photo by Jana Birchum

Japanese

Ramen Tatsu-Ya

What was once completely foreign to American palates is now ubiquitous thanks to Tatsu Aikawa and Takuya Matsumoto’s growing empire. For the uninitiated, start with the chicken shoyu broth: Tatsu-Ya’s is always on point, with just the right amount of soy sauce, never bland, never too salty. The noodles are cooked to perfection every time, and the chashu is handled with care.

Ramen Tatsu-Ya
8557 Research #126, 737/314-5621
1234 S. Lamar, 737/314-5628
8601 S. Congress, 737/786-3095
2132 N. Mays St. #960, Round Rock, 512/740-8311
ramen-tatsuya.com

Finalists: Komé, Otoko, Uchi, Uchiko