After a night out in raucous Roppongi, ramen is the perfect nightcap. From creamy tonkotsu to burnt miso ramen, here are 6 Roppongi ramen shops open late!
1. Aka no Ren (博多麺房 赤のれん)
Aka no Ren is a Roppongi ramen institution. They’re one of the first in Tokyo to serve authentic Hakata style ramen. Their tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen broth is thick, milky, and delicious.
But a fair amount of soy sauce seasoning also gives the broth a brown color and somewhat tangy aftertaste. Grab the “chamenma” ramen, which comes with crunchy menma and a pretty pork chashu arrangement.
2. Shuichi (しゅういち)
Nobody does curry ramen better than Shuichi. Their gentler, more subdued curry allows for wonderful fusion when paired with other elements, like spicy miso or black sesame.
Black Sesame Curry Tantanmen
I tip my ramen hat to Shuichi and their ingenious curry ramen. Moreover, they’re open the latest on this list (6 AM everyday but Sunday).
3. Kaotan (かおたんラーメンえんとつ屋)
Kaotan might be the most interesting ramen experience from the entries here. Their interior is more like a log cabin than a ramen shop. It’s all part of the charm.
Wontonmen
Their forte is a sweet (from little bits of onion) and simple bowl of shoyu ramen. Classic chashu pork and fluffy wonton dumplings can be added as toppings. But their most famous toppings are snow peas.
Video on Kaotan below:
4. Gogyo (西麻布 五行)
Gogyo is part of the Ippudo empire and they literally serve burnt ramen. This ramen is unique and hard to replicate. Choose from burnt miso or shoyu, regular tonkotsu or shio. The burnt miso ramen is the best choice.
Special Kogashi Miso Ramen
The miso broth carries a sweet, caramelized flavor. If you get all toppings, a bit of cabbage, a ton of pork chashu, and 1.5 eggs help soak up the oily broth. While a bit on the higher end, Gogyo is quality.
5. Tori Soba 156 Ichikoro (鶏そば十番156)
Ichikoro’s claim to fame is rich chicken ramen (tori paitan). Their most popular “Tori Aosoba” will taste like a cream of chicken soup. The soup is primarily chicken bones from Kyushu (including momiji) and veggies – all boiled for 6 plus hours.
Chicken Aosoba
“Ao” refers to the aonori seaweed topping, also known as “green laver.” This addition is a welcome, oceanic contrast to the creamy broth. Softer menma and wonderful slices of chicken breast round out this appetizing ramen.
#6 Roppongi Furumen (六本木 ふるめん)
Furumen is a ramen shop during the day and an izakaya at night. Their signature ramen is niboshi (dried baby sardines) in a soy sauce seasoning. The niboshi flavor is not super strong.
Furthermore, there’s a pleasant sweetness (from yuzu) and sourness present. It’s not the prettiest ramen to look at. But it’s tasty, with bean sprouts and nira providing an old school touch. The chicken and pork chashu are peppered and the menma grilled. Overall, a solid bowl.
While Ichiran is a decent choice for Roppongi ramen, try the wonderful ramen shops above for less of a chainy experience!
