Houston, TXRamen

Tucked into Dun Huang Plaza in Chinatown, this dinner and late-night spot serves around 400 bowls a day. The tantan-men and spicy miso, both loaded with chashu pork, are the standing favorites, and a tonkotsu broth simmers for a day and a half before it hits the bowl.

A Japanese-Taiwanese spot in Chinatown built around thick cuts of chashu pork in an aromatic broth, with a signature spicy tantan ramen alongside a tonkotsu black garlic version. The menu keeps a tight focus on a few well-executed bowls rather than a sprawling list.

Better known for sushi, the Upper Kirby izakaya also runs a serious ramen program, from a classic spicy soy bowl to an upscale version topped with lobster and lump crab. It is a good option for a table that wants both raw fish and a hot bowl in one sitting.

A Chinatown ramen spot on Clarewood serving signature tonkotsu bowls built on a rich, long-simmered broth alongside Japanese small plates. The dinner and late-service hours suit a group sharing bowls and appetizers, and the kitchen keeps a steady line moving through its beef-forward and pork broth options.

A late-night izakaya and whiskey bar in Chinatown, popular for a post-midnight bowl of tonkotsu ramen alongside rows of Japanese whiskey. It comes alive late, when the room fills with people ordering small plates and drinks between bowls of noodles.