Ramen¥nishi-kuDaily 11:30-22:00; closed Sunday
Tsubame Ramen works a small Higashi-Kanon room in western Hiroshima, a neighbourhood chuka soba counter rather than a stop on any visitor circuit.
Signature: Chuka soba
Order: Chuka soba, the shop's soy-and-pork standard
Tip: Service runs unbroken from 11:30 to 22:00 on every day except Sunday, which is the one day the shutters stay down.
Ramen¥minami-kuTue-Sat 11:00-15:30, 17:00-20:00; Sun and holidays 11:00-19:00; closed Monday
Rai Rai Tei is a plain Minami-ku noodle room in Hiroshima with a split lunch and dinner service and a queue that forms without any signage at all.
Signature: Chuka soba
Order: Chuka soba at lunch, before the kitchen breaks at 15:30
Tip: The kitchen closes between 15:30 and 17:00 from Tuesday to Saturday, and the whole shop shuts on Mondays.
Ramen¥ekimaeTue-Fri 11:30-15:00, 18:00-23:30; Sat-Sun 11:30-23:30; closed Monday
Wadato works a Hakata-style tonkotsu bowl beside Hiroshima Station, open through the afternoon at weekends and until 23:30 for the last-train crowd.
Signature: Tonkotsu ramen
Order: The house tonkotsu ramen on thin straight Hakata-style noodles
Tip: Weekends run straight through from 11:30 with no afternoon break, but the shop is shut all day on Mondays.
Modern European¥¥hatchoboriMon-Sat 18:00-24:00; closed Sunday
Kitchen Minot is a two-table Hatchobori kitchen in Hiroshima where the menu changes constantly between European plates and Japanese small dishes.
Signature: Squid fritters, Miso-stewed chicken skin
Order: Whatever is chalked up that night, plus the squid fritters
Tip: There are only two tables and a counter that wraps the kitchen, so call ahead or come at 18:00 when the door opens.
Okonomiyaki¥¥hatchoboriMon-Fri 11:30-14:30, 17:30-21:00; Sat-Sun 11:00-14:30, 17:00-21:00; closed Tuesday
The Hatchobori flagship of Mitchan Sohonten is the Hiroshima okonomiyaki counter most locals still send first-time visitors to, a brand trading since 1950.
Signature: Soba niku-tama, Grilled oysters, Koune
Order: Soba niku-tama, with grilled oysters alongside at the evening teppan service
Tip: Evening service adds teppanyaki plates of oysters, horumon and koune that the lunch menu does not carry.
Okonomiyaki¥¥otemachiDaily 11:00-20:00; closed Tuesday and the 2nd and 4th Wednesday
Nagataya griddles Hiroshima okonomiyaki two blocks from the A-Bomb Dome, and is one of the few counters in the city with plant-based versions.
Signature: Hiroshima okonomiyaki, Vegan okonomiyaki
Order: The standard soba okonomiyaki, or one of the plant-based versions
Tip: Vegan and vegetarian okonomiyaki both sit on the board, cooked in vegetable oil and listed on the English menu.