Ramen around Shijo-Karasuma — Three Bowls, Three Characters

Three different bowls

Shijo-Karasuma offers ramen of very different kinds — a clear seafood dashi, a chicken-and-lemon bowl in a townhouse, and an offal tsukemen hidden down an alley. Here are three shops, each with its own character.

A clear, all-seafood dashi — Men-ya Inoichi

Near Bukkoji, Men-ya Inoichi is known for a clear (chintan) ramen built on seafood dashi, with no pork or chicken fat. Its signature "dashi soba" comes in white or black soy sauce, with house-made thin noodles blended with stone-milled whole wheat. A popular shop selected for the Michelin Bib Gourmand (Michelin's good-value list); its numbered tickets can run out early.

Chicken paitan and lemon in a townhouse — Ramen Muraji

In a townhouse on Yanaginobanba, Ramen Muraji lets you enjoy a bowl while looking onto a small garden, in a building said to be over a century old. Its signatures are a rich chicken paitan (a milky, collagen-rich broth) and a lemon ramen plated like a flower. Fried rice and matcha ice cream round things out.

An offal tsukemen down an alley — Wajoryomen Sugari

Down an alley off Shinmachi, Wajoryomen Sugari is a hideaway with a tiny sign. Set in a renovated townhouse said to be over a century old, it is known for tsukemen (noodles served with a separate dipping broth) and ramen featuring torched beef offal, served with a rich chicken-and-bonito dipping broth, offal and cabbage. There are twists too, like a sukiyaki-style raw egg or a curry version.

Before you go

All are popular, some with numbered tickets, lines, or hard-to-find entrances. Hours, closed days and payment (cash-only or card-only) vary by shop and can change, so check each shop's official channels.