The http://ramendb.supleks.jp/ website is such a great resource for finding great ramen. During my month in Japan in 2009, I was absolutely looking to try as many of the great ramen shops as possible. めん徳二代目つじ田 was ranked as one of the best in Tokyo, so off I went to Ochanomizu station (御茶ノ水駅).We arrived at 11:45am on a weekday, and the line was already out the door. I simply cannot believe how popular this type of ramen is. Almost every shop that sells this always has a line everyday, and this place no different.
As usual, a machine ordering system was available here, although none of it was in English. Thank god I had my Japanese friend here, so ordering was not difficult. However, if you love ramen, you be able to recognize the Japanese by reading some of the characters. The menu here is actually quite simple. They have tsukemen and ramen. Each type has three options that offers a set of topping. While I went for the ramen with the zen topping option, my friend took the tsukemen.
While waiting, there are descriptions on how flavoring of the soup, and they also offer free tea for their waiting customers, a very nice touch.
The open kitchen here is busy as they have a consistent flow of customers. You can see the trays of noodles, this is a good sign as these usually mean the noodles are fresh and delivered daily.
On to the ramen. The presentation here is great. I always love it when the splice the tamago in half, it’s almost like showing off how good the hanjukyu tamago is. You also have the standard menma, seaweed, and chashu.
The tamago simple looks amazing (and tastes amazing as well) here. The egg white looks great, and the yolk even better.
The chashu always looks average since it is pre-made and it is usually cold as they put it in the bowl. But after soaking it in the soup, it is quite amazing.
As you can see with the soup, this is a nice balance with just enough oil, and not too thick to the point that it was overpowering.
The noodles, simply one of the best I have ever had. Some of the ramen shops that offer thick noodles can be a bit too thick and it makes it feel too heavy. But not here. Very balanced and cooked just right.
And the tsukemen, while I didn’t get to try it, my friend said it was also very good. This soup seems a bit more oily than normal, but I trust my friend’s judgment. The noodles also looked very amazing.
Simply one of the better ramen shops in Tokyo, I truly enjoyed my ramen experience here. It doesn’t offer many options, but the two that they have should be satisfying enough for you to visit, again and again. City: Tokyo, Japan
Location: Ochanomizu, Iidabashi, Kojimachi, Ogawamachi
Hours: Varies by location (check website)
Website: http://www.nidaime-tsujita.co.jp/
Ordering system: Machine
Available in English: Minimal
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