Growth

It's often the case that the most popular restaurants, serving the tastiest grub, have the fewest seats. Located right behind Rikkyo University, Growth has room for seven at the counter, but the master makes sure to prepare his very best ramen for each visitor. Three regular choices are available: tsukemen (¥730), ramen (¥730) and maze-men ('mix noodles', ¥690). The ramen features a rich, meat-based soup with thick and chewy noodles and toppings like soft-boiled egg, bamboo shoots and chunky chashu, while the tsukemen is equally heavy-set but still decently balanced. Look out for the limited-edition niboshi ramen, too.