A note on the words: tonkotsu is a rich ramen broth simmered from pork bones. At Nogata Hope, the shop says, pork heads and knuckle bones (genkotsu) are simmered for ten hours and blended with chicken broth and a potage of crushed vegetables into what the shop calls a triple soup. Seabura is pork back fat floated over the soup; you choose the amount in five levels, from kote-kote (heaviest) to abura-nuki (none), and this bowl is kotteri (rich), seasoned with shio (salt) rather than the usual shoyu (soy sauce). Chuto chijire-men are the shop’s medium-thick curly noodles, and abura-togarashi is the house-made chili oil on the counter, added with freshly crushed raw garlic for a punchy finish.
Nogata Hope on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
To everyone who’d rather have noodles than rice, thank you for waiting! It’s time for Hangover Meshi!
Nogata Hope Nogata Honten (the Nogata main shop) sits along Kannana-dori (Tokyo’s Ring Road 7). I happened to be in the area, so I dropped in.
It was apparently opened in 1988 (Showa 63), right in the middle of the so-called Kannana ramen wars, by Fumiyo Oguri, who went by the nickname “ganko babaa” — the stubborn granny (what a nickname, ha). By the way, despite the similar name, it is apparently a completely separate company from Hope-ken! (I had always assumed they were sister shops.)
The soup is a triple soup of pork bones, chicken bones and vegetables! You can choose the amount of back fat (seabura) in five levels, from “kote-kote” (heaviest) down to “abura-nuki” (none). On the counter sit raw garlic and house-made chili oil (abura-togarashi). Better yet, it stays open until 3 a.m., which is wonderful. I could not help getting drawn right in!
Right after I walked in, a staff member recommended their special, saying, “We’re doing a limited-time Shio Tonkotsu right now!” Drawn in by the pitch — “a bowl created out of gratitude by the head of the main shop, the top apprentice of the stubborn granny” — I ordered that! For the back fat, I went with “kotteri” (rich).
Now then, before the ramen, I have to order this first.
Drinking again after drinking is irresistible!
Raw garlic and a garlic crusher are set out ready on the counter. I will definitely be using these later.
It looks delicious! The back fat is kotteri (rich).
The base is apparently a triple soup made by simmering pork heads and knuckle bones (genkotsu) for ten hours and combining them with chicken bones and a potage of crushed vegetables! And this ramen pairs that base with salt seasoning instead of the usual soy sauce (shoyu).
Taking a sip, the salt flavor seeps smoothly into my body first, and then the sweetness of the back fat spreads across my tongue. What is it — maybe because it is salt? It gives the impression that the savory richness of the pork bone and the gentle sweetness of the vegetables come through more directly. (Though I have never actually tried the soy sauce version, ha.)
The back fat is not as heavy as it looks, and with the salt seasoning its light sweetness tastes even better.
At this rate, I might have been fine going all the way to “kote-kote” (heaviest).
The noodles are Nogata Hope’s standard medium-thick curly noodles (chuto chijire-men). They have a springy bite, and the curls catch plenty of the back fat and soup, carrying the flavor of the salt tonkotsu with every slurp. Delicious!
Midway through, I crushed some of the raw garlic from the counter into the bowl, sending the aroma rising and giving the flavor a real punch. This is delicious! I kept adding “one more clove, one more clove” of garlic, ha. Adding the house-made chili oil on top of that brings a sharp heat and toasted aroma — so good!
That punch, the complete opposite of the gentle start earlier, is irresistible!
Man, sinful late-night ramen after drinks really is delicious! (Even if I regret overeating the next morning, ha.) For my first visit to Nogata Hope, I loved how it gave two different experiences in one bowl — gentle at first, then finishing with a punchy flavor from the counter toppings! Next time I go, I think I will get the back fat kote-kote. The raw garlic on the counter is seriously delicious and highly recommended!!
Here’s hoping I run into more good food today!
Nogata Hope Nogata Honten Menu
Limited time
A bowl created by the main shop head out of gratitude to the founder. Available until 9/18
Ramen
The triple soup of pork bone, chicken and vegetables made since the shop’s founding in 1988 (Showa 63)
Triple soup with seafood dashi, house-made mayu (blackened garlic oil) and spicy miso. Two kinds of chashu pork: loin and belly
Mellow tonkotsu layered with vegetable potage
Combined with seafood-scented bushi-abura (oil infused with dried fish), house-made mayu and spicy miso
Large noodle portion +150 yen for Hajime and Koku. Back fat can be chosen from 5 levels: kote-kote (heaviest) / kotteri (rich) / futsu (regular) / assari (light) / abura-nuki (none)
Tsukemen (dipping noodles)
Regular 200g / Large 300g
Free large noodle upgrade on tsukemen
Gyoza (dumplings)
Rice dishes
Topped with back fat and soy-marinated garlic
Tender low-temperature-cooked chashu pork
Generous condiments, topped with a soft-poached egg (ontama)
Rice refills available on request
Toppings
Drinks
From the shop menu at the time of visit in September 2026. Prices include tax; limited items change by season and quantity. Please check the official website or the shop for the latest details.
Nogata Hope (Ramen / Nogata Station, Numabukuro Station)
Tabelog dinner rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
