SOBAHOUSE Konjiki Hototogisu
Tokyo, Japan; 1F, Room 105, Dai-22 Miyatei Mansion, 2-4-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan
The signature salt-seasoned ramen at SOBAHOUSE Konjiki Hototogisu begins with three distinct broths. Clams from Kuwana, sea bream from Uwajima and a Japanese stock based on dried ingredients including bonito and kombu are brought together, then given further aromatic depth with porcini duxelles and an Inca berry sauce. The pleasure lies in following those flavours as they change through the bowl. Close to Shinjuku Gyoen, the restaurant offers a restrained setting for cooking that is unusually elaborate within ramen’s compact format. Its official site operates a numbered-ticket system, so a little planning helps. The experience remains accessible in price, making it a useful contrast to the reservation-led tasting menus elsewhere in this selection. The restaurant has attracted international attention, including Time Out coverage of its historic Michelin recognition. Its inclusion here rests on the food’s specificity and the depth of preparation behind a seemingly straightforward meal. For visitors, it shows how Tokyo’s culinary ambition can be encountered through a single bowl rather than a lengthy evening.