WHAT WE ATE
- Kani Tonkotsu Ramen – 70/100, Tokyo, 6 July 2025
Tucked in a quiet corner near the docks of Kitashinagawa, Ramen Kaniryu brings a crab-infused bowl to Tokyo’s ramen scene. The shopfront is flashy with a izakaya vibe that seems out of the blue in a quiet area of town, if not for the steady line of customers. It feels more like a neighbourhood secret than a hyped ramen destination. The kind of place you could stroll past without realising unless you know what you are looking for.
If you’re hunting ramen in Tokyo that’s off the beaten path, Kaniryu’s no-frills approach is part of the charm.
Kani Tonkotsu Ramen: 70/100
Noodle: 30/35
You get to choose between two types of noodles here:
- Thick flat noodles – Bright yellow, thick, fat, and flat. Served al dente, they offer a firm bite with a slightly springy exterior. The flavour leans nutty and wheaty without any harsh alkaline taste.
- Medium round noodles – Slightly thinner and rounder, with a firmer, semi-low hydration texture and less bounce. The nutty wheat taste is less distinct here, possibly due to the thinner cut.
Both are decent, but the thicker noodles clearly stand out and hold their own better in the heavy broth. If you’re ordering, this is the way to go.
Soup: 25/35
This crab-tonkotsu blend leans heavily toward tonkotsu in both taste and presentation. It’s rich and oily, with a visible glistening layer floating atop a brownish broth. The soup kicks off with a deep, dark shoyu flavour and a familiar smokiness. That’s followed by a savoury-sweet body and a faint bitter edge.
The crab component is subtle—more of a gentle sweetness that lingers toward the end, once the heavier elements start to fade. The mix of smoky, savoury, sweet, and bitter almost evokes a Malaysian-style Hokkien mee vibe. Interesting, but I was expecting a bit more crab.
Meat: 10/20
The chashu slices are large but thin, made mostly of lean meat. They’re tender and not dry but lack the melt-in-your-mouth quality you’d hope for. Marination is light and savoury, though parts of the meat carry a strong porky flavour—borderline overpowering. Some bites were well-balanced, others felt a bit too much.
Topping: 5/10
Toppings are minimal here. Just some shironegi for garnish, which adds light piquant notes but gets lost in the richness of the broth. Functional, but not especially memorable.
Summary
Kani Tonkotsu Ramen is a bold take that tries to fuse tonkotsu heft with a touch of seafood sweetness. It’s an intriguing idea but ultimately feels more like a tonkotsu ramen with a faint whisper of crab. The thick noodles are a highlight, while the soup has interesting layers but doesn’t quite satisfy my crab itch. Worth a try if you’re curious—especially since it sits in a ‘Yatai village’, where the atmosphere adds to the experience.
DISCLAIMER
One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Find out more about our palettes and how we evaluate our ramen here. 😉
