Ramen Ya Shima らぁ麺や 嶋 has gained significant recognition since it opened in 2020 due to its quality and also its long wait. While waiting in line is annoying if you have a tight schedule, I highly recommend you set aside some time to visit this number one Tokyo ramen (via Tabelog) when you're in Tokyo (ranked number one in 2023 and still in 2024).

How to Reserve

The trick to guarantee your spot for this highly rated Tokyo ramen: Be there by 8:30AM the latest to line up for the sign up sheet if you want to eat within the first and second rounds. The shop only has six counter seats so customers eat in multiple rounds. You're expected to wait in line before opening to SIGN UP to eat. There is a sign up board outside the door and the owner will come out around 9:00-9:30AM to give the ok for people to put their names down on the sheet.

Each round is 30-minutes and it accommodates six people. Please note: If you're eating with other people, put each of their names on each row; only one name per row. Once you've put your name down, remember the time you should return and that's it (the time is on the sheet). The system is efficient because you don't have to wait at the shop until it's your time. Feel free to roam around the neighborhood, which has a beautiful park about 10-minutes away.

I only had to kill time for one hour before returning to the ramen shop. Once I've returned, I waited outside until the shop owner came out to verify my name. Like all ramen shops in Japan, make sure you bring cash to order via the ticket machine. In addition, the machines usually don't have English menu translation, so I strongly suggest that you do some Googling on the names of the menu so you know which button to press on the machine when ordering.

I ordered the Special Shoyu Tsukemen (dipping noodles) after seeing the beautiful presentation online. There are several ways to enjoy tsukemen here at Ramen Ya Shima: The suggestions are on a card for guests to follow. I particularly like eating it the cold way somehow because it's so refreshing. It was a cool experience to alternate different ways to eat this tsukemen. 

Overall Rating: 😋😋😋😋😋

Shima elevates shoyu ramen and makes its bowls unforgettable for guests. Overall, I got a quality bowl of ramen with the finest ingredients and presentation. This is now a Tokyo ramen I won't forget alongside with another top Tokyo ramen, Homemade Ramen Muginae, which is still ranked in the top three of Tokyo's best Tabelog ramen since 2020.

Notes & Tips:

• Be the earliest bird if you can. Arriving after 9-9:30AM is likely too late already aka sold out
• Google Translate what you'd like to eat in advance
• Close Saturdays and Sundays

Location: 

3 Chome-41-11 Honmachi, Shibuya City, Tokyo 151-0071, Japan