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Iwao

Japanese ramen-ya Iwao in Marseille, listed by Le Fooding in 2026. House broths, a Tokyo-alley room and arcade games on rue Sainte.

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The story

Iwao Marseille: Japanese Ramen on Rue Sainte, Listed by Le Fooding

Iwao is a Japanese ramen-ya at 27 Rue Sainte in Marseille's 1st arrondissement, and Le Fooding listed it in 2026 for its large, colourful room and bowls of steaming ramen. The kitchen runs a short menu of noodle soups, styled after a Tokyo food court with noren curtains, manga posters and wooden tables.

Five bowls, broths made in house

The broths are made on site, and the menu holds five ramen recipes plus a small portion for children. The Miso bowl pairs chicken broth with garlic and ginger oil, corn and chashu pork. The Yasai Miso is vegetarian, built on soy milk broth with sesame oil, pak choi and fried tofu. Asari uses fresh clams in a fish dashi, while Tantanmen brings a spicy sesame broth.

A Tokyo alley on rue Sainte

Raw wooden façades, calligraphy signs and neon frame an open kitchen. Guests can browse the manga library or play arcade games between bowls. The terrace seats about 15 outdoors, and reservations are advisable, as the room often fills.

Recognition

Awards & accolades

2026
Le Fooding
Listed

Ambience

A glimpse inside

Details

At a glance

Le Fooding 2026 — Listed
Cuisines Asian, Japanese
Services Counter Dining, Large Groups, Outdoor Seating

History

On the record

2026
Le Fooding — Listed

After Ko-Ishi (which means “pebble” in Japanese), make way for the great “boulder” of a spot – Iwao! Located just two doors down from his tiny restaurant, the Japanophile chef Christophe Caiola, who trained as a graphic designer, is making waves with his massive Tokyo food court-inspired spot (colorful noren curtains, manga posters, retro figurines, wooden tables and chairs, a big stone arch in the center of the room), where you can slurp up big bowls of smoking hot ramen. The day we went for lunch, that included an excellent version combining egg noodles, chicken bone broth with a rich miso flavor, ginger, garlic, sesame, corn and slices of chashu and ajitsuke tamago; or its incredible vegetarian counterpart made with soy milk vegetable broth, bok choy, the signature marinated egg and finely sliced leeks. For dessert, there are some lovely homemade mochi ice creams in matcha, yuzu or sakura flavors; or the very kitsch taiyaki , those fish-shaped waffles stuffed with azuki bean paste. // Maude Zarella

Location

Find us

27 Rue Sainte, 13001 Marseille, France
Marseille, France
04 91 54 08 27
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