Higashi-Ikebukuro Taishoken - Main Shop

After a long walk nearby, I stumbled upon this hidden gem and indulged in their mouthwatering Ramen with Roast Pork. The dish exceeded my expectations! The rich, savory broth was a perfect complement to the tender, slightly firm roast pork and springy noodles. Each slurp was pure bliss, with flavors melding together in harmony. The portion was generous, and the price was well worth it. I left feeling satisfied and rejuvenated. Recommended for anyone seeking a delicious, comforting meal after a long day.

One of my ramen shops in Tokyo! I visit here each time I’m in Tokyo. Service is quick and expect a big lunch crowd - get here early pr after lunch. The gyoza is also awesome!

A wonderful experience and my first time eating tsukemen. By far the most delicious meal I've had in Japan in 13 years. I certainly didn't need the gyoza too in hindsight but they were excellent too. Good jazz and a true local delight. Thank you so much for the chance to taste your food. I will remember it for a very long time.

This is supposed to be the birthplace of tsukemen on account for the original chef passed down his original recipe to the current chefs and owners. The OG tsukemen was interesting. It's not as thick and tasty as modern tsukemen, but it was still flavorful. Also they have really generous servings. We weren't able to finish our bowls and believe me we tried really hard on account of trying not to offend them because the food was really good.

I saw this place on NHK as the the birthplace of tsukemen. Well, the original owner passed away a few years ago. The new owner carries on the same legacy. At the ticketing machine there is a laminated paper with an English menu on top. The buttons on that align with the buttons on the ticketing machine so it is very easy to use. I did post pictures of both so please reference those before going. Otherwise you could block up the line. The most popular dish is the regular tsukemen 1,150 yen. This comes with a heaping 320 g bowl of noodles which is hard to imagine if you don't know the metric system. But trust me, it is a lot. When the noodles were cold, they were nice and chewy. You did have to break them apart a few times as you're eating because they stuck together a little bit. The broth was rich and flavorful even though it was not very thick. In the broth or some usual toppings, including a thick piece of pork, green onions, fish cake, and bamboo shoots. We also got an order of gyozo which was a thousand yen. I thought it was a lot until we got there. You get five and they are all massive stuffed, full meat and goodness. My daughter got the regular hot ramen. The broth seemed similar to the different broth but not as concentrated. They were both a wonderful bonito front soy sauce, seasoned broth. All told this was a wonderful experience and is a must for rolling fanatics as you get to eat at a place full of history.

Taishoken was one of the first places to start the Tsukemen form of ramen. Yet over the years many have caught up. Having tried it so many years apart I must note that the quality has dipped somewhat from before. The soup is still nice, but lacks the strong punch of flavor from before. And I was somewhat dismayed that they offered me plain water to dilute my soup after the noodles instead of paitan like how it was last time. Try the Tsukemen.

The food here is absolutely delicious but my family of 5 was absolutely destroyed by how huge the portions were! I highly recommend coming here if you love tsukemen or just want to give it a try, the broth looks light but it is very flavourful, the roast pork is the best roast pork I've ever had (leave it in the broth to absorb the flavour, trust me), and the noodles are bouncy. The gyoza (dumplings) are also humongus but delicious. It's so full of meat that it split apart while I was eating it. I will definitely come back here again when I visit Tokyo. (Also for all my english speakers: runny egg is the ramen egg)

The ramen was good but fairly ordinary. The broth was solid, the noodles were well-cooked, and the meat was the highlight of the bowl. What really stood out was the portion size—it was the largest ramen I’ve had so far. Overall, it was a decent and filling dinner, but nothing exceptional. Worth it if you’re nearby, though not something I’d travel far for.