Drank too much last night? Here’s where to eat. Today: modern miso ramen near the Imperial Palace, from a nine-seat counter that somehow has no queue on weeknights.
Quick Facts
| Nearest station | Kudanshita Station, 2-min walk (near the Imperial Palace and Yasukuni Shrine) |
|---|---|
| Budget | ¥1,000–1,600 (about $7–11) |
| Cash or card | Cash only — no cards, no IC, no QR |
| Smoking | Non-smoking |
| Reservations | Not accepted |
| Hours | Mon–Thu 11:00–21:00, Fri to 22:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–15:30 |
| Seats | 9, counter only |
Miso Ramen, Rebuilt
Miso ramen came out of Sapporo in the north and usually arrives heavy and buttery. Nakaji belongs to a newer school: the broth is still rich but it is built for depth rather than weight, and the shop makes three versions — red miso, white miso, and a pork-back-fat and ginger version — plus mazesoba and rotating seasonal bowls.
I expected a queue and walked straight in on a weekday evening. Nine seats means that will not always be true, but the evening slot is clearly the soft spot.
The Special Red Miso
I took the special red miso ramen (¥1,400) — the standard bowl is ¥1,050, and “special” adds extra chashu pork, a seasoned egg and menma bamboo. The pork falls apart on contact, and against the dense red miso broth it works better than it has any right to. Drink the broth on its own and there is a low sourness under the savouriness that keeps it from being flat. The noodles are thick and straight, and they hold up.
The white miso version, tasted across the counter, is mellower and cleaner but no less concentrated. If you are two people, order one of each and trade.
Order a Beer With It
This is a ramen shop that serves proper beer, and the red miso is dense enough to stand up to it — which makes Nakaji unusually good as a first stop for an evening rather than the last. You can also ask for a half portion of noodles, which is what I did with the special bowl and would recommend if you plan to keep drinking afterwards.
Access & Practical Tips
- Two minutes from Kudanshita Station — walkable from the Imperial Palace, Yasukuni Shrine and Jimbocho’s bookshop district.
- Cash only. Nine seats, no reservations, so avoid the 12:00–13:00 office rush.
- Weekends close at 15:30 — this is a weekday-evening shop.
- There is an excellent dan dan noodle shop directly opposite if the counter is full.
Hangover Recovery Index
My completely unscientific Hangover Recovery Index: 5 out of 5. Hot, salty, fatty broth with soft noodles is the most reliable hangover food in Japan, and miso adds the savoury depth that thin broths lack. It opens at 11:00. Go.
Eat well, drink better, and see you at the next hangover.
もう一杯どうぞ！
