1. Motenashi Kuroki 饗 くろ喜
The famous bowl here is their shio (salt) clear soup base, but Kuroki-san (formerly a trained kaiseki and ryōtei chef) is famed for always changing things up and offering special ramen, hiyashi chuka (cold noodles) and some forms of mazemen (mixed dry noodles). A soup base of chicken, pork bones, konbu, roasted Ago fish, katsuo (skipjack tuna) and saba (mackerel) is complimented by a blend of six different salts. The result is a broth which is light texturally on first sip, but then gives way to a depth of flavour and umami. Elegantly topped with roast pork charsiu, chicken charsiu, a half boiled egg, fried burdock, Japanese mustard spinach and a shrimp wonton, Kuroki is a perfect example of the move towards highly sophisticated ramen using premium ingredients.
Motenashi Kuroki, 2-15 Kanda Izumicho Chiyoda Tokyo