While Houston is rightfully known for its killer Tex-Mex and barbecue, it’s the endless variety of global offerings that really encapsulates the city’s culinary scene. From Indian street eats and Viet-Cajun crawfish to complete Ethiopian feasts, tasting your way through the city can be an adventurous journey.
Thanks to a handful of new restaurant openings over the last decade, Japanese ramen is solidifying itself as its own category of dining in Houston. Consider this list of some of the best places to huddle over the rich noodle soup, from bowls loaded with lobster to rare regional styles.
Tiger Den
This ramen spot is tucked among the bounty of restaurants and shops in Dun Huang Plaza in Asiatown. Wait times can get lengthy, but the ramen is well worth the wait. Tiger Den offers traditional tonkotsu, garlic black bean, tantan, miso, and shoyu varieties, incorporating noodles made in-house. Round out your meal with an order of yakitori–options range from lamb and shrimp to chicken skin and chicken heart. 9889 Bellaire Blvd. Ste. 230, Houston
Kata Robata
Most know Kata Robata to be among the city’s top destinations for sushi, but the Upper Kirby restaurant also happens to serve some of the best ramen. The lobster ramen ($26) features a combination of egg noodles with lobster, crab, and pork, making it well worth its hefty price tag, while the Nagasaki champon ($17) is limited to clams and shrimp. For tongue-tingling flavor, opt for the spicy soy ramen ($16), which pairs braised ground pork with chili oil, soy milk, soft-boiled egg, and wakame. 3600 Kirby Dr. Ste. H, Houston, katarobata.com
Toukei
Few places in Houston are better for a late-night bowl of ramen than Toukei, an izakaya and whiskey bar in Asiatown’s Yun Lu Center that stays open until 2 a.m. on weekends. Dig into a bowl like the spicy kara ramen, made with silky pork and fish broth, with pork chashu, aji tamago, bamboo, and mushrooms, and then linger around afterward for a whiskey flight sampling. 9630 Clarewood Dr. Ste. A-15, Houston, toukeiizakaya.com
Ramen Tatsuya
Houstonians had long been fans of Ramen Tatsuya from afar when it opened in Austin more than a decade ago, but the restaurant’s popularity reached new heights when it finally debuted an outpost in Montrose. The eatery operates under the direction of chef partners Tatsu Aikawa and Takuya Matsumoto, and showcases a number of bowls, including the mi-so-hot tonkotsu and the ol’ skool chicken shoyu. Plant-based bowls are on offer too, with the nu skool vegan bowl, built with almond milk tonkotsu and tofu. Keep up with Ramen Tatsuya on social media and get a heads up on limited time specials like crawfish ramen or the barbecue brisket ramen. 1722 California St., Houston, ramen-tatsuya.com
Kazzan Ramen
An outpost of the famed Osaka-based Kazzan Ramen chain recently debuted its first Texas location (and only the second in the United States) in the Heights, officially bringing “volcano” ramen to Houston. The unique style of ramen boasts noodles and vegetables served in a 350-degree hot stone bowl with hot soup poured through a cylindrical top, tableside. The small opening releases steam, with the set up resembling a volcanic eruption. Beyond the head turning dish, there are a number of other things to try, including small plates like black pepper edamame, chicken karaage, and fried shrimp, plus shaved ice in three flavors. 191 Heights Blvd., Houston, kazzanramenhtx.com
Toyori
This Japanese-Taiwanese fusion restaurant in Asiatown’s Dun Huang Plaza has a well-rounded menu of dishes, including several different types of ramen. Find classic tonkotsu, chicken shoyu, and a signature spicy tantan ramen ($14) that packs in a double dose of meat with homemade pork chashu and sweet and spicy minced pork. 9889 Bellaire Blvd. Ste. 306, Houston
