Palace Hotel Tokyo goes hunting for ramen with Brain MacDuckston

Japan’s restaurant scene has always excelled on the Michelin scale and the city of Tokyo has 200 restaurants which feature in the guide. Palace Hotel Tokyo, sitting majestically next to the Imperial Palace, is home to two entries including Alain Ducasse’s Esterre and Sushi Kanesaka, however alongside expert culinary guides it is stepping onto the streets of Tokyo in search of the roots of home-cooked favourites.

Palace Hotel Tokyo, renowned for showcasing the very best of Japanese hospitality, has partnered with Brian MacDuckston, culinary expert and author of two books on Ramen and together they are whetting guest appetites with the launch of new gastronomic tours in Tokyo including a Ramen Hunt, or a deep dive into Tokyo’s Ultimate Street Eats.

Peeling back the layers of Japan’s vast culinary landscape is a challenge but alongside Brian’s encyclopedic knowledge gathered from research across every prefecture in Japan, the best bowls of one of Japan’s most popular food craze exports will be easy to track down. 

The ‘hunt’ will include finding Tokyo’s most authentic outposts, whether it’s seeking out the best place for tonkotsu (pork-based) broth, something a little more spicy, or just working out where the locals go for ramen that reminds them of home, few could rival Brian’s extensive knowledge – except, perhaps, for the ramen chefs themselves. 

Palace Hotel Tokyo’s new Ultimate Street Eats tour with Brian is a must if you are after yakitori, noodles from udon to soba, or the ultimate sandwich, an A5 Wagu Sando. And when cocktail hour calls, Brian knows just the place for sake and small bites. 

Whilst Palace Hotel Tokyo pays tribute to first-class Japanese cuisine offered across its many dining outlets including exquisite tempura at Tatsumi, succulent teppanyaki at Go, traditional multi-course kaiseki in Wadakura and Michelin-starred sushi at Sushi Kanesaka, it is Brian’s deep dive into everyday comfort foods enjoyed across Japan that peel back the layers of gastronomy that have remained true to Japan’s culinary heritage.