A distinguished Ramen Experience
Ever since Nakiryu received its michelin star, it has become a popular destination in Tokyo for Ramen fanatics. Their ramen features a skinny noodle and their most famous broth is the spicy tantanmen which originates from Chinese Sichuan cuisine.
They have 4 different styles of broth available to select from – Tantanmen, Shio (salt), Umeshio (salted plum), and Shouyu (Soy Sauce).
While the Ramen is already delicious and distinguished from other Ramen styles, what helps Nakiryu stand out even further is their side dishes of meat and pork which is seasoned and grilled to perfection.
Nakiryu is located near Otsuka station, which is accessible from the popular Yamanote Line and just one stop over from Ikebukuro Station.
If you’re looking to give it a try, you’ll want to line up early, as the restaurant is the standard small, Japanese shop with limited seating. Definitely not good for groups so come with less than 3 people or alone as there are only 10 seats indoors.
Should you wait over an hour and a half for Ramen? Probably not. Our stance is that you should never wait more than an hour for food unless you have a cozy atmosphere to hang out at. If you’re lucky and happen to be in the area you may be able to grab a seat in less than 30min. Generally at Nakiryu, you’ll see a line out the door of more than 10 people and can expect to wait over an hour during the lunch and dinner rush.
But if you don’t want to wait you can actually buy an instant version of their ramen:
It can be found at some 7 Elevens in Japan for 300 yen or less and can make an interesting souvenir gift if you have the luggage space! While the broth packets do include some meat, you will definitely be missing out on the proper fresh experience from the restaurant.
Let us know if you’ve tried it below and what you think!
Itadakimasu!
