toppings with each having a distinctly delicious flavor.
With a clean interior and easily purchasable meals with a vending ticket system, the atmosphere of the restaurant is refreshing and simple.
Mr. Yamaguchi, the head chef at the restaurant, used to work in chemical manufacturing and only had making ramen as a side hobby.
But after winning a prestigious ramen-making competition after being a runner-up the year before, Yamaguchi won the right to open a ramen store and used this as motivation to quit his office job.
Using his business skills however, Yamaguchi noticed the local ramen shops in his district all focused on heavy ramen, so his choice to go light meant his meals stood out!
The restaurant is also highly acclaimed for its friendly but efficient service meaning you won’t get a cold reception but you’ll also not have to wait long for the warmth of the delicious ramen!
In spite of making light ramen, Yamaguchi makes sure that the flavor of his dishes won’t be forgotten!
The light feel of the meal means you and the people you visit with will not feel weighed down by the food, so that means you have more space to fill up with extra toppings like the deliciously golden, half-cooked boiled egg or more slices of the premium juicy chicken.
If you want a ramen that won’t weigh you down but will leave you feeling satisfied, Ramen Yagaguchi is the best choice in Shinjuku!
Ramen Yagaguchi’s website is http://www.ramen-yamaguchi.com/original.html and you can call ahead with +81332045120
They’re open 11:00-21:00 with the exception of year-end and new year holidays, but don’t go late as they often have to close early due to selling out!
The store location is here: https://goo.gl/maps/mEhNgyDfdgkGqo2AA and is a short 10-minute walk from the JR Takadanobaba Station.
