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A bowl of ramen with broth, noodles, meat, and a green square of dried seaweed visible.
Ramen from Brookline’s Ganko Ittetsu.
Thomas Stack/Eater Boston

Where to Eat Ramen in Greater Boston

The city’s ramen game has never been better

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Ramen from Brookline’s Ganko Ittetsu.
| Thomas Stack/Eater Boston

Ramen is the warm blanket of the food world, providing solace through the changing of the seasons. The Boston area is a treasure trove for this comforting Japanese dish, and plenty of restaurants serve a variety of bowls that should not be overlooked.

To note: Boston’s ramen landscape has drastically changed since this guide’s initial publication in 2017. With a growing number of restaurants centered on ramen popping up in and around the city, we updated this guide to reflect the specialty ramen scene that’s taking off.

Further reading: Superb Soups Around Boston

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Ebisuya Japanese Noodle House

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This Malden ramen shop is a spinoff of a popular market that attracted customers with its “ramen Sundays.” Now, Ebisuya Japanese Noodle House is a direct source for that same ramen, including spicy and non-spicy miso versions.

Pikaichi

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Once a beloved ramen destination in the Super 88 Food Court, Pikaichi has since settled into Medford as its permanent home. Pikaichi serves eight types of ramen, two of which have a vegetable-based broth. Heat-seekers should opt for the spiciest ramen on the menu, the jigoku ramen; the word jigoku means “hell” in Japanese and is adopted by ramen shops to describe the spiciest variety on its menu. It comes with an ultra-spicy shoyu broth. For a milder pick with a hint of citrus, try the yuzu shio.

Overhead view of a black plastic bowl full of a ramen with a thin brown broth, corn, pork, and a soft boiled egg.
Miso ramen from Pikaichi in Medford (via takeout).
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater Boston

Tsurumen

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Tsurumen, located in Somerville’s Davis Square, is a no-frills spot with a short menu that focuses on Osaka-style ramen. Try the paitan ramen, which has a thick, cloudy, chicken-based broth (paitan means “white broth” in Japanese) and comes topped with pork chashu and scratch-made noodles. Though the shop was initially designed to be impermanent, Somerville folks have charmed the owners enough that they decided to stay after 1,000 days.

A white bowl filled with slices of pork, chopped onions, and various toppings
Paitan ramen at Tsurumen.
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Yume Wo Katare

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Diners line up outside for a taste of the ramen at this popular Porter Square restaurant. The bowls of fatty pork ramen, made with thick noodles and pork broth, are among the best in Greater Boston. As the restaurant says, “Your choice is simple: two slices of pork, or five?” When diners finish their bowls inside the shop (it’s dine-in service only), they are given the opportunity to stand up and share their dreams in front of everyone in the restaurant.

Note: Yume Wo Katare is not associated with Yume Ga Arukara, the also-excellent udon-focused shop inside the nearby Porter Square Exchange. While the two shops originally shared a founder, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, he sold his stake in Yume Ga Arukara in 2020.

Ramen noodles and slices of pork are stacked impossibly high in a white bowl, topped with ample garlic.
Ramen at Yume Wo Katare.
Yume Wo Katare

Santouka Ramen

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The first of three locations of this Japanese chain to open in the Boston area, Santouka in Cambridge offers a variety of classic Hokkaido-style ramen with choices such as tonkotsu shio, shoyu, miso, and specialty options like tonkotsu toroniku ramen: toroniku, a rare, tender cut of pig’s cheek, is served on the side. There is also a vegetarian option made with a soy-based vegan broth, menma kikurage mushrooms, soy sauce-marinated fu (or wheat gluten), and umeboshi. Santouka also has two other locations in Back Bay and Allston.

Menya Jiro

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This award-winning ramen can be traced all the way to Kagoshima, Japan, where it became known for its freshly made noodles and chicken-and-pork broth, claiming accolades in Japan and the U.S. It offers three signature tonkotsu-based ramen dishes (spicy, rich, and light) and two miso broth-based vegetarian ramen dishes.

Momosan

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This fall 2021 newcomer, located inside the Hub Hall food hall in Boston’s West End, is getting a lot of buzz — it’s the first Boston restaurant from Iron Chef’s Masaharu Morimoto. While the rest of Hub Hall’s restaurants are fast-casual, this is a sit-down spot, offering seven ramen options (spicy tan-tan, tonkotsu, vegan spicy miso, and more), kushiyaki, a bunch of hot and cold appetizers, and a bit of sushi.

Closeup shot of a bowl of ramen with ground pork, a thick yellow-orange broth, a runny egg, and other toppings.
Tan-tan ramen at Momosan.
Momosan

Isshindo Ramen

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Isshindo had big shoes to fill, taking over the space of the beloved Pikaichi at Super 88. (Fortunately, Pikaichi didn’t close for good; it relocated to Medford, and it remains among the area’s best ramen spots — see more details above.) But in its first few years — it opened in 2019 — Isshindo has hit the ground running, impressing with its range of broth offerings, from the creamy and rich tonkotsu (pork bone broth) to the tangy shio to the umami-forward miso, there’s a bowl for every taste.  

A bowl of ramen with a black spoon, slices of meat, chopped vegetables, and a soft egg.
Ramen at Isshindo.
Terrence B. Doyle/Eater Boston

Tora Ramen

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Sibling to Tora Japanese Restaurant, an excellent Chinatown restaurant focused on sushi and kaizen don (a bowl of rice topped with typically raw seafood), Tora Ramen serves a concise menu that features black garlic tonkotsu ramen, spicy miso ramen, and a few others, with snacks such as pork gyoza and crab croquettes also available.

Thin, folded slices of pork sit in a thin brown broth with an egg, greens, and more in a deep white bowl.
Shoyu ramen at Tora Ramen.
Tora Ramen

Ganko Ittetsu

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This tiny Coolidge Corner ramen shop opened in late 2015, hidden inside the Arcade building, and features a selection of nine ramen options under the Sapporo-style umbrella, including the spicy gankara miso, the sesame-based tan-tan, and more. Two of the main components of the ramen broth (kaeshi, the soup base and dashi, the soup stock) are freshly made in-house. The team has also opened Gantetsu-Ya, a casual takoyaki and okonomiyaki shop in the same building. Just like other ramen hotspots, this place is small and can get busy quickly; go in small groups.

A large bowl of ramen shows an oily broth, a slice of meat, and toppings of a soft-boiled egg and vegetables.
Gankara miso at Ganko Ittetsu Ramen.
Ganko Ittetsu Ramen

Brookline Village’s Migaku, which opened in 2019, is known in particular for its Nagasaki-style champon, which is a noodle soup with seafood, pork, and stir-fried vegetables. The restaurant serves several styles of champon as well as spicy miso ramen, yakibuta (roast pork) ramen, and other hearty bowls.

Closeup on a bowl of bright yellow-orange broth topped with ground pork, sesame seeds, bok choy, and more.
Spicy sesame seafood ramen at Migaku.
Migaku

Totto Ramen

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Originally from New York, this small ramen chain has two local outposts in Somerville’s Assembly Row and South Bay Center in Dorchester, as well as one sister restaurant Yakitori Totto, a restaurant specializing in grilled chicken. While much of the Boston ramen scene focuses on pork bone-based tonkotsu broths, it’s all about the chicken at Totto; there are three variations of a chicken paitan (white, cloudy broth) ramen on the menu, as well as a vegetarian option.

Hakata Ramen

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With sister locations in Boston’s Back Bay and in Waltham, Hakata’s Quincy spot is a popular choice for its ramen, featuring a dozen options, most of which are made with a pork bone-based broth. Also on the menu: sushi burgers and sushi burritos.

Ebisuya Japanese Noodle House

This Malden ramen shop is a spinoff of a popular market that attracted customers with its “ramen Sundays.” Now, Ebisuya Japanese Noodle House is a direct source for that same ramen, including spicy and non-spicy miso versions.

Pikaichi

Once a beloved ramen destination in the Super 88 Food Court, Pikaichi has since settled into Medford as its permanent home. Pikaichi serves eight types of ramen, two of which have a vegetable-based broth. Heat-seekers should opt for the spiciest ramen on the menu, the jigoku ramen; the word jigoku means “hell” in Japanese and is adopted by ramen shops to describe the spiciest variety on its menu. It comes with an ultra-spicy shoyu broth. For a milder pick with a hint of citrus, try the yuzu shio.

Overhead view of a black plastic bowl full of a ramen with a thin brown broth, corn, pork, and a soft boiled egg.
Miso ramen from Pikaichi in Medford (via takeout).
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater Boston

Tsurumen

Tsurumen, located in Somerville’s Davis Square, is a no-frills spot with a short menu that focuses on Osaka-style ramen. Try the paitan ramen, which has a thick, cloudy, chicken-based broth (paitan means “white broth” in Japanese) and comes topped with pork chashu and scratch-made noodles. Though the shop was initially designed to be impermanent, Somerville folks have charmed the owners enough that they decided to stay after 1,000 days.

A white bowl filled with slices of pork, chopped onions, and various toppings
Paitan ramen at Tsurumen.
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Yume Wo Katare

Diners line up outside for a taste of the ramen at this popular Porter Square restaurant. The bowls of fatty pork ramen, made with thick noodles and pork broth, are among the best in Greater Boston. As the restaurant says, “Your choice is simple: two slices of pork, or five?” When diners finish their bowls inside the shop (it’s dine-in service only), they are given the opportunity to stand up and share their dreams in front of everyone in the restaurant.

Note: Yume Wo Katare is not associated with Yume Ga Arukara, the also-excellent udon-focused shop inside the nearby Porter Square Exchange. While the two shops originally shared a founder, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, he sold his stake in Yume Ga Arukara in 2020.

Ramen noodles and slices of pork are stacked impossibly high in a white bowl, topped with ample garlic.
Ramen at Yume Wo Katare.
Yume Wo Katare

Santouka Ramen

The first of three locations of this Japanese chain to open in the Boston area, Santouka in Cambridge offers a variety of classic Hokkaido-style ramen with choices such as tonkotsu shio, shoyu, miso, and specialty options like tonkotsu toroniku ramen: toroniku, a rare, tender cut of pig’s cheek, is served on the side. There is also a vegetarian option made with a soy-based vegan broth, menma kikurage mushrooms, soy sauce-marinated fu (or wheat gluten), and umeboshi. Santouka also has two other locations in Back Bay and Allston.

Menya Jiro

This award-winning ramen can be traced all the way to Kagoshima, Japan, where it became known for its freshly made noodles and chicken-and-pork broth, claiming accolades in Japan and the U.S. It offers three signature tonkotsu-based ramen dishes (spicy, rich, and light) and two miso broth-based vegetarian ramen dishes.

Momosan

This fall 2021 newcomer, located inside the Hub Hall food hall in Boston’s West End, is getting a lot of buzz — it’s the first Boston restaurant from Iron Chef’s Masaharu Morimoto. While the rest of Hub Hall’s restaurants are fast-casual, this is a sit-down spot, offering seven ramen options (spicy tan-tan, tonkotsu, vegan spicy miso, and more), kushiyaki, a bunch of hot and cold appetizers, and a bit of sushi.

Closeup shot of a bowl of ramen with ground pork, a thick yellow-orange broth, a runny egg, and other toppings.
Tan-tan ramen at Momosan.
Momosan

Isshindo Ramen

Isshindo had big shoes to fill, taking over the space of the beloved Pikaichi at Super 88. (Fortunately, Pikaichi didn’t close for good; it relocated to Medford, and it remains among the area’s best ramen spots — see more details above.) But in its first few years — it opened in 2019 — Isshindo has hit the ground running, impressing with its range of broth offerings, from the creamy and rich tonkotsu (pork bone broth) to the tangy shio to the umami-forward miso, there’s a bowl for every taste.  

A bowl of ramen with a black spoon, slices of meat, chopped vegetables, and a soft egg.
Ramen at Isshindo.
Terrence B. Doyle/Eater Boston

Tora Ramen

Sibling to Tora Japanese Restaurant, an excellent Chinatown restaurant focused on sushi and kaizen don (a bowl of rice topped with typically raw seafood), Tora Ramen serves a concise menu that features black garlic tonkotsu ramen, spicy miso ramen, and a few others, with snacks such as pork gyoza and crab croquettes also available.

Thin, folded slices of pork sit in a thin brown broth with an egg, greens, and more in a deep white bowl.
Shoyu ramen at Tora Ramen.
Tora Ramen

Ganko Ittetsu

This tiny Coolidge Corner ramen shop opened in late 2015, hidden inside the Arcade building, and features a selection of nine ramen options under the Sapporo-style umbrella, including the spicy gankara miso, the sesame-based tan-tan, and more. Two of the main components of the ramen broth (kaeshi, the soup base and dashi, the soup stock) are freshly made in-house. The team has also opened Gantetsu-Ya, a casual takoyaki and okonomiyaki shop in the same building. Just like other ramen hotspots, this place is small and can get busy quickly; go in small groups.

A large bowl of ramen shows an oily broth, a slice of meat, and toppings of a soft-boiled egg and vegetables.
Gankara miso at Ganko Ittetsu Ramen.
Ganko Ittetsu Ramen

Migaku

Brookline Village’s Migaku, which opened in 2019, is known in particular for its Nagasaki-style champon, which is a noodle soup with seafood, pork, and stir-fried vegetables. The restaurant serves several styles of champon as well as spicy miso ramen, yakibuta (roast pork) ramen, and other hearty bowls.

Closeup on a bowl of bright yellow-orange broth topped with ground pork, sesame seeds, bok choy, and more.
Spicy sesame seafood ramen at Migaku.
Migaku

Totto Ramen

Originally from New York, this small ramen chain has two local outposts in Somerville’s Assembly Row and South Bay Center in Dorchester, as well as one sister restaurant Yakitori Totto, a restaurant specializing in grilled chicken. While much of the Boston ramen scene focuses on pork bone-based tonkotsu broths, it’s all about the chicken at Totto; there are three variations of a chicken paitan (white, cloudy broth) ramen on the menu, as well as a vegetarian option.

Hakata Ramen

With sister locations in Boston’s Back Bay and in Waltham, Hakata’s Quincy spot is a popular choice for its ramen, featuring a dozen options, most of which are made with a pork bone-based broth. Also on the menu: sushi burgers and sushi burritos.

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