Burari

Step out of Nippori Station's south exit and look for the tanuki statue, which marks the spot for this popular 'ramen izakaya'. The two-storey building's ground floor is occupied by a standard noodle shop, while the izakaya upstairs combines ramen with drinks and tends to get rather rowdy late at night. Burari's speciality is the creamy, thick tori-paitan ramen (¥780), but their spritzy tori-soba (¥680), served in a clear soup, is also well worth trying. Friends of dipping noodles will find the tsukemen part of the menu satisfying, too.