This Malden ramen shop is a spinoff of a popular market that attracted customers with its “ramen Sundays.” Now, Ebisuya Japanese Noodle House is a direct source for that same ramen, including spicy and non-spicy miso versions. Also, starting in April, crowd-favorite pop-up Boston Ramen began hosting regular vegan ramen pop-ups in Ebisuya and also at ramen joints around the city. 

Tsurumen, located in Somerville’s Davis Square, is a no-frills spot with a short menu that focuses on Osaka-style ramen. Try the paitan ramen, which has a thick, cloudy, chicken-based broth (paitan means “white broth” in Japanese) and comes topped with pork chashu and scratch-made noodles. Though the shop was initially designed to be impermanent, Somerville folks have charmed the owners enough that they decided to stay after 1,000 days.

Diners line up outside for a taste of the ramen at this popular Porter Square restaurant. The bowls of fatty pork ramen, made with thick noodles and pork broth, are among the best in Greater Boston. As the restaurant says, “Your choice is simple: two slices of pork, or five?” When diners finish their bowls inside the shop (it’s dine-in service only), they are given the opportunity to stand up and share their dreams in front of everyone in the restaurant.

Note: Yume Wo Katare is not associated with Yume Ga Arukara, the also-excellent udon-focused shop inside the nearby Porter Square Exchange. While the two shops originally shared a founder, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, he sold his stake in Yume Ga Arukara in 2020.

The first of three locations of this Japanese chain to open in the Boston area, Santouka in Cambridge offers a variety of classic Hokkaido-style ramen with choices such as tonkotsu shio, shoyu, miso, and specialty options like tonkotsu toroniku ramen: toroniku, a rare, tender cut of pig’s cheek, is served on the side. There is also a vegetarian option made with a soy-based vegan broth, menma kikurage mushrooms, soy sauce-marinated fu (or wheat gluten), and umeboshi. Santouka’s two other locations are in Back Bay and Allston.

This ramen joint started in Chinatown and quickly expanded into Harvard Square, followed by a location in Waltham. In addition to ramen, a variety of donburi (a bowl of rice topped with a dish, which can be chicken, beef, pork, or fish) and hand rolls are offered, as well as an extensive sake and Japanese beer list.

Mazesoba is a style of brothless ramen that originated in Nagoya, Japan. Because the freshly cooked noodles need to be cooled down a bit before being dressed in a thick, doubanjiang-based savory sauce, it’s particularly popular in the summer. This newly opened shop was founded by the people who also run Futago Udon right next door.

This ramen chain started in New York; it now has locations all over the country, including the newly opened spot in Brookline and one planned opening in Winchester. It serves various styles of ramen, including Tokyo tonkotsu ramen and Korean kimchi ramen. If you’re feeling something sweet after a bowl of savory ramen, this noodle joint is conveniently located next to Kyomatcha, a hip Japanese cafe and bakery serving matcha-centric desserts and drinks.

This tiny Coolidge Corner ramen shop opened in late 2015, hidden inside the Arcade building, and features a selection of nine ramen options under the Sapporo-style umbrella, including the spicy gankara miso, the sesame-based tan-tan, and more. Two of the main components of the ramen broth (kaeshi, the soup base and dashi, the soup stock) are freshly made in-house. The team also runs Gantetsu-Ya, a casual takoyaki and okonomiyaki shop in the same building. Just like other ramen hotspots, this place is small and can get busy quickly; go in small groups.

Sourcing high-quality ingredients is the focus at Little Big Diner, which sells a variety of pork and chicken ramen, as well as rice bowls and a selection of snacky side dishes. The ramen shop is run by the same team that also owns another popular spot a few steps down the block, Jinny’s Pizzeria.