Ramen Ichiro

A hidden gem ramen shop nestled in the basement of a multi-tenant building along Matsuya Dori in Ginza 3-chome, just a 3-minute walk from JR Yurakucho Station Ginza Exit and a 30-second walk from Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Ginza Station C8 Exit. The name "Ramen Ichiro" comes from the baseball player Ichiro, whom the owner is a huge fan of, and the shop is adorned with Ichiro memorabilia and photos of Shohei Ohtani and others. The menu prominently features Aomori characteristics with its unique offerings. The signature clear soy sauce broth (chintan shoyu supu), made with Aomori's local "Shamrock" chicken and yakiboshi (dried grilled fish), is light (tanrei) yet boasts a rich depth and umami of chicken dashi (broth), maintaining a gentle, old-fashioned chuka soba (Chinese noodle dish, a type of ramen) taste despite its prime Ginza location. In addition to the staple "Shoyu Ramen" (soy sauce ramen) for 830 yen and "Special Shoyu Ramen" for 1,080 yen, the "Shijimi Ramen" (clam ramen) for 950 yen, made with clams from Aomori's Lake Jusan, offers a spread of clam umami in its cloudy-clear broth. The menu also includes a wide array of options such as shio ramen (salt ramen), niboshi dashi ramen (dried sardine broth ramen), curry ramen, and mazemen (mixed noodles). For side dishes, you can enjoy Aomori's local ingredients, rare in Ginza, with options like "Nebuta-zuke Gohan" (rice with Nebuta pickles), "Nebuta Don" (Nebuta bowl), and "Chashu Don" (roast pork bowl), all made using Aomori's Stamina Gen Tare sauce. You can choose between medium-thick wavy noodles or thin noodles (transparent, reimen-style), and the tabletop yuzu kosho (citrus chili paste) and sansho oil (shibire-abura, numbing oil) are classic flavor enhancers (ajiben). Operating with just one person at a 6-seat counter, this is a rare establishment in prime Ginza that upholds popular prices starting from 830 yen.