Kodawari Ramen - Yokochō

The story

Kodawari Ramen - Yokochō, Paris: Michelin-Recommended Japanese Ramen

An Immersive Tokyo Alley in Paris

At 29 rue Mazarine, Kodawari Ramen - Yokochō transports guests into a narrow Japanese alley. The name Yokochō means “alley” in Japanese – a lane lined with izakaya, bars and tiny restaurants. The decor is a meticulous recreation of that atmosphere, designed to feel like a piece of Tokyo dropped into the heart of Paris. It is a setting that invites you to slow down and focus on the bowl in front of you.

The Art of Ramen

Chef Jean-Baptiste Meusnier is the force behind the kitchen, a self-described ambassador of ramen culture. His approach is rooted in respect for the five essential elements of ramen: soup, noodle, tare (sauce), toppings and oil. Balance between them is everything. Every recipe is developed in-house, and the team never uses MSG or artificial flavour enhancers. Instead, they extract umami naturally from kombu, Japanese fish, shiitake and a custom blend of three Japanese soy sauces – one of which comes from the Shinanuma brewery, opened in 1688 and aged in three-century-old barrels.

Ingredients with Integrity

The noodles are made daily in the restaurant from wheat grown in the team’s own field in Acy Romance, Champagne. The flour is milled on-site, and the dough is matured for 24 hours, then hand-flattened using the traditional Temomi technique. The pork is Iberico Pata Negra Cebo de Campo from Salamanca, Spain – described by the restaurant as “the wagyu of pork”. Sardines arrive daily from Brittany, sea bream from the Mediterranean.

Standout bowls include the Shoyu Ramen – a clear chicken broth with shellfish dashi and bacon-infused chicken oil – and the Shio Paitan Ramen, a thicker, slow-roasted chicken chashu version with sansho and lemon. A seasonal vegan ramen, such as the Kuri squash ramen with porcini oil and autumn tsukudani, showcases the kitchen’s versatility. All desserts, like the black sesame mini dorayaki, are also made in-house.

A Michelin-Recommended Address

Kodawari Ramen - Yokochō has earned a Michelin Recommended distinction, a recognition that speaks to the precision and passion behind every bowl. It is a place where the craft of ramen is taken seriously – but the welcome remains warm, the energy lively, and the experience unmistakably Japanese, even in the middle of Paris.