Iruca Tokyo Roppongi

From its humble beginnings in western Tokyo’s Higashikurume City, Iruca Tokyo’s most recent expansion — and recent awardee of the Michelin Bib Gourmand — is right in the middle of the glitzy, fashionable district of Roppongi. Accordingly, it’s taken a step up in terms of interior design: Its elegant interiors, designed by a classmate of the owner, feel more akin to Tokyo’s most luxurious kaiseki restaurants, as opposed to a ramen shop. But netizens and regulars agree that Chef Ogawa Kazuhiro, Iruca Tokyo’s affable owner, is doing something right. The signature dish is the yuzu shio ramen, but the restaurant’s top seller is by far the porcini shoyu (soy sauce) ramen. The latter is actually a blend of four different broths: Nagoya cochin chicken, mussels, Satsuma kurobuta (black pork) and the highly-prized ise-ebi (Japanese spiny lobster). When mixed together, the punch of flavors is unlike any other ramen in Tokyo, aided by the satisfying texture of the flat noodles (a triangular shape is used for the yuzu broth). Though there is always a line outside the store, seasonal updates keep guests coming back. It helps that the restaurant is so near to Roppongi Station, and just off the main road. Visitors unfamiliar with the area need only look for the line outside; it can curve all the way around the block during peak seasons. Michelin Guide: 2023 - Bib Gourmand