Nakago

This ramen shop stands out with its traditional Japanese-style entrance. You can choose from several soup bases—soy sauce, salt, or dried sardine—all built on a tonkotsu (pork bone) base. Judging from the signage and overall vibe, the shop seems to favor the soy sauce option. The noodles are thin and straight, typical of tonkotsu ramen joints. While many popular tonkotsu ramen shops are known for their bold, punchy flavors, the soup here is more delicate and refined—and I personally prefer it that way. Just a heads-up: it’s cash only.

Tried ramen and salt lemon soda. Food was nice but the restaurant is tiny. The overall experience was good. It is English friendly too with instruction posted aim the door

Ordering from the machine was straightforward with English options. You first pick the base/broth then add extras like egg and seaweed, pick drinks and extra sides like noodles etc, put in the amount (cash) into the machine, press the print ticket button and give the tickets to the waiter. I liked the soy broth over the salt. Slightly too salty for my personal taste but my husband liked it! Small seating area (approx 5 seats) at the bar with two tables for two people. We had an early dinner at 6pm so it was not very busy.

These are real ramen craftsmen. I tried many ramen spots around akasaka during my 1 month stay (~6), never fully satisfied (knowing how mind blowing and satisfactory ramen can be). Until i found this place. There is a ticket machine that has english options. It is cash only + you cannot speak at a loud volume or they will hush you for being rude to others enjoying their meals (its not personal — its a quiet, respectful, and small environment). The chefs here are passionate about their recipe, precision, and quick service. They even comb the noodles before serving. Their mission is to feed you well with limited interaction. Its the type of service and food quality i respect & began to crave every day. So for about 3 weeks, i came here every dinner. Sometimes lunch and dinner. They never laughed at me for it, only appreciated my continual support to their craft. Please don’t be disrespectfully loud, don’t assume they speak english, don’t take a photo of your meal to post it, don’t bring a crowd… just silently enjoy the meal and it will be one of the best experiences of your life that will keep you coming back. Your order will be precisely the same each time. Which is evidence of their mastery to me. I recommend the burnt back fat soy sauce ramen w/ an added soy egg + nori. I like a salty umami ramen so for me, it was perfect.

Nakago is a ramen shop located at 〒107-0052 Tokyo, Minato City, Akasaka, 3 Chome−16−3 1F Japan. This is a tiny ramen shop located in Akasaka area - very close to Akasaka-Mitsuke Subway Station. They open everyday from 11:00-22:30 so you can enjoy their ramen anytime from the lunch till late evening. At the lunch time, please accept the queue in front of the restaurant but it's worth to wait because the ramen taste is fantastic at reasonable price (starting from 900 J.Yen). You have to purchase the ticket for your order from the ticket machine just back side of the door. Foreigner may be a bit trouble because this local ramen shop doesn't provide the English menu, however you may use translation app on your smart phone to check it.

A good soba noodle ramen. Good location and small restaurant. Broth was bit salty and very standard flavor. Typically small interior. Nothing special but sometimes simple and classic taste is enough.

This place is a hidden gem. Food is amazing and you can tell how the chef is so passionate about his food. Hot tip: You need to place your order in a machine when you enter, English is available - I share this because it tripped me up for a bit.

Light, fresh and flavory ramen, quality vs price 👌