Ramen Asahi

Sleepy Hamadayama on the Keio Inokashira line became a ramen destination almost overnight with the spring 2025 opening of Asahi, an offshoot of the revered Yamaguchi in Takadanobaba.

The shop’s clear chintan soup is a thing of beauty, crafted from heirloom chicken, three kinds of clams, two types of smoked fish flakes and kombu kelp, then paired with a tare sauce made with aged shoyu.

Then you get satisfyingly springy, curly noodles, plus in the Tokusei serving (¥1,500) an array of toppings that encompasses marinated pork loin char siu, chicken thigh steamed in sake, sansho-infused chicken wontons and an umami-rich ajitama egg.

The cherry on top is a mushroom and onion paste seasoned with butter and balsamic vinegar, which you can mix into the soup halfway in to turn the flavours upside down. Will this be Tokyo’s next Michelin-starred ramen joint? Wouldn’t surprise us one bit.