Ramen Nijubunnoichi is my no. 1 pick for shio (salt-seasoned) ramen in Tokyo. Recommended by Michelin, Nijubunnoichi's shio ramen is straight from heaven.
Ramen Nijubunnoichi - Really the Best Shio Ramen?
Granted, the article title here is clickbaity.
There are countless Tokyo shops with top-level shio ramen. It's to the point where I could easily add another 10 to this existing list.
But I do believe that Nijubunnoichi (Ramen にじゅうぶんのいち) is the at the top of the heap. Their shio ramen simply ticks ALL the boxes. I don't take this lightly either - shio ramen is very dear to me. It might be my favorite ramen style.
Choose from shio, shoyu (soy sauce), and miso ramen. Once in a while they have limited time ramen too. If you haven't been paying attention up to now, shio ramen is the way to go.
A Shio Ramen Tour de Force
Let's get to it. The shio ramen seasoning consists of 3 types of seaweed salt, scallops, bonito, mackerel, horse mackerel, and other ingredients. It sustains a soup that's mainly Koushu breed chickens. Harmony exists between land and sea.
The aromatic, full-bodied soup amusingly wavers. What I mean is that it's punchy one second and and soft the next. It's amazing how they achieve this dichotomy. It's like going back and forth between Vivaldi's different violin concertos.
In short, it's a ramen tour de force.
A sticky chicken richness will cling to your lips first. But the softer fish elements in the background take effect afterwards. For toppings, there's duck and broiled pork, Kyoto kujo negi (spring onions), hosaki menma (long bamboo shoots), seaweed, and an egg.
All the toppings are magnificent. The same can be said about the noodles.
Deep in Arakawa, Tokyo
Ramen Nijubunnoichi is located in Arakawa City (Northeast Tokyo). The closest station is Higashiogusanchome. Getting there may be a trek if you're a tourist wishing to remain in central Tokyo. But if you're seeking spectacular shio ramen, it's worth it.
In addition to being in Michelin's Bib Gourmand Guide, they're listed in Tabelog's Top 100 Tokyo Ramen.