Misomendokoro Tasakaya (味噌麺処田坂屋): Next Generation Tokyo Miso; Ikebukuro, Tokyo

Next Gen Tokyo Miso. Really the only way to describe Tasakaya and the other Hanamichian disciples that have opened their own ramen shops in the past few years. I believe Misokko Hook really put this lineage of shops on the map with their burst on to the Tokyo ramen scene back in 2018. Hook’s popularity proved Tokyo Miso hasn’t died as a style and paved the way for other ramen shops serving this genre to succeed in this saturated miso ramen market. Anyways, Tasakaya is the next trending shop having opened in 2023 and already ranked as top 3 miso ramen in Japan via RamenDB and newly minted as a Top 100 Ramen Shop according to Tabelog. I arrived on a weekday, late in to their lunch service, and was 8th in line. I hear their popularity has exploded in the past couple months and their queue has grown larger as a result so best to have a bit of wiggle in terms of schedule if you’re planning a visit.

Unfortunately no English menu on the ticket machine, but worth asking if they have one in the back as a follower recently told me they have a little laminated guide behind the counter (unconfirmed). In case they end up not having an English menu, here is a brief overview of their ticket machine. The large buttons on the top row is the Ajitama Chashu Ramen in the four varieties of ramen they offer. Starting with the left in white is their regular miso ramen followed by their spicy miso ramen in red, a soupless version in yellow, and the extra spicy in the poorly decided upon rising sun flag motif which has thankfully changed since my visit to a maroon red. Below are the different topping options with the color corresponding to the ramen type. Starting with the top left corner is the regular bowl, to the right is with Ajitama, left bottom corner includes extra chashu, and the last is a mini version. Green are gentei, seasonal special menus which you can look up on their twitter. Black buttons below is for extra noodles; large and extra large. First row of white starting from left to right is the chashu, ajitama egg, half size rice, full size rice, mini chashu over rice (red button), spicy mini chashu over rice (red button), spicy quail eggs (5), and menma. Second row is negi, garlic chive kimchi, gyofun dried fish powder, fried garlic, and raw egg. Last row is the Sapporo Lager beer, lemon sour, oolong hi, tea, orange juice, and coke. Last button on the far right is for a receipt.

So the extra spicy version is called IWGP Gekikara Ramen which I’m assuming is an homage to the legendary tv show Ikebukuro West Gate Park, a show centered around the shenanigans that occurred at a park nearby Tasakaya. I love spicy and IWGP was one of my favorite tv shows growing up so this was a no brainer. Wasn’t feeling the pictures of the chashu so decided just to get the Ajitama soft boiled egg version with a side of rice. In about 10 minutes my bowl was ready and I was delighted to see such a beautiful bowl presented in front of me. I believe you can ask for less bean sprouts when you hand your tickets to the master so let him know if you want less than what is pictured. Bowl also comes with negi, menma, chashu, and my add on ajitama egg.

Had a hard time starting with the soup, but moved some bits to the side and was able to get a ladle full to sip. As the color would suggest, the soup is pretty spicy so be sure you have a good spice tolerance before choosing this version. I’m typically fine eating level 8 or higher at Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto and I would say this was right around that level. Base broth is steeped using pork and chicken bones, vegetables, and some pork back fat. White miso is used for the regular bowl and is included here as well, but of course in combination with the spicy mix. Since the broth has a full bodied pork and chicken flavor, even this spicy version has a deep richness you can appreciate through the fire. I honestly loved this flavor profile and I came during the edge of winter so I was just about getting in the mood for something to warm me up like this, but in terms of giving an overall review of the shop, this probably wasn’t the best as it is a more secondary menu option.

I believe the noodles here share the same recipe as Hanamichian and has that firm bite I’ve come to appreciate after visiting and eating at so many of Hanamichian’s disciple shops. Some think this is what makes this lineage of shops so special and while I personally won’t go that far with my praise, I can understand why the die hards swear by these strands. It has the perfect texture that almost makes them feel meaty and the round medium thick shape is the perfect vessel to get all that delicious soup in your mouth with every slurp. The yellow hue is synonymous with miso ramen at this point, but it serves a nostalgic symbolization of this style to me so really like that touch.

Toppings are simple, but voluminous. Right off the bat you’re met with the mountain full of bean sprouts which you have to work through before getting to the noodles. I was skeptical at first, but I think spicy miso definitely benefits from this portion size as it sort of helps to buffers the heat level. Next up is the menma which has the flavor profile of the thick cuts, but is way thinner. I quite like the crunch on these which is a nice texture balance against the chewy noods and the crispy bean sprouts. Chashu was probably a shoulder cut here, but looking at photos of other patrons, it might vary depending on whether you get extra or not. Wasn’t totally blown away by this, but it was good for what it was and I’m never one to complain about thiccc slices like this. Egg was cooked to perfection and has that creamy yolk finish. It looks a bit overcooked here, but I think that’s the result of me leaving it in the residual heat of the soup for too long.

Location is fantastic and is just a short walk from Ikebukuro station. I think the area is pretty great for shopping and has a Pokemon center nearby so you could squeeze this shop in between souvenir shopping for any potential visitors checking out this review. For residents of Tokyo, I would recommend coming on an off peak hour on a weekday to get seated as quickly as possible.