The 5 best ramen restaurants in Milan
When it's cold outside but Grandma's broth is too boring
October 15th, 2020
Milanese have a strange relationship with ramen: on the one hand they love it, as they love all Japanese food (which even owns its own category apart in food delivery apps); on the one hand they consider it with the same perplexity usually reserved for the homemade broth of their grandmother - as in, wholesome but ultimately boring. In doubt, however, they eat it in large quantities. Especially now that the time outside begins to turn grey and inclement and the idea of a steaming and spicy dish is enough to console any soul in pain.
But the Milanese are also competitive people: each of them claims to have found the best ramen in the city, which is never the most obvious and trivial but, according to them, a hidden gem that the rest of the world has not discovered yet. The result is a great confusion of contradictory information in which the editor of nss magazine has decided to make some clarity with a list of the five best ramen you can find in the city.
Tenoha
Tenoha is a bit of a classic for those who frequent the Navigli area and Milan South in general. The brick walls and industrial-flavored furniture give it that pleasantly boho-chic air so in sync with the atmosphere of the area. As for chef Itakura's ramen, with its braised pork slices, the occasional spicy miso broth and marinated eggs, it will always be a safe choice for a cold-cold dinner.
Via Vigevano, 20
+ 02 8339 0042
Takumi Ramen
Located between Chinatown and Corso Sempione, Takumi is perhaps (along with Tenoha) the most aesthetically satisfying restaurant on this list. The ramen they cook is up to everything else, especially the Spicy Teryaki that can also be declined in a vegetarian version. The menu doesn't even end here but continues with a series of Japanese specialties that you can also order in combos.
Via Luigi Canonica, 63
+ 02 3656 6126
Casa Ramen Super
The trendy and dynamic crowd of Isola could not miss its own ramen restaurant, and could not fail to do so with the charm of local products, the combinations chosen with wine, minimal design and above all from the twists to the flavor of lamb and coriander and ombrina to the fish broth that is hidden in the menu of Casa Ramen Super.
Via Ugo Bassi, 26
+ 02 8352 9210
Ramenamano
Minimum four-hour cooked broth, hand-pulled pasta and fiercely traditional recipes are the main factors in the success of this Chinatown restaurant that, more than actual ramen, cooks the original Chinese version called lamien. The merit of this restaurant is to pull the pasta by hand in front of the customers as well as to propose the pure traditional Chinese version of the dish.
Via Paolo Lomazzo, 20
+ 02 3653 6559
Ramen Shop
Listed as a hidden gem around Porta Venezia, Ramen Shop is closer to the image of the classic low-profile but high-performance restaurant. Small, simple, with an essential menu but of guessed dishes, it's no surprise that it's often crowded.
Via Tadino, 13
+ 02 8348 1384