Top 5 Tsukemen in Tokyo
5. Niboshi Tsukemen Miyamoto (煮干しつけ麺 宮元); Kamata Station
A former employee of the infamous Menya Itto franchise, Miyamoto takes his experience to create a rich and flavorful soup using high quality Niboshi and other dried fish for his broth. Of course he follows the core recipe adding chicken and pork bones as well as a variety of vegetables to bring out some sweetness to the soup, but the intense Umami flavor of the dried fish really overpowers this soup….in an amazing way. Comprehensive review here.
4. Rokurinsha (六厘舎); Tokyo Station
Rokurinsha has achieved some iconic level of fame with ramen lovers from all corners of the world coming in to Tokyo station for a bite of their infamous tsukemen. Featured in a variety of tv shows and magazines, as well as being loved by chef David Chang of Momofuku, lines during lunch have grown to over an hour wait. However, its definitely worth the hype. It stacks up to any other tsukemen restaurant in Tokyo and will have you glad you waited. Comprehensive review here.
3. Gonokami Seisakujo (五ノ神製作所); Shinjuku Station
Gonokami Seisakujo definitely takes the cake on most unique tsukemen on this list. They use a unique blend of high quality shrimp they select from vendors in Tsukiji for their broth and its quite a fantastic rendition of Tsukemen. The noodles are handmade to accentuate the shrimp flavor of the broth and comes topped with some blanched cabbage to lighten the bowl. Definitely a recommended spot for those adventurous for a new type of tsukemen.
2. Machida Shiruba Shio Ramen Shinka (町田汁場しおらーめん進化); Machida Station
One of the most underrated tsukemen shops in my opinion, Machida Shiruba has a unique salt based tsukemen, that is light and airy, but incredibly delicious. Not many make the trek all the way down to Machida from central Tokyo, but I guarantee you won’t be disappointed coming here. The saltiness of the soup, hints of gentle citrus, chewy noodles all make for an incredible tsukemen. Shinka takes great pride in their noodles so try without dipping the soup at first; the incredible detail they put in their noodles is unmatched by any other ramen shops I’ve been. Comprehensive review here.
1. Menya Itto (麺屋一燈); Shin Koiwa Station
A top 5 tsukemen list wouldn’t be complete without the addition of the king of tsukemen, Menya Itto. It honestly is the closest thing to a perfect tsukemen that I’ve ever had in my life. The incredible balance of the chicken and pork bone stock with the Niboshi, dried fish stock is divine. Noodles are perfectly cooked and handmade to create a harmonious match with the soup. Toppings are properly seasoned to highlight the soup and not overpower it. You just have to try it for yourself. Comprehensive review here.
