Ramen Kōkaibō (らーめん こうかいぼう) is one of Tokyo's most celebrated ramen shops. Run by a friendly couple, it's become a landmark in East Tokyo's Monzennakacho neighborhood.
Ramen Kōkaibō - Best in Monzennakacho
You don't have to worry about speaking Japanese. Ramen Kōkaibō has English on their menu. Essentially you're looking at two items to choose from:
Ramen
Tsukemen (Dipping Ramen)
Pictured is the "Seasoned Egg Ramen", which is only ¥800. The style of ramen that Kōkaibō serves colloquially known as "MIX". It involves mixing two soups. One soup is about fish and the other, elements like chicken and pork.
Ramen Kōkaibō's two soups are pork trotters, chicken bones, fish, and vegetables like onions and potatoes. The fish ingredients include bonito fish flakes and dried sardines. In the ramen soup it's these fish flavors that stand out the most.
But the pork and chicken bones play a role in providing richness and overall balance. What holds up all of this is a complex seasoning. They use natural salt from Izu Oshima island and 4 types of soy sauce (shoyu).
The toppings are egg (which I added), seaweed, white spring onions, chashu pork, and brick-sized bamboo shoots. Noodle company Kanno Seimenjo supplies the thin noodles.
Award-Winning Team
Ramen Kōkaibō is run by a husband and wife team known for their superb customer service. This is definitely the case - you'll feel this warmth as soon as you walk in.
Furthermore, the ramen shop has consistently been part of Tabelog's Top 100 Tokyo Ramen list every year since 2017. You know they're doing something right! Think of Tabelog as a Yelp-like site in Japan.
In summary, Ramen Kōkaibō is considered the Holy Grail among "MIX" ramen shops in Tokyo.