Located right next to the airport in Hillsboro, Ninja Ramen is Hillsboro’s first dedicated ramen spot. Owner Hitsumoto Taka graduated from ramen school in Tokyo, and even has a photo of his certificate on the business’ Yelp account. Ninja Ramen carries a wide range of ramens, including sukiyaki-topped tonkotsu and a tonkatsu-tonkotsu (a bowl of pork ramen topped with a fried pork cutlet); however, the star of the show is definitely the garlic ramen, with its ideally jammy soft-boiled egg. Ninja Ramen is currently open for takeout, delivery, and dine-in.

A new-ish Beaverton ramen shop, Koku’s menu only focuses on a tight selection of broths, with a not-too-heavy tonkotsu, as well as an immaculate shoyu and a few miso variations. But the restaurant’s mala ramen, topped with swirls of tingly chili oil, is likely the move here. Order online for takeout or visit for onsite dining.

This polished, Japan-based ramen franchise is hidden in a fancy Beaverton strip mall, where diners can choose from 13 bowls, including a vegetarian shiitake broth, tsukumen dipping ramen, or the extra-creamy garlic tonkotsu shoyu. The shop offers add-ins from more than a dozen additional toppings, or noodle refills for those in it for the carbs. Kizuki is currently offering takeout, delivery, and dine-in.

Tigard’s standout ramen spot specializes in tori paitan ramen, a creamy chicken-based broth, but it does more than that: Mugen’s menu offers a number of unconventional bowls, including a lemongrass-scented spicy shrimp with tempura prawns, or a tofu curry ramen made with a Willamette Valley hazelnut broth. Traditionalists can choose between bowls of tori paitan or a pristine shoyu chintan, as well as shio and miso bowls. Mugen is open for takeout and delivery, as well as onsite dining.

After being located in Beaverton for about half a year, Ramen Ippo relocated to Nob Hill Food Carts, home to top-performing carts like Bing Mi. After working as a sushi chef in Las Vegas for more than 15 years, owner Daisuke Kondo decided to finally open his own ramen place in Portland as a cart. The main ramen here is a savory paitan (chicken broth) ramen, but there are also vegan and vegetarian options such as the creamy vegan potage ramen and the seasonal tomato ramen. Ramen Ippo shares seating space with the rest of the carts in the pod and is open for takeout or onsite dining.

The star of the show at chef and Osaka native Kayoko Kaye’s airy ramen counter is the mala, made with Sichuan peppercorns and a helping of dried chili peppers, though the restaurant also serves a smattering of other traditional and inventive bowls. Almost all entrees are available in vegan form, and the restaurant offers no-carb or low-carb noodle options featuring julienned and blanched zucchini and daikon. Kayo’s is currently open for takeout and onsite dining, indoors or out.

This new Nagahama ramen shop, in the former Noraneko space, has fine-tuned its rendition of the celebrated tonkotsu style in its shockingly brief tenure. The broth has the distinct richness typical of tonkotsu, but it doesn’t come across as unnecessarily heavy; instead, it almost undetectably coats the thin noodles, which retain a satisfying bite. The chashu slices hew thick, juicy with a slight sear, and the shop doesn’t skimp on the sesame seeds and green onion. This isn’t the kind of place where diners can stack their bowls with a laundry list of add-ons and toppings, but it doesn’t need to be: What it does simply is simply exceptional. For variations, diners can opt for a tonkotsu miso, or a vegetarian mushroom tantanmen. It’s open for indoor dining and takeout.

For sushi and sashimi fanatics looking to enjoy some high-quality fish before digging into no-joke ramen, Mirakutei is the place to go. The specialty here is Sapporo-style ramen with a rich paitan broth and curly noodles, but the popular Genki ramen, white miso broth with roasted pork, scrambled eggs, and Thai chilies, is also exceptional. Mirakutei is currently offering takeout and delivery, as well as onsite service both indoors and outdoors.

This super fashionable Tokyo outpost — with its industrial chic SE location, quick-service sister restaurant in SW Portland, and Beaverton izakaya — is famous for its delicate and refreshing yuzu shio ramen. However, the real hit, especially in the cooler months, is the spicy, sesame-miso-based tantanmen, available with a fatty tonkotsu broth or vegan hazelnut base. Afuri offers takeout, onsite dining, and delivery from all three locations.

Hapa on 39th and Gladstone has reopened, offering both takeout and dine-in options. Hapa is known for its combination of ramen, Hawaiian food, and Japanese whiskey; originally started as a cart, Hapa’s ramen is meant to be durable for long car rides home, with a thick and squiggly proprietary noodle recipe. Here, diners will find standbys like tonkotsu, shoyu, and miso, as well as the restaurant’s invention, the G-Special: a pork belly-based ramen broth topped with chunks of pork belly, as well as spicy sprouts and shiitakes.

Heat-seekers, this is the spot to visit. Baka Umai’s unconventional bowls range from habanero tonkotsu to ghost pepper miso, with add-on pepper “mashes” to bring additional spice to any given bowl. The flavors here are intentionally and proudly loud, even in less chile-heavy bowls like the yuzu miso or lime shio. Baka Umai is open for onsite dining and takeout.