Aoki-tei Ramen 青木亭

Regional ramen chain with lots of umami

Aoki-tei Ramen has half a century of history in the eastern part of Saitama Prefecture. They do a rich tonkotsu pork broth that is thick and full of complex flavors. Aoki-tei has one location in Noda City, just south of Kawama Station. The servings come in huge bowls. I had chashu men in miso flavored broth. My buddy had shoyu. Our order is the regular size. There is a bathtub sized version, too. Make sure you have an appetite before you go there. We got a side of six gyoza, too. For us, this was a lot of food. HOW TO GET THERE: The Noda City shop is south of Kawama Station in the Iwana neighborhood of Noda City, about a 15 minute walk from the station.