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.
Finalists: Komé, Otoko, Uchi, Uchiko
