Hashimoto

With only a few years of operating under its belt, this ramen shop, located eight minutes from Nakano Station, has gained quite a reputation. Owned by a skilled chef who learned from a reputable ramen joint in Tokyo, he went on his way to open his own humble store. Everyone knows the secret to great ramen is the broth (even though the noodles do play a huge role as well). The broth at Hashimoto is made of a mix of pork bones, chicken, shrimp, squid, seasonal fish, and soy sauce. The seafood taste is more pronounced than that of the other meat, which gives this broth a distinct flavor. Hashimoto offers regular ramen or the deluxe ramen, with the latter having three slices of chashu pork instead of just one. Made from Canadian pork, the chashu meat is sliced right before being served to prevent oxidation, and preserve the flavor. You can opt for regular ramen and request for a side of chili pepper paste so that the level of spiciness is within your control. Start off eating your bowl of ramen without the paste, and then gradually add it halfway through to enjoy a few dimensions of flavors. Serving about a hundred customers a day, Hashimoto often runs out of ramen and ultimately closes early. Drop by bright and early to make sure you're one of the lucky ones that day to get a bowl!