| らぁめん小池（世田谷区） Ramen Koike (Setagaya-ku, Tokyo) Kamikitazawa / Ramen  This is a ramen shop with a reputation for its carefully crafted bowls of ramen, featuring a clear broth made from dried sardines that permeates the body. Lunch: ￥1,000~￥1,999 Dinner: ￥1,000~￥1,999 Ramen Koike Official Website |
I found a ramen dish that stood out on the cover of a local magazine!
The other day, I saw a photo of a very delicious-looking ramen dish with wontons on the cover of the Setagaya Life (June 2025 issue), a local magazine for Setagaya Ward.
I checked to see which restaurant it was and found out it was “Ramen Koike” in Kamikitazawa.
“Ramen Koike” is a super famous restaurant that has been featured in the Michelin Guide, and although I had heard of it, I had never had the opportunity to visit Kamikitazawa.
The photo of the ramen I saw that day looked so delicious that I decided to go eat there right away.
I was impressed by the ramen that lived up to my expectations!
I visited on a weekday during Golden Week and arrived at the restaurant just after 2:00 p.m.
As expected, there weren’t many people visiting at that time, so I was able to enter without waiting.
I headed straight for the ticket machine and saw a picture of the “Ajitama Ebi Wonton Noodles” that I had seen in the gourmet guide.
I bought a ticket from the ticket machine and sat down at a table.
Soon, the ramen was brought to my table.
First, I took a sip of the soup. It was relatively light in flavor, but very delicious.
I’m not sure if this is the correct expression in Japanese, but it gave me the impression of a quiet, deep soup.
And for some reason, I detected the unexpected aroma of Sichuan pepper.
I thought I had ordered the classic “Ajitama Ebi Wonton Noodles” with a dried sardine broth, but I had actually ordered the Sichuan pepper version.
“Ramen Koike” is particularly famous for its dried sardine broth ramen, but the Sichuan pepper in this dish was simply unforgettable.
First, the chicken meatballs paired perfectly with the broth, and the lingering aroma of Sichuan pepper enhanced the flavor.
It was my first time experiencing the flavor of Sichuan pepper in ramen, and it was absolutely delicious.
Additionally, the other ingredients were also of the highest quality, with nothing to criticize.
As expected of a Michelin Guide-listed restaurant, the taste was truly remarkable, leaving me wanting to turn around and eat another bowl on my way home.
Next time, I plan to try their signature dried sardine broth ramen.
About Ramen Koike
The history of Ramen Koike began in 2013 when founder Yutaka Mizuhara, while working as a store manager at a major yakitori chain, opened Ramen Koike in Kamikitazawa.
Starting from scratch, he faced numerous challenges but decided to focus on a dried sardine-based ramen, eventually turning the restaurant into an ultra-popular spot featured in the Michelin Guide.
Following this, he opened four more stores—“Chūka Soba Nishino,” “King Seimen (Oji),” “Tsukemen Kinryū (Kanda),” and “Koike no Iekei (Sugamo)”—and achieved the remarkable feat of having three out of five stores (“Ramen Koike,” “Chūka Soba Nishino,” and “King Seimen”) listed in the Michelin Bib Gourmand guide, bringing the total to five stores. The restaurant continues to thrive today.
Access, Reviews
For access, business hours, holidays, reviews, and other information about Ramen Koike, please check the Google Map below.
