Chorin – Miso Ramen Worth Seeking Out Near Takadanobaba
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
If you follow Tokyo miso ramen at all, you’ve probably heard of Misokko Hook in Ogikubo — one of the city’s most respected miso shops. Chorin (ちょりん) is the next chapter. The chef here trained under Hook, and when he opened his own place in March 2025, the miso crowd took notice fast.
I waited a few months for the hype to settle, came in on a weekday for lunch, and was seated in under 30 minutes with maybe eight people ahead of me.
The shop sits in the Takadanobaba area — not far from Shinjuku — which puts it in one of Tokyo’s more competitive ramen corridors. Earning a reputation here means something.
The Bowl
The move is the Spicy Miso Ramen. If you’ve had Hook, the visual is familiar — thick, viscous soup, stir-fried vegetables worked into the base, depth from pork bones and chicken bones. The DNA is clear.
Where Chorin diverges from its predecessor is in the seasoning. Hook runs a darker miso that hits you upfront. Chorin goes with a lighter miso — smoother and with less of that aggressive edge.
The spice follows the same logic: where Hook brings a more flowing chili heat, Chorin’s spice is more togarashi-forward — flaky, aromatic, a little restrained. If you prefer something more dialed back, Chorin is your shop.
The medium-thick straight noodles are excellent and hold the soup well. Toppings on my bowl: chashu, bean sprouts, menma, ajitama egg, and spicy oil as add-ons.
The chashu was the standout — four thick, melt-in-your-mouth slices.
Chorin Miso Ramen – Worth Going?
Chorin is one of the better miso ramen bowls in Tokyo right now. It’s not reinventing anything — it’s Hook’s framework with its own mellower personality, executed well.
