Harajuku’s Best Ramen Spots: 5 Must-Visit Shops for Ramen Lovers
Updated: Nov 21
HELLO, I'M AYU!
I am one of the staff members at Patia, where we offer cooking classes specifically designed for foreign tourists in Tokyo. I have two children, and I love cooking! I look forward to sharing my passion for cooking with you and making your experience in Japan truly memorable!
Harajuku is known as a center of fashion and culture, but it is also home to many delicious ramen restaurants. In this blog, we will introduce 5 recommended ramen restaurants in Harajuku. Some ramen stores are even open to vegans, so please take a look.
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Harajuku’s Best Ramen Spots: 5 Must-Visit Shops for Ramen Lovers
Here are 5 best ramen restaurants to go in Tokyo. The following information below is current as of July 2024. These are subject to change, so please check each official websites in advance.
1. Afuri Harajuku
Source: Tripadvisor
Afuri Harajuku is located on the first floor of Grande Foresta, a 3-minute walk from JR Harajuku Station or a 5-minute walk from Meiji-jingumae Station.
The soup is made from carefully selected ingredients such as domestic whole chicken, seafood, and aromatic vegetables, which are cooked slowly in pure water to give it a rich and gentle flavor. Thin noodles with a delicate aroma of barley, chashu pork that is carefully seared one by one, and a thick, half-boiled egg are sure to whet your appetite.
Seasonal Vegan Ramen is also available in addition to the regular ramen. This ramen is made with colorful, freshly picked vegetables and is suitable for vegans as well. From the soup to the ingredients, 100% vegetable-based ingredients are used to maximize the flavor of the vegetables.
Open daily from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM, with no holidays, so feel free to stop by whenever you are in the mood for ramen.
Hours of Operation 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM (until the soup runs out)
Map
2. Kyushu Jangara Ramen Harajuku
Source: Tripadvisor
Kyushu Jangara Ramen Harajuku, located a 2-minute walk from the East Exit of Harajuku Statio, is a restaurant that serves mainly tonkotsu ramen.
Several types of tonkotsu ramen are available, with "Bon Shan" being the most popular. The creamy, rich, and deep soup is unique and delicious.
The thin noodles used for the ramen have a certain hardness with a lumpy texture. The noodles are also balanced by the combination of several types of flour and the hardness of the egg whites, which gives them a firm texture.
This restaurant also offers vegan ramen. The soup is made by simmering umami-rich vegetables, which gives it a richness that is as good as the pork bone broth. The noodles are egg-free, but they are so delicious and slurpable that it is hard to believe they are egg-free.
Hours of Operation 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Map
3. Shibire Noodles Rosokuya Omotesando Hills
Source: Tripadvisor
Shibire Noodles Rosokuya Omotesando Hills is an affiliate of the very popular ramen restaurant, which has its main branch in Ginza, located on the third floor of Omotesando Hills.
The specialty of Rosokuya is the mabo ramen. Among the spiciness and numbness, the numbness is especially strong and addictive, and many people have become addicted to it. Although it is not recommended for those who do not like spicy food, on the other hand, for those who love spicy food and mabo tofu, we highly recommend trying Rosokuya’s mabo ramen. While the basic version is spicy and numbing enough, it can be changed to double spicy for free. If that is not enough for you, you can also increase the spiciness and numbness for an additional 100 yen each, so give it a try.
Shibire Noodles Rosokuya Omotesando Hills also offers free half-size rice service between 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, so be sure to ask for it if you visit during lunch time.
Hours of Operation 11:00 AM - 10:30 PM（Sundays 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM）
Map
4. Hajime
Source: Tabelog
Hajime is a popular ramen restaurant located near Meiji Jingumae that specializes in thick tsukemen noodles.
The signature dish at Hajime is tsukemen made with seafood and pork bone broth. The noodles are smooth and chewy and intertwine well with the moderately thick soup. The pork belly chashu pork is seared and served, which gives it a crispy surface and a tender texture when you bite into it.
The restaurant offers free medium and large servings of noodles! If you are looking for full ramen or tsukemen in the Harajuku area, Hajime is the place to go.
Hours of Operation Weekdays & Saturdays 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM Sundays & Holidays 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Map
5. Nogata Hope Harajuku
Source: Tripadvisor
Nogata Hope is a popular ramen restaurant located a 5-minute walk from Harajuku or Kitasando stations, with a perfect balance of rich but not cloying ramen.
The ramen here is an impressive bowl of thick pork bone soy sauce soup with a large amount of back fat. The noodles are medium-thick and curly, and they are well mixed with the soup. The soup and back fat are brought to your mouth together with the noodles, which makes the taste even better.
Another nice feature is the all-you-can-eat spicy bean sprouts. When served with the soup, the spicy flavor combined with the thick broth creates an exquisite harmony.
Compared to neighboring ramen stores, the restaurant has more seats, so it is easy to enter even with a large group. In addition, the restaurant is open until 2:00 a.m., making it a valuable place to go even late at night.
Hours of Operation 11:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Map
Summary
Harajuku is home to many unique ramen stores as well as fashion and culture. Why not enjoy the unique charm of each store and try their ramen while you are there? Next time you visit Harajuku, please visit one of these ramen stores. A wonderful ramen experience awaits you!
Patia’s Jiro-style Ramen Making Class in Tokyo
We run Japanese cooking classes in Tokyo. We also offer a Jiro-style Ramen making class with an English-speaking instructor. In this class, participants can go to a grocery store in Akihabara to buy ingredients, make Jiro-style ramen from scratch, and eat it. We are hoping you to enjoy Japanese food experiences and create unforgettable memories in Tokyo.
We share more behind-the-scenes moments, cooking tips, and beautiful photos from our classes on Instagram! Be sure to follow us and join in the Tokyo food adventure.
Check us out at @patiajapanesecooking
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