Many visitors use the Michelin Guide to narrow down Tokyo’s abundant dining options. While most focus on Michelin-starred restaurants, there’s another category that showcases affordable, high-quality options favored by locals. Meet Michelin’s Bib Gourmand recommendation. Read on to explore the difference between a Michelin star and a Bib Gourmand and to learn where to experience ramen of Michelin caliber in Tokyo.
For several years, Tokyo boasted three Michelin-starred ramen shops. But as of the 2024 iteration of the city’s Michelin Guide, those stars have been changed to Bib Gourmands. While a star evokes fine dining with a high price point and challenging reservation, a Bib Gourmand represents the people’s food; it highlights restaurants that have stood the test of time, earning the loyalty of locals with high-quality food enjoyed by everyday diners. Whereas a Michelin star can feel like an ostentatious statement, a Bib Gourmand recommendation is more like a reliable best friend. In that sense, it’s fitting that the Michelin Guide’s ramen selections hold Bib Gourmands: Ramen is, after all, a meal for everyone.
Haru Chan Ramen
Haru Chan is arguably the most quintessential Bib Gourmand on the list, as it is located in the bowels of salaryman Shinbashi. Shinbashi Ekimae Building 1, where you’ll find Haru Chan on the first floor, is a warren of pubs and standing bars for workers who stream into its underbelly before boarding the Yamanote Line home.
Diners are served a rich, salty and clear pork soup, unlike the typically milky tonkotsu. The depth of the pork is balanced by the vibrant, savory addition of dried fish, a combination that creates an incredibly comforting soup sure to fill you up. Haru Chan serves hefty portions, the soup almost overflowing from the bowl. The strong, salty flavor dances on the tongue, hearty and satisfying.
Prepare to line up if you go during lunch hours, as the restaurant has just six seats and an incredibly narrow storefront. You’ll be brushing shoulders with men in suits and ties while you savor some of the best ramen in Shinbashi.
Find Haru Chan on Twitter and Instagram.
Address: 1F Shinbashi Ekimae Building 1, 2-20-15 Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. | Closed Sundays and Mondays
Ramen Break Beats
Ramen Break Beats has been drawing lines down the block since its opening in 2022, and it consistently tops the charts with a commitment to dapper elegance.
Every bowl is visually flawless, with the quintessential noodle fold and crystal-clear broth. Look forward to a Kyushu chicken broth, a gentle soy sauce blend and a melty layer of chicken oil on top. We recommend ordering the special bowl with all the toppings, which comes with succulent smoked pork, chicken marinated in olive oil and fried enoki mushrooms.
The chef is also a DJ, thus the name, and the atmosphere inside is sleek. Diners sit at high stools facing the kitchen, each with a well-placed light to warm their personal dining space. Smooth background music plays, and staff encourage diners to take their time and enjoy the experience. This final point is important to note, considering that Break Beats is a reservation-only shop using the online TableCheck booking system. Slots for the next seven days open on the website at midnight.
Ramen Break Beats may be a more indulgent experience than others on the list, and the quality of ingredients and attention to detail make one wonder whether Michelin will one day allow starred ramen to return to Tokyo.
Find Break Beats on Instagram.
Address: 1F Ivy Heights, 4-21-19 Meguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Hours: Lunchtime only; visit TableCheck for available time slots
Yakumo
Everybody goes to Yakumo for one thing: wontons. Plump but delicate and hand-prepared to order, Yakumo’s wontons are the stuff of legend.
Yakumo opened in 1999 and is part of a long lineage of ramen shops famous for their wontons. The shop is steps from Ikejiri-Ohashi Station and a stone’s throw from Nakameguro, which makes it an easy side trip if you’re in the Shibuya area.
The atmosphere is beautiful, with a large U-shaped counter that wraps around the interior. Diners face each other as employees bring bowls to and from the kitchen, almost as if they’re on center stage. You can choose either white soy sauce or black soy sauce, with the white being softer and the black sharper. Definitely get both the pork and shrimp wontons with your order so you can experience the different flavor combinations with your soup.
Find Yakumo on Twitter.
Address: 1F Ebiya Building, 3-6-15 Higashiyama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. | Closed Tuesdays
King Seimen
If a smiley-faced fish cake doesn’t draw customers in the door, then I don’t know what would. King Seimen’s Michelin Bib Gourmand status is well deserved, and with a name that translates to “king of noodle making,” you know it’s going to be good. This ramen is a testament to the power of how a comforting bowl of soup and noodles can stand the test of time.
The white soy sauce-based soup bursts with piquant dried fish flavors. It’s a very umami-forward bowl, with hints of kelp to balance the acidity of the sardines. The noodles are made in-house daily and have a high water content, making them perfect for slurping. For those seeking a bit more punch, the sansho pepper option, which adds an aromatic peppercorn oil to spark your tastebuds, is recommended.
King Seimen is a member of the Koike group, which has six other fantastic, highly regarded ramen shops sprinkled throughout Tokyo, one of which also currently boasts a Bib Gourmand recommendation. This makes the Koike group a perfect “bucket list” of sorts for foodies passionate about good ramen. King Seimen is a bit out of the way, but it’s well worth the trip. With 10 seats and a quick turnover, you’ll never wait too long to get your hands on a bowl.
Find King Seimen on Instagram.
Address: 1F Takasaki Building, 1-14-1 Oji-Honcho, Kita-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 11 a.m.–3 p.m. / 5:30–8:30 p.m.
Sosakumenkobo Nakiryu
If you’re looking for spicy ramen, head to Nakiryu for their sophisticated tantanmen. This ramen is exquisite and draws long lines from those who wish to sample one of Tokyo’s finest spicy bowls.
It’s a classic Tokyo-style tantanmen, which layers sesame paste and chili oil on top of a lighter soup broth of chicken and beef. The soup is refined and balanced, combining Chinese five-spice alongside nutty sesame paste. A backbone of electric black vinegar complements the mellow spicy creaminess. Add cilantro topping for a beautiful color contrast and to brighten your flavor palate as you eat.
Nakiryu once held a Michelin star but now has a Bib Gourmand recommendation. The shop’s aesthetic certainty alludes to its reputation: Think glistening chrome countertops and attentive staff who refill your water. Speaking of luxuries, customers are provided with sun umbrellas to escape the heat when lining up outside during the summer months.
Reservations in the form of numbered tickets begin outside the shop at 8 a.m., so show up early to secure your lunch slot then head into Shinjuku for some pre-feast shopping.
Find Nakiryu on Twitter.
Address: 1F Sky, 2-34-4 Minami-Otsuka, Toshima-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00–3:30 p.m. | Closed Tuesdays with occasional irregular holidays; check Twitter for monthly calendar
