Some feel that Rakkan Nishi Azabu Gold has the best shoyu ramen in Tokyo. This small shop uses the finest ingredients from around the country to create an elegant “amber” shoyu ramen and a “pearl” shio ramen.

Locals love this place
Rakkan Nishi Azabu Gold is in Nishi Azabu, within walking distance from Roppongi. This new age ramen shop is tiny, with only 8 seats. They’ve been around since 2011 and are a huge hit with locals.
Also, “Rakkan” means optimism. This word choice highlights their extreme confidence in their ramen.

The Broth
Their ramen broth is composed of various high-quality vegetables, katuso (bonito) from Shizuoka, Japanese anchovies from Kyushu, and konbu (kelp) from Hokkaido.
Finally, they add olive oil to the broth.
“Amber” Shoyu Ramen
This is their signature dish; Kohaku, or Amber. Amber appropriately describes the broth color.

The high-grade, rich shoyu makes its presence felt immediately. The olive oil gives the broth a subtle Mediterranean accent and the diced onions make it sweeter.
It’s a complex broth. I can understand why some feel this is the best shoyu ramen in Tokyo.
Pearl Shio Ramen
In the shio ramen, the shio taste is harder to find. The broth doesn’t have the same punch as the shoyu. This could be due to the diced onions overpowering the shio in the broth.

It also seems like the shio has a stronger taste of fish. It’s still a fantastic bowl. But between the 2, I would take the shoyu.

The toppings in both bowls are superb. The soft chasu pork stands out.
If you go, the best time to visit is right when it opens at 11 am. Like me, I’m sure you’ll feel optimism when you eat their ramen.

Shop Hours: Everyday! 11:00 ~ 17:00