5AM Ramen - Frank, Part 1

The Japan Travel Pros Podcast · Sep 27, 2026 · 40m

Frank knows ramen. You might even say that Frank eats, sleeps & breathes ramen.

Through 5AM Ramen, Frank has eaten hundreds of bowls a year (many years ongoing), explored ramen shops across Japan & beyond and built a career around sharing what he's learned through YouTube, ramen tours and hands-on experiences in Tokyo.

In Part 1 of our conversation, Frank joins Ari to talk about growing up in Tokyo, his earliest ramen memories and how 5AM Ramen got started. We get into everything from instant ramen and late-night bowls to ramen tours, regional styles, tonkotsu, Jiro and the enormous variety…