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Hidden away in residential Soshigaya-Okura is one of 2026’s sensations. Matsuo Seibaku is a noodle factory and ramen shop baked into one, where the noods play the protagonist.
In the Chuka Soba (from ¥950), these flat, medium-thick, curly wonders elevate the thick seafood and pork bone broth. The noodles are prepared using a ‘two-stage’ method: they’re first boiled in a pressure cooker, the sound of which echoes through the shop, then tightened in cold water before being heated again in hot water. All that work results in a texture that somehow combines melt-in-the-mouth softness with an al dente mouthfeel. Toasty, umami-rich char siu further enhances the experience.
On a hot day, you’ll want to go for the Kuroabura Soba (¥1,100), their ‘soupless’ oil ramen version, which wows with a combination of strong shoyu tare and charcoal-scented fat.