yakimen Tsurugi

Objective: small 10 seat restaurant a short 10 min walk from the Takadanobaba Station; located in a primarily university neighborhood. It can get quite busy so be prepared to wait up to 30 min. No English signs or menu available. Most expensive dish costs less than 1,000 yen. Cash only. Specializes in Yaki Ramen (ramen noodles are pan-​fried prior to being placed in the broth).
Subjective: ordering process can be confusing if you do not speak Japanese or are unfamiliar with small Japanese restaurants. There is a small vending machine with several options near the front of the restaurant; after ordering and obtaining a food ticket, you hand the ticket to one of the workers, and then wait outside until a seat opens up. I keep ordering the regular yaki ramen with extra noodles (see picture). The initial crisp of the pan-​fried noodles is a great contrast to the ramen broth and the noodles will slowly soak up the broth throughout the meal and eventually change texture. Pork was nicely cooked.
This might’ve been the best ramen that I’ve had in a long time and will be a must-​visit every time that I visit Tokyo.