Ginza Kagari first rose to international fame when it was featured in Michelin Guide in 2016 under Bib Gourmand, which awards affordable eats that maintains high quality.
I’m a fan of chicken ramen, and I’ve had this restaurant starred on my Google Maps for a long time. But I’m lazy and don’t like to put too much effort into eating while in Tokyo (since I visit here very frequently) so it was not until recently that I finally visited Ginza Kagari.
Ginza Kagari Overview
Ginza Kagari Honten 銀座 篝 本店
6 Chome-4-12 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061
Google Maps
First things first – the entrance to the restaurant is not located on a big road – rather, you have to walk to the back alley and find the entrance there. It shouldn’t be too difficult to spot, because there are usually lines out the door unless you got here before the restaurant opens. If you choose the walking direction on Google maps, it would direct you to the correct place.
Lining up and Ordering Your Ramen
When you get here, don’t just blindly join any queue. You have to place your order and pay in advance. To do this, depending on how busy the restaurant is, you might have to first line up to the left of the door. There are black barrier ropes to guide you.
You’ll be given a menu while lining up and once its your turn, you will be directed to place your order in a small machine inside. Don’t worry if you don’t speak Japanese – there is English menu, and most of the staff speaks English fluently.
On the menu, they recommended the Chicken Paitan Truffle Ramen (3,000 yen), but I think putting truffle in ramen is weird so I got the regular Chicken Paitan Ramen (first one on the menu – 2,000 yen)
The restaurant is cashless, so you have to pay with either a credit card or with your IC card balance. You can use your phone if it supports contactless payment.
Finally once you’ve completed and paid for your order, the machine will give you an order ticket. THEN, you can go back outside and line up for your seat to the right of the door. Don’t lose this ticket! You’ll have to give it back once they’re able to seat you.
If you are by yourself, you might be able to skip the queue. If you’re a large group (5 or more) and want to be seated together, you might have to wait awhile until space frees up.
When your seat is ready, you’ll be guided inside the restaurant and shown to your seat. It’s quite small and cozy inside with only 15 seats.
The restaurant is quite efficient in serving your order once you’re inside, and most people don’t linger around, so the line doesn’t actually take that long. I had about 10 people ahead of me when I was there, and I waited about 20 minutes, which includes my confusion about placing order which set me back a few places in the queue, to getting my ramen in front of me.
The Chicken Ramen
After I got seated, it only took a few minutes for my order to be brought out. The first thing I noticed was the presentation of the ramen bowl – it’s very beautiful with a bunch of colorful veggies.
They also serve a side of grated ginger and fried onion, which you can put on top of your ramen if you want (I recommend that you do!)
And finally, I can see what the fuss is all about. Their chicken broth is thick and creamy, while the veggie topping is not just beautiful, but it is also crisp and provides a nice texture to the bowl. It was really one of the best I’ve ever had.
There is an option to order more noodles (200 yen extra), but I find the regular portion to be just enough for me. They also include a good amount of chicken breast slices for some protein.
I quickly finished my bowl, not wanting to hold up the line outside. I lapped up every single drop of the broth that I could. I think It took me about about 8 minutes to finish the entire bowl.
In Conclusion: What did I think of Ginza Kagai?
Was it touristy? Yes, it was. As with anything Michelin-related, there will be more tourists than locals. I didn’t spot a single Japanese person when I went for lunch.
Was it expensive in relative to other ramen in Tokyo? Yes, the cheapest bowl is 2,000 yen, while ramen in Tokyo usually cost around 1,000 – 1,600 yen.
But ultimately, was it worth it? … Also yes! I cleaned off my bowl to the very last drop of the broth. It was really good.
I think my main qualms about visiting a Michelin-related place is the popularity and wait time. But in the case of Ginza Kagari, it really wasn’t that bad. I waited about 20 minutes total on a Thursday lunch time (I got there around 1:30pm).