Rakkan Ramen – Nishiazabu, Tokyo

This is Rakkan Ramen in Nishiazabu, Tokyo. I’d classify it as an upscale ramen shop. They have more than twice the shops in the USA than they have in Japan, but this is their main store and company HQ. There are 10 seats total, the decor was more like a sushi shop, and one man was running the store. I ordered their signature soy sauce flavored ramen – “Amber” / “Kohaku” “琥珀”(JPY 1570). It’s got a whole soft-boiled egg, 2 nori sheets, thin sliced bamboo shoots, diced leek, 2 slices of roast pork, and straight thin noodles. The broth was light and complex and not too salty, with katsuobushi smokiness nicely coming through.

The noodles were done perfectly, but a bit starchy for my preference. The highlight was the roast pork, which was prepared in sous vide. It was so tender I had a moment of confusion wondering if it was beef of some kind, but it was pork. I also ordered a small char-siu don rice bowl (JPY 580). The pork on the rice bowl was not prepared in sous vide, and was flamed with a torch before served. It was a bit salty, but still good. I actually put most of the egg on the rice and ate it that way. Overall I liked it, especially the pork slices in the ramen. The ramen was light, flavorful, and sophisticated. It was a bit on the spendy side, but the quality warranted it, and it certainly wasn’t run of the mill. I will go back!

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Rakkan (楽観)Ramen

 

Address: 1-chōme-8-12 Nishiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0031

 

Hours:Mon-Sat: 11:00 AM–4:00 PM, 6:00 PM–4:00 AM / Sun: 11:00 AM–7:00 PM

 

Phone: +81364345057

 

URL:  Rakkaninc株式会社楽観 – 伝統を誇り革新的に。

 

Visited:Wednesday November 26, 11:30am (Flagship store in Nishiazabu, Tokyo). I went alone.

 

 

Rakkan Ramen is a popular Japanese ramen chain known for its innovative, 100% plant-based broths made from high-quality vegetables like mushrooms, seaweed, onions, garlic, ginger, shiitake, carrots, and kombu, combined with house-fermented seasonings for a rich umami flavor. Unlike traditional tonkotsu ramen, it’s lighter with about 40% fewer calories. So it’s guilt-free, and fully vegan-friendly while maintaining authentic taste. The chain emphasizes sustainability, having planted over 1,800 trees through initiatives like World Vegan Day campaigns. It has won awards like Tabelog’s Best Ramen in 2012 and a spot in Japan’s top 100 ramen shops.

 

I’d classify Rakkan as an upscale ramen shop. They have more than twice the shops in the USA than they have in Japan, but this is their main store and company HQ.Even so the shop is in an out of the way location on a quiet back street near a busy intersection. There are 10 seats, the decor was more like sushi shops I’ve been in than a typical ramen shop, and one man was running the store. The interior was reverently silent.Ordering was simple thanks to a multi language touch screen system.

 

I selected their signature soy sauce flavored ramen – “Amber” / “Kohaku” “琥珀”(JPY 1570). It’s got a whole soft-boiled egg, 2 nori sheets, thin sliced bamboo shoots, diced leek, 2 slices of roast pork, and straight thin noodles. The broth was light, complex, and not too salty, with a subtle smokiness nicely coming through. The noodles were done perfectly, but a bit starchy for my preference. The highlight was the roast pork, which was prepared in sous vide. It was so tender I had a moment of confusion wondering if it was beef of some kind, but it was indeed pork. I also ordered a small char-siu don rice bowl (JPY 580). The pork on the rice bowl was not prepared in sous vide, and was flamed with a torch before service. It was a bit salty, but still flavorful and satisfying. I actually put most of the jammy egg on the rice and ate it that way. Overall the ramen was light, flavorful, and sophisticated.The sliced pork was melt-in-your-mouth tender. It was really delicious! That said, it was a bit on the spendy side of the ramen spectrum.However, the quality definitely warranted it, and it certainly wasn’t run of the mill. I will go back!