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.
