Tomita 中華蕎麦 とみ田

I have been monitoring ramendb for a few years now, and in the past two years, there have been a few shops that are consistently in the top. For a good year or so, it was Menya Kissou, but in the last a year or so, a new shop in Chiba took over the crown. And since it took over, it has not looked back.


Tomita is not to be messed with. It's been on top of the ramendb charts, and with my love for ramen never wavering, I had to try it out for myself. Now Chiba isn't exactly close, but traveling to far places to try ramen was never a problem for me.


Located within minutes walk from Matsudo Station (松戸駅), I treked out from Shinjuku on a Saturday morning, and arrived around 11am. As you can see, the shop is not hard to find. Just look where the crowd is.


This shop definitely has character. From the exterior design of their window, to the interior decor of a traditional Japanese furnishing, it makes this shop a unique experience just to be here. But of course people don't travel all the way to Chiba for the decor. I must first apologize for the poor lighting of the pictures. I forgot to check the setting on my SLR, so the pictures turned out way too dark.


Tomita offers ramen and tsukemen, but it was evident that tsukemen is the prize here. From reading the reviews, it was clear tsukemen was going to be my choice. The picture isn't clear enough, but the tonkotsu gyokai (豚骨魚介) soup was absolutely superb. Some place is too light, some place too heavy, Tomita provide just the right balance of flavor and taste.


To achieve top billing in ramendb, you must do everything well. And tamago is one of the most critical piece to any ramen/tsukemen. Tomita is no exception. Soft on the outside, liquidy yolk on the inside, just perfect.


The amount of noodles you get with tsukemen, even with a normal order, never ceases to amaze me. It's a wonder how Japanese stay so skinny (but I guess not everyone eats ramen as much as me). The noodles were a prize possession here, thick, chewy, and immensely satisfying. The charshu, not charred as much as I like on the outside, but the serving was so generous and well marbled which made up for it.


The thickness of the soup can be seen through how it stays on the noodles. And when I took my first bite, it was as good as I expected. Sometimes when you set expectations too high, often times you are disappointed. Not here. Tomita is ranked #1 for a reason. It does everything well and has no weaknesses. If there are any minuses here, it's that it is all the way out in Chiba, which makes it a bit hard to get to. But if you are ever adventurous, and just want to have the best, head to Chiba. You won't be disappointed.

City: Chiba, Japan
Location: Matsudo, minutes walk from the station
Hours: 11am - 5pm (closed on Wednesday)
Website: No official website, http://ramendb.supleks.jp/s/282.html
Ordering system: Machine
Available in English: Minimal

Tonchin 屯ちん

It’s always a plus to find a decent ramen shop near Shinjuku, as it is easy access for me when I need a good meal. There were many that I was really excited about, but I read good things about Tochin, so on a Saturday afternoon, I decided to give it a try.

As with many ramen shops, the machine system makes ordering quick and painless. It wasn’t too busy on a Saturday afternoon, especially with plenty of places to eat around this area. The kitchen here is wide open, so you can see the ramen artists here at work.

This place essentially has got three types of noodles: Miso, Tonkotsu, and Tsukemen. Quite an interesting combination as usually we do not see these three together in one shop. I of course always opt for my usual, tonkontsu. Without too long of a wait, my ramen came.

One of the things that differentiate the tonkotsu ramen here is that one of the standard topping is green onions and menma (looks like it is stir fried and a bit spicy). It provided a bit of a different taste to a standard tonkotsu-based ramen. The other usual suspects are here: seaweed, hanjyuku tamago, and chashu.

The soup is quite tasty here, with just the right amount of fat and heaviness.

The chashu also quite excellent, with a nice balance of lean and fatty meat.

The tamago was your standard hanjyuku tamago, but the yolk may have been cooked a bit too much.

All in all, not a bad bowl of ramen. I wouldn’t mind trying the miso ramen next time if I am around, but not exactly near the top as far as tonkotsu-based ramen. The stir-fried green onions and menma didn’t really do it for me. It wasn’t one of my favorites, but would definitely consider it if I didn’t have too many options to choose from.

City: Tokyo, Japan (also in Kawasaki and Fukashima)
Location: Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Sunamo

Hours: Varies (check website)
Website: http://tonchin.foodex.ne.jp/index.html

Order system: Machine
Available in English? Some

Tukumo Ramen 九十九ラーメン

One of the first specialty ramen shops that was recommended to me by a good friend here in Tokyo was Tukumo ramen in Ebisu. It took me a while to go try it, but it definitely stood out as one of the more unique ramen experiences in Japan.

Most people I've spoken to say that ramen in Japan is very heavy flavored, which come as a surprise if you think about it. For the most part, Japanese food can be very light and healthy (think sushi for example). But a lot of their food are very heavy and oily, such as tonkotsu, tempura, curry, and ramen definitely makes that list. And here at Tukumo, the ramen won't win any awards for being healthy.

Their ramen are very flavorful, and here, the soup base really stands out and makes them special. First off, they have a signature "Tukumo ramen", which is what I tried. Then there is a shouyu based ramen, a miso based ramen, and finally, one I have yet seen anywhere else, the "cheese" ramen. Yeah, this ramen is topped with a huge serving of paramsean cheese that is added to the miso based soup, and it will have enough sodium to last you a month. They also have seasonal ramen such as dan-dan men, and with all sorts of toppings such as corn, negi, egg, etc., there is something here that is bound to please you.

The "Tukumo ramen" was very good, the noodles didn't exactly do it for me, but here, the charshu and soup really made up for it. It was perhaps one of the best charshu I've ever had, and the soup I could literally die for. What really made this one miss the boat was the noodles, and perhaps my preference for hakata style noodles really did them in. My friend who tried the "cheese" ramen said it was really good, but you'll find yourself drinking lots of water because it can be a bit too salty. Even then, the "cheese" ramen does sell out almost everyday, because a few times when we get there later in the evening, there are some disappointed customers that didn't make it in time.

Overall, this is a place I do still go back to once in a while, especially when I am in the mood for good charshu. The atmosphere here is great, and the servers are super friendly. It makes the overall experience a really great one, and one that I recommend anyone to experience at least once if you are in the Tokyo area. Easy access from Ebisu station, and there is another shop in Chiba if you are near that area. There is usually a line which is a good sign that this is a place that is quite popular. Go try it out for yourself.

City: Tokyo, Japan (also in Chiba)
Location: Ebisu, 5 minutes walk from the station

Hours: 11am - 5am

Website: http://www.tukumo.com/

Order system: Menu
Available in English? I think they do, will confirm