With 446 restaurants listed in the Michelin Guide, the Japanese capital confirms its status as an essential gastronomic destination. Follow Bibendum to discover decorated ramen!
Preamble: A brief history of ramen
The first versions of this dish were of Chinese origin; ramen (ラーメン／拉麺／老麺／柳麺) is said to derive its current name from hand-pulled wheat noodles, a specialty of Gansu province in China.
The first Japanese person to have tasted ramen is believed to be Tokugawa Mitsukuni, lord of the Mito clan, during the Edo period. A Chinese scholar in exile in Japan, Zhu Zhiyu, is said to have introduced him to noodles made from soft wheat flour and lotus root powder, a noodle soup similar to udon.
However, the true importation of ramen dates back to the beginning of the 20th century.e century (Meiji era). They became popular after World War II. A complete hot meal, economical and nourishing, it has the advantage of using wheat flour which, at that time, was easier to obtain than rice. In 1958, Nissin Foods launched the first instant ramen, then in 1971 its famous Cup Noodles (a local response to McDonald's which established itself in Japan the same year!).
Ramen is served in a large bowl of noodle broth, and can be cooked in all sorts of ways, according to the countless variations of recipes.
Constellation of star ramen (ラーメン)
This dish, quite basic in itself, can become a true work of culinary art, as evidenced by the presence of Michelin-starred restaurants specializing in it. Among other establishments, we can mention:
Nakiryu , in the Toshima ward:
- 2 Chome−34−4ＳＫＹ南大塚, Toshima City, Tokyo 170-0005
Soba House Konjiki Hototogisu, in Shinjuku:
- 2 Chome−4−1 第22宮庭マンション 1F, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0022
Chukasoba Ginza Hachigou, in Ginza:
- 3 Chome-14-2 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061
Finally, special mention for the restaurant Tsuta, which, although it lost its star in 2020, is well worth a visit!
- フロンティア代々木上原Ｂ1, 3 Chome-2-4 Nishihara, Shibuya City, Tokyo 151-0066
Ramen is something you have to earn!
The good news is that these restaurants are inexpensive. No, you're not dreaming, you can enjoy a meal in a restaurant awarded by the famous Michelin Man for prices ranging from €10 to €30! The bad news is that these restaurants are (really very) small. Consequently, you'll need to be patient to taste their specialties. It's not uncommon to see queues of several hours… Tip: come during the week and be there at least 30 minutes before opening time to avoid a long wait!
