Tokyo noodle joint is open 24 hours a day, but it may or may not be what you’re looking for.

If you’re looking for good ramen in Tokyo, Akihabara is one of the places that ought to be on your list. With the area becoming a centre for youth and otaku culture, Akihabara attracts tech workers, tourists, and late-night shoppers who are all looking for quick, inexpensive, and satisfying meals while they shop around town, and ramen perfectly fits that bill.

As one of Tokyo’s most vibrant ramen hubs, Akihabara’s noodle scene is constantly evolving, and now there’s a new place to get your noodle fix, at Akihabara Ramen Center. Previously, a store called Gattsuri Udon (“がっつりうどん”) sat at this once-vacant lot along Showa-dori, and though it was only meant to operate for a few months, its popularity saw it stay for a year.

▼ With bukkake udon priced at 300 yen (US$1.97), this was a great-value spot that drew customers both day and night.

The container kitchen and semi-outdoor seating had a certain charm of their own that added to the store’s popularity, but just a week or so ago, Gattsuri Udon seemingly morphed into Akihabara Ramen Center, with a flashy red and yellow signboard to catch everyone’s attention, and big bold letters declaring “Open 24 hours” and “500 yen”.

While it’s unclear whether the owner simply switched business models or a new tenant took over, it’s clear that the udon shop has now become a ramen shop, and it serves two things only: Tonkotsu Ramen and Soy Sauce (“shoyu”, written here as “syoyu”) Ramen.

▼ Each standard bowl costs 500 yen, which is a very reasonable price for Akihabara.

When we visited, the Soy Sauce Ramen had sold out so we opted to try the tonkotsu ramen. At the ticket machine, there are additional toppings to choose from, like red pickled ginger, wood ear mushrooms, and spicy cod roe, and you can also get extra noodles (“kaedama”) for 150 yen.

For this visit, we decided to order the most basic tonkotsu ramen so after placing our order we stood at the counter and took a look around. The sign behind us read “替玉” (“kaedama”), “生ビール” (“nama beer”) and “ハイボール” (“highball”), all at good prices that suggest this would be a good place to unwind with a drink or two, especially in the evenings.

It didn’t take long for our noodles to be ready, and when they arrived, they had everything we’d want in a hearty bowl of noodles, with menma (fermented bamboo shoots), green onions and a slice of chashu pork.

▼ Plus, a deliciously thick-looking pork-bone broth.

As for the taste, well… it was neither good nor bad. The broth turned out to be moderately thick, and the noodles had a nice, chewy texture. Of course, you can find plenty of tonkotsu ramen stores offering tastier bowls but for 500 yen, it wasn’t bad at all.

Plus, with the 150-yen kaedama, which we ended up ordering towards the end of the meal, the value for money was solid, as the 650-yen meal filled us up nicely.

Rather than being a place to go for a gourmet experience, Akihabara Ramen Center is more like a convenient spot to fill your stomach when you’re pressed for time. With 24-hour service and 500-yen ramen, we have a feeling the store will be around for a while to come, so you might want to keep it in mind when you want to avoid the queues at this Akihabara ramen joint that’s popular with foreign tourists.

Store information
Akihabara Ramen Center / 秋葉原ラーメンセンター
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Kandahirakawacho 4-1
東京都千代田区神田平河町4-1
Open: 24 hours every day

Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]