"A latticed wooden sliding door behind a simple white noren curtain. From the outside, there's little to suggest that this humble ramen joint is a Michelin-starred restaurant–apart from the line, which often snakes around the corner. Inside, the clean-lined, understated space looks more like a sushi bar than a noodle shop, with six white chairs in front of the wooden counter. Ramen is chef Yasushi Matsumura's second career. After 36 years working in French cuisine, his fascination with the noodle dish took him all over the country to learn the secrets of each region's broth. At Hachigo, Matsumura combines the breadth of his ramen knowledge with techniques gleaned from the French kitchen. His broth is a luxurious consomme crafted from Nagoya chochin chicken, duck, shellfish, shiitake mushrooms, and kelp, with an extra hit of umami from cured ham." - Melinda Joe
