Ginza Kagari

Stop scrolling and eat here.
I almost couldn’t find this place, and when I did and saw the line, I almost walked away, but I decided that if people were standing in line in the pouring rain to eat here, it must be good. Oh, was it ever worth the wait. The chicken noodles (~¥950) were easily the best soup dish I’ve had while in Japan. Be prepared to wait, as there are fewer than ten seats around the counter, but this is very good. You won’t be disappointed.

Ginza Kagari is located down a lonely, unmarked alley in the Ginza neighborhood and serves an unlikely type of ramen, chicken. Even the sign is somewhat deceiving, as it simply says «Soba», yet they are more known for their ramen, although they do serve soba buckwheat noodles here. You know if you are in the right spot, if you just happen to see a lot of people in line waiting in front of nothing… The line starts on the main streets, before it takes a right and snakes down the alley. Perhaps an easier way to find it is that it is located almost directly across the street from the Apple Store.
Once inside, you will notice that the restaurant is very, very small. The counter forms three fourths of a square, and only seats eight. You will almost undoubtedly be looking directly at somebody while eating.
The dish that has made them famous if the Tori Paitan, which is a creamy chicken ramen. I ordered the large (¥1050) which comes with three slices of chicken and vegetables. I ordered extra chicken (¥300), a soy soft boiled egg (¥120) and bamboo shoots (¥250).
I was presented with a large bowl of creamy, frothy broth glistening with vibrant colors of green beans, lettuce, and red seaweed. There was a pinkish star shaped item in the bowl, but I am not sure what it is. Underneath the broth is cabbage, which slightly wilts under from the hot broth.
The flavor of the broth is rich and deep. Like the best chicken soup your Jewish grandmother ever made, if she happened to be Japanese. The broth was not overly salty. The seaweed and green beans added a nice crunch, while the lettuce added just a touch of bitterness. The cabbage also provided some sulfuric earthiness to the dish. The eggs were cooked just perfectly, with the yolks slows running out of their nests like slow moving magma.
Before eating at Ginza Kagari, I had never had chicken ramen before. This almost made me a convert as it was lighter than a tonkotsu based soup. I would go out of my way to eat here again when in Tokyo.

Best chicken noodle soup ever!
If you enjoy a good creamy bowl of tonkotsu ramen, you must order tori-​paiten ramen at Kagari. Its the tonkotsu equivalent except its made with chicken, not pork.
Broth is super creamy and with flavors of chicken. Ramen noodle is the thin straight type. Seasonal vegetables are the complementary toppings and you can add-​on other additional items. Chicken (white meat) is surprisingly tender and moist.
Everything that was made in the bowl has been carefully crafted, despite everything seeming simple. From the perfect amount of salt, to the right temperature to eat the ramen. Everything appears perfectly seamless and fluid to enhance the experience, including the service.
Before entering the shop, menu (English available) is handed out and order is received before entering the shop. Shop is tiny with only 8 seats. A bib is available to protect your clothing.
Tip:
If you see in an alleyway a signage with the words «soba», that is Kagari.
Line up 20 – 40 min before the ramen service starts (11 am) to get into the shop in the 1^st or 2^nd round of ramen service.
Note:
One of top recommended ramen on Lucky Peach by Ivan Orkin (of Ivan Ramen)
Listed under Tokyo’s Michelin Bib Gourmand
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Be patient, grasshopper. This joint is swimming with tourists from near and far but at the end of the wait you will devour a rich and creamy chicken ramen that is pure bliss. It’s so rich that it almost resembles a type of carbonara. Add an egg and ask for sudachi which is citrus to help break the richness. 60 min wait for 15 minutes of food joy? Sure why not.

The paitan was sold out on the day I went, and it was a seafood paitan not chicken anyway. I tried the shio ramen, and it was delicious. The broth was very comforting, not too salty, and rich. Not much else to say except that I wish I could try the paitan. One of the employees can help you with English because the vending machine is completely in Japanese even though there are only three choices of ramen plus two sizes.

Best chicken ramen I’ve ever had in my life, and among the best ramen I’ve ever had period.
I recommend ordering the nori paitan with the egg (made the mistake of forgetting to order the egg, novice move). The broth is so creamy and comforting and the chicken is so tender. I liked that they also added a decent amount of veggies. For anyone who does not eat fish or is allergic to fish, the chicken ramen is especially great since it doesn’t contain any Dashi in the stock.
We got there around 2 pm and had to wait about half an hour, but I thought that it was smart that the staff came out with menus and took orders while we were in line. People eat and leave so the wait goes quickly.

Came here during my Japan trip. By far the most delicious ramen I’ve had in my life. The broth was rich in flavor and the chicken was amazing. My soul wanted to cry at how perfect it was. I seriously closed my eyes to fully enjoy it.
The Line might seem long but it goes by fast! The space only seats 9 but it adds to the hominess of the place.

I will not recommend the noodle soup for an average Westerner’s taste. The soup had strong smell of egg. Great service and wonderful people. Enjoyed the experience.

One of the best ramen places we ate at in Japan! Ginza Kagari is very close to the JR Yurakucho station and the Ginza subway station. Use google maps for walking directions, which is what we did! It’s down a small alley but you can usually find it right away by the long line that overflows onto a main sidewalk.
Most important tip: GO EARLY! We went at 10:15am on a weekday (they open at 11am) and were first in line. Since we had a large group of 6, this worked out great since we could all be seated together! Only 8 seats total in the restaurant.
We ordered the tori paitan, which is what they are known for. Also, we just happened to watch a youtube video on our way to Japan, and they recommended to order a side of rice and garlic butter for the end of your meal. If you save some broth at the end, add in the butter and rice and it makes a delicious chicken risotto! Very rich and very delciious!
Another option would just be to add the garlic butter from the start, since I really liked the added flavor!
If you don’t go early, then be prepared to wait 1 – 2 hours.

4 guys in a tiny little kitchen tucked away in a narrow alley in the fancy part of Tokyo that holds only 8 seating. You’ll see a line at the door. With a guys running in and out of the tiny restaurant taking orders while you wait. He does speaks English so that’s makes things a lot easier. The wait is 30 mins to an hour. But defiantly worth it. Bring your Yen cash only.
The menu is really simple. They’re known for their chicken broth base soup. So that’s what I had «Tori Paitan Soba» with egg and bamboo. Regular or Large. It’s only a 100 Yen difference. So I got the Large 1050 Yen that’s $ 9.25 USD.
I’ve never had chicken broth based ramen before and it’s freakin delicious. I had my fare share of ramen but nothing like this. The broth is SO creamy and milky like Chicken pot pie almost. But ramen style and the perfectly slices of chicken breast is so juicy and tender. Highly recommended in my book.
P.s Not the place to sit and catch up. You eat and get out.

This is certainly a place that can impress you a lot with their Ramen, but could possibly surprise you even more with where it’s located (!) — It’s in the middle of Ginza, which is one of the most fanciest areas in Tokyo, but look how shabby the place looks! But the inside is very clean and neat, so don’t worry about it. (but very small! There are only 8 seats!)
It’s a chicken-​stock based Ramen and its soup is pretty thick, probably thicker than you would expect, but in a good way. It’s somewhat milky and got a cream-​stew type of feel to it. If you are a Ramen person, I’d absolutely recommend coming to check this out. It’s very good.
If you are new to Ramen in general, this may come across as something very different from the image of Ramen in your head, but Ramen doesn’t necessarily come with a soy-​sauce based soup but has various kinds of soup and different shapes of noodles. The more kinds you try, the better you know about your preferences.
All in all, their Ramen is very well-​balanced, high quality, and different. I would definitely recommend it to you.

Having lived in Tokyo for a good couple of years now, I think that I can safely say that I have a fairly versed ramen palette. I can tell you difference between styles, types of noodles, and recognize that’s there more to ramen than just the pork based broths.
Having said all that, I can honestly say that Kagari is by far my most favorite bowl of ramen. I realize that it is a chicken based broth and that comparing them to other ramens is like comparing apples to oranges, but if you asked me to pick just one bowl to eat at any time… this would be it hands down.

The menu actually has English on it, and the guy taking our order spoke a little. Since they only have 8 seats, the line wraps around the corner. However, they let us order ahead while in line. With the line about 20 people deep just before 9pm on a Thursday, we waited almost 90 minutes in the cold.
— Paitan ramen: super creamy, rich chicken broth, chicken breast (yay breast meat!) and vegetables. These were basically the first vegetables I had all day. The noodles had a really good bite, but in the end, this bowl was way too buttery, and I couldn’t finish the broth or the noodles. It started out good but ended up a little too one dimensional (ie butter).
— Shoyu ramen: with roast beef and pork. This had good flavor and didn’t just taste like straight soy sauce. This broth was lighter and more complex.
Definitely add a perfectly soft boiled seasoned egg for Y120.
Be prepared to wait. Cash only.

For good reason, this place is on most people’s lists of the top ten ramen places to try in Tokyo. Ivan Orkin says it is one of 5 ramen shops you should visit in Tokyo if you are a beginner. There is another branch underground nearby but here is where you want to be.
It is down an alley off a side street from the Ginza Apple Store. If you are not there an hour before opening, look for the line that extends out onto the street. Figure your wait time at 20 minutes for every multiple of 8 patrons in line.
Their tori paitan is superb. Intense, creamy, milky broth with good firm noodles. Different and good with duck but even better with seasonal vegetables.
It does not look like a typical ramen shop. The only sign that tells you you found Kagari say soba in Japanese. When you finally locate the alley you will squeeze yourself into a seat elbow to elbow with office workers, uniformed female retail workers, and fellow worshippers. Put your shopping bags above you, put on a disposable bib (perfectly acceptable) so you don’t walk around in Ginza looking like a slob after eating, and enjoy ramen presented by cooks in clean chef whites.
Skip Ramen Street for the original Kagari.

I would first like to apologize to the chefs of this establishment… SORRY I couldn’t finish the ramen, I was so full (big sushi meal about 2.5 hours prior) but I had to try this place while I was still in the area… Sigh. I was seriously so hurt, having to leave my leftovers there… Top 2 regrets of my life. #1 was when I saw Ryan Gosling but didn’t ask for a photo or anything.
So anyway, I’ll try to get over this, but I don’t think I can.
So the thing to get here is their chicken ramen. I’m usually all about that tonkotsu ramen or chashu or anything porky… but this chicken ramen is a game changer.
The soup was soooooooo comforting… omg. Hot, rich, creamy, and flavorful… Sigh. Really really tasty. I don’t think there was any actual cream in there, but the broth was definitely creamy and almost thick. It’s very different from any ramen I’ve had before. I also added an egg, which was of course perfectly runny in the middle.
The toppings were mostly veggies, as well as some slices of chicken breast I think. I didn’t need any of the toppings. I would have gladly taken a bowl of soup and noodles and be perfectly satisfied. Though the veggies did give it a contrast to the richness.
Something else to note about this place is it only seats 8 people. You literally get in, eat, and get out. Don’t try to have a catch up sesh here lol. It’s seriously tiny. But it’s amazing.
And also make sure you have room in your stomach. You will not forgive yourself if you leave with anything left in your bowl. I sure haven’t… :(

Run don’t walk.
If you are a Non Pork eater, this is the place for you. Kagari offers the tastiest ramen I’ve ever had using a concentrated chicken broth (imagine the heartiness of Campbell’s soup) stewed for hours. You are destined to have a great meal here and leave satisfied.
They use soba noodles which I enjoy more than ramen as its thicker. Every bite was amazing and you have the option to add extras like leeks, egg, garlic butter (do it) and chicken. They also use chicken breast which I, as an American, preferred.
You will wait a long time to get in. We stood in like at 4:30, they opened at 5:30, and we weren’t seated until around 6. There were about 12 people ahead of us when we got there at 4:30 but they are very efficient, taking orders beforehand so you can enjoy your ramen almost instantly.
Will I go back? Yes, and I did. This may have been my favorite meal during my two weeks in Tokyo and Kyoto. Location is also amazing, right in the heart of Ginza.
Like many restaurants in Japan — cash only!!! Make sure you have extra for all the add ins.

I made a mistake. Eating at Kagari Ramen should have been my last meal on Earth. Now that I ate the best Ramen I ever hope to put in my mouth, my life has no purpose and is going to be a long string of disappointments eating Ramen somewhere else and trying in vain to recapture an elusive quality of Kagari. Will anyone match the flavor of sardine-​based broth? What about meat which is cooked just at a perfect transition point between being raw and being done, with the surgical precision? It is not just food — the intimate atmosphere of 8 seats which binds a group of strangers by a common experience. The bib they give you — not so much to prevent your food from being spilled, but to seize your throat so that you do not declare the Chef to be a Pope by acclamation. Also songs by George Brassense and Edith Piaf to make the experience even more surreal!
Now back to Earth. Eating at Kagari made me more appreciative of what we have here in Bay Area. Basically, I believe that Orenchi and Santouka would keep a respectable status even in Tokyo. Maybe not the cult status they enjoy here, but would definitely be among the top contenders and have a faithful audience in the Country of Rising Sun

Ginza Kagari presented me with the best ramen I have ever had in my life. The presentation was wonderful, but the flavor will have you going into pleasure mode. The soup base was phenomenal as were the noodles and toppings. They really know how to make superior food here. The place holds few people, which means that the chef puts love into each dish for each person individually. The tiny restaurant which seats 8 max, always has a line out the door, which is worth the wait considering, this is the best ramen you will ever have.

The best toripaitan ramen I have ever had in my entire life.
The wait is long (I went at 9pm on a weekday and waited for a good 45 minutes) but it is worth the wait! I really think the broth is superb … Out of this world beyond words
Highly recommended

Simply THE BEST ramen place.
I’ve had my fair share of ramen in places that are considered to be the best, and every couple of years «my personal best ramen place» changes. These are the ramen places that I dream about and drool over every time I remember my experience. Kagari is my new favorite place, and I imagine it will be for a long while.
A friend had been recommending Kagari to me for a while and on a cold winter rainy day, we decided a good bowl of ramen would hit the spot. The line seemed short but the wait felt very long in the freezing cold. You will be handed a menu while in line. Someone from the store comes out to check /​hand out menus /​take orders once in a while. They also ask not to get in line until everyone in your whole party is present. The store itself is very small and cozy with only 8 counter seats.
There are two kinds of ramen: Chicken (Tori Paitan) ramen & Fish Soy Sauce (Niboshi Shoyu) ramen. Since my friend had visited a couple times already, he ordered the fish ramen for the first time and I got to try a sip of that too. We both agreed that their chicken ramen was by far better than the fish. Fish is probably great, but in comparison next to the chicken ramen, it didn’t even come close…
I’ve long believed I was a tonkotsu ramen lover but Kagari has changed me! I love their chicken ramen so much!
The thick creamy chicken broth, unique seasonal toppings for ramen (including salmon roe) all come together beautifully. Every time I finish my bowl I feel sad that my experience had ended.