Mitaka (West Tokyo) is full of amazing ramen shops. Among them, these 3 Mitaka ramen shops deliciously stand out. They're conveniently located near the Ghibli Museum, serving everything from gentle clam ramen to heavier garlic-powered ramen.
1. Refined Clam Ramen at Sukoyaka (ラーメン 健やか)
Mitaka ramen shop Sukoyaka is well-respected. This is for good reason. Their shio (salt) ramen is stunning, both in appearance and flavor. The light salt seasoning holds up a soup that is mostly chicken and clam. It's a harmonious meeting of land and sea.
They also add some truffle oil - but it's just the right amount. It doesn't take away from the chicken or clam elements. Everything else in the ramen is wonderful of course, whether the slow-cooked pork and chicken slices or the high-quality noodles.
Shop Hours: 11:30 am ~ 2:30 pm / 6 pm ~ 9 pm (closed on Mon)
2. A Tasty Mess at Stamina Manten Ramen Suzuki (元祖スタミナ満点ラーメン すず鬼)
If Sukoyaka is all about refined ramen, Suzuki might just represent the opposite. This is apparent immediately when the ramen is put down in front of you. There's a lot going on in the salty soy sauce-seasoned soup.
This soup packed with fried onions, huge chunks of pork, and conceals massive noodles. Furthermore, there are pockets of minced garlic and ginger. But this crazy ramen somehow works. But they're only open at night. Somehow this makes sense too.
Shop Hours: 6 pm ~ 10 pm (closed on Sun)
3. Highest Ranked in Mitaka - Menya Sakurai (麺屋 さくら井)
Sakurai might just be king among Mitaka ramen shops. Their signature ramen is soy sauce (shoyu) based. They blend 6 types of soy sauce and the soup is primarily chicken, both whole chickens and chicken bones. Every sip is as radiant as the sun.
Sakurai is known for their ridiculously soft, top-notch slices of pork and chicken chashu. They arguably have some of the best in Tokyo! Overall, this ramen surely won't disappoint. You'll know you're there when you see the lineup outside.
Shop Hours: 11:30 am ~ 3 pm (closed on Wed)
BONUS: Chicken-Centered Ramen at Chukasoba Himawari (中華そば 向日葵)
On this list, Himawari is the closest ramen shop to the Ghibli Museum (under 10 min. by foot). We think you'll agree that Himawari's ramen is pretty to look. It happens to be tasty as well. It's done in a similar style the bowl at Sakurai.
In other words, it has a tangy soy sauce seasoning and a warmly flavored chicken soup. The chicken flavor here though is slightly more restrained, coupled with more vegetable use in the soup. All in all, this is a ramen shop well worth visiting.
Shop Hours: 9 am ~ 2:30 pm / 6 pm ~ 9 pm (closed on Thu, Sun)
We hope you enjoyed this best of Mitaka ramen list!