Queen Village newcomer Neighborhood Ramen was an instant hit among Philly chefs and local ramen fans. The energetic 20-seat BYOB serves ramen in a few styles, including shoyu, shio, iekei, tan tan (spicy), a mushroom-based vegan version, and broth-less mazesoba. It’s dine-in only and doesn’t take reservations.

It sounds like the beginning of a joke: Two friends — a sushi chef and a ramen chef — open up a restaurant together. But there’s no punchline at Tomo (short for tomodachi, which means friend in Japanese), just a perfect combo of Japanese specialties. Impressively, Tomo offers three vegan ramen options, along with its traditional pork and chicken versions.

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s menu includes chicken noodle soup ramen and a meat-free version made of an intense vegetable broth and Japanese vegetables. Both are available at dinner; at lunch, a third version with pork belly is on the menu.

Most of Hiro’s seven ramen offerings start with Berkshire pork tonkotsu broth and then get layered with ingredients like pork belly, corn, chili oil, and roasted garlic oil. There are also options with chicken broth, chicken and pork bone broth, and vegetables.

Terakawa’s recipes come from the Kumamoto region of Japan — the noodles are handmade and the broth is simmered for two days straight, giving it a deep, satisfying richness. The signature ramen at this shop with locations in Chinatown and University City is made with pork bone broth. The tan tan ramen employs spicy miso and “whopper style” means it’s topped with two eggs, mushrooms, cabbage, and dark roasted leek and garlic oil. The menu also has two vegetarian options.

Right on Drexel’s campus, Ramen Bar makes University City students debate whether to cook a packet of cheap ramen noodles or spend $12 on a piping hot bowl of the real stuff. The dozen different kinds of ramen are an education unto themselves.

In Fishtown, the signature ramen at Hajimaru includes a spicy pork bone broth with extra chasu. Among the other half-dozen options at this newly opened shop, find a vegetarian version and chicken katsu, plus the standard miso, shoyu, tan tan, and shio bowls.

A husband-and-wife team run this snug sushi and ramen shop in Fishtown. Many come for the omakase, but don’t sleep on the ramen that comes in two traditional meaty broths. There’s also a vegetarian version.

Manayunk's @Ramen recently refreshed its menu to serve a mix of classic and nontraditional bowls of ramen, like miso, Kagoshima-style, and triple truffle mushroom. Looking for something that feels healthy? Go with spinach or whole wheat noodles instead of the standard ones.