Menya Ittō

Menya Itto — Understanding the System Behind One of Japan’s Most Famous Ramen Lines Menya Itto is widely known as one of Japan’s most famous queue-style ramen shops. However, many of the complaints about “pressure” may not come from enforcement — but from how the system is interpreted. Queue-based restaurants operate under their own operational philosophy. Inside the shop, you will see a notice requesting that meals be finished within 20 minutes during busy periods. At the same time, the notice clearly states that this is not compulsory. Looking at ★1 reviews, some visitors mention feeling “pressure” or being asked to leave early. But it is worth pausing to consider: Was this truly a forced action? Or was it a subjective interpretation of posted guidance and surrounding atmosphere? Hall staff are not the ones who design store policy. They are simply responsible for implementing it at the frontline. In many cases, they stand between operational requirements and customer expectations. If any uncertainty arises, the most effective response is not emotional reaction, but calm confirmation. For example: “I understand the 20-minute request, and that it is not compulsory. I am still eating — is it necessary for me to leave?” A simple, polite question like this is sufficient. If needed, clarification can be requested from someone in a supervisory position. Addressing questions calmly, in the moment, allows clarity. Remaining silent and forming conclusions afterward often leads to misunderstanding. At queue-based restaurants, turnover is typically managed per seat rather than per individual. For pairs visiting together, eating at a similar pace can help avoid unnecessary friction. It allows the shared space to function as intended. This is not about defending the shop. It is about understanding the system it operates within. Menya Itto clearly prioritizes efficient flow. This can also be interpreted as an effort to serve as many visitors as possible, given its constant demand. This is not a “strict” shop. It is a shop where understanding the structure changes the experience entirely. Once that premise is understood, the long line itself may begin to make sense. Review advisor

B- [it's aight / 還可以] · famous ramen thats overhyped + not worth getting the premium · Google Maps said open at 6 pm but people were already going inside at 5:55 pm (was shocked cause isnt japan all about punctual?) · ramen vending machine micromanaged by a server with bad attitude (felt pressured to order fast as a first timer) · light shio ramen tasted just average (saw everyone getting the tsukemen here so thats probably the best ramen) · chicken slice was the highlight (perfectly cooked + tender) · pork chasu had too strong gamey taste that ruined my appetite · their sous vide duck meat was not for me (looked better than it tasted + nonstop chewy) · apparently dessert service was for girls only...? (lychee sorbet) · their signature spicy sauce helped with enhancing the ramen's flavor tldr: their premium ramen was overhyped with an interesting dessert rule...?

I've had my share of tsukemen in Tokyo, but after visiting Menya Itto, I can confidently say that this is definitely the best tsukemen I've ever had. Gone are the days of painfully-long lines if you would just make a quick and easy reservation. Based on my experience the hype is over and it is quite easy to find availability on the reservation site. When I visited there was a short line of people waiting, but thanks to my reservation I was able to walk right in and order. I noticed that the wait is longer than most tsukemen places, and I do believe they're aware of this enough that there are signs advising customers that there will be a bit of a wait. But what arrived was WELL WORTH it. The soup base was rich and flavorful as one would expect, and the noodles were perfectly chewy (personally I would describe them very nearly al dente), but the highlight for me was the chashu. The three pieces were all prepared differently and all had different flavors and textures. My favorite piece almost reminds me of smoked iberico ham. On my way out, the line was much longer than pictured. Although the location is far from most tourist areas, it is easily reached from Akihabara without needing to change trains and it is a very short walk from the station. There is nothing else to do nearby so it would be a trip just for this place, but again, I'd say it's WELL WORTH it especially if you made reservations online.

(Written on November 17, 2025) I believe this is one of the standout tsukemen shops in Tokyo, rivaling “Michi” in Kameari. The soup is packed with umami, distinguished by a thin film on the surface reminiscent of hot milk. The noodles are chilled and firm, and dipping them into the warm broth before savoring them is truly a blissful moment.

Out of this world! The best tsukemen I have tried so far, and it really deserves the name "King of Tsukemen" in couple of years ago. For the first-time comer, I recommend you to order Rich Soy-Sauce with Fish Flavoured Soup Tsukemen (w/ 3 kinds of Char Siu) (チャーシュー濃厚魚介つけめん) with the size of normal 150g (並) or middle 250g (中) size, because the large size (大) is 400g. The smell inside the shop has a different level of deliciousness. I don't have much thing to say about the flavor because everything seems perfect and matching to each others. The soup is a balance of every flavor; saltiness, sweetness, sourness, umami. The thick noodle is super duper tender and spring-like at the same time, which is really enjoyable to chew, I wish the noodle does not run out when I was eating. There are 2 roasted chashu, 2 low-cooked chashu, and 2 low-cooked chicken for the toppings, and these are well-selected and cooked. It is a perfect match to the scrumptious soup. Personally, I like the low-cook one the most. Apart from the tsukemen, the shop has a very well-organized system. You go there, check the expected time that you could go in which is shown in front of the door, then buy the food ticket and come back at the specified time. You can even download the application of this restaurant and check the availability. For me, I arrived the shop at 18:10 and needed to wait for 40 minutes.

Worth the trip. I ordered #10, rich broth with 3 kinds of meat. As shown in the menu pic, the light salt bowl is only available Wed, Fri and Sun, and the shoyu bowl is on Tue, Thu, Sat so plan accordingly. Super flavorful tonkotsu with strong fish flavors. I slurped every last bit of it. The rich broth is quite heavy, and left me feeling like I ate too much salt though, so you may need a couple hours to walk it off. I ate Ramen with light broth the last couple days, so it wasn't too bad to go heavier today. But I wouldn't be able to do this every day. I didn't like the darker braised pork as much. It was too chewy for me. But the chicken and white chashu were buttery soft and moist. Flawless. The man managing the door spoke basic English and was helpful. Line up on the right side to place your order at the ticket machine. Shove about 2000 yen worth of cash and click the number of each item and topping you want from the menu. You get a small ticket for each button you push and you give the stack of tickets to the door man. He'll give you another receipt with a number. A whiteboard outside tells you what time to come back. For us, we arrived at 11:25 and got a 11:55 time. We noticed that those who came at 11:45 were asked to come back at 12:45. So come at or before 11 AM for the shortest wait. Lunch is served only from 11-3. When you come back, you wait on the left side of the door. Each seating is about 15 minutes long. They wait for everyone to empty out and everyone from that time batch enters at the same time. Pretty efficient I think. You sit where the man tells you and the chefs will give you what you ordered without any other interaction necessary.

Very long waiting time. Queue to take a number and come back few hours later. Tried the signature tsukemen. The sauce is quite nice but the ramen is cold? It's so weird because the weather outside is already freezing cold but they still serve cold noodle. Would've taste much better if it's warm. There are several other ramen store nearby with much shorter waiting time and better quality.

Voted as the number 1 ramen store in Tokyo for two years! The place is not as crowded as Tsuta ramen and they have a very efficient queueing system. You purchase your ticket and they will tell you the time to come back. The noodle is cold and the soup/dipping sauce is hot. They are really delicious and the portion is huge. Great value for money since it's only 930(with egg) and it's very filling. Definitely recommend it! Great ramen!

Solid spot for ramen that's open late in Katsushika. There's more often than not a line outside but it's worth the wait. Be prepared to put your order in before seating to eat, but you get your food pretty quickly once seated. Inside ambiance is quite clean with about 10 seats.

On a recent family trip to Tokyo, our entire party (12 pax) went to Menya Ittō for our ramen fix. Like a lot of other places in Japan, this one's small too, so we were expecting our group to be split up to eat, which we didn't really mind, but, the staff was kind enough to accommodate everyone at the same time. For this, we are thankful. Of course, ramen was yummy as expected.

While so much attention is received by Tomita Ramen in Matsudo, Chiba (and a film titled "Ramen Heads" featured the restaurant and has been #1 on the ramendb for years) and Tomita is known for its tsukemen, in Tokyo, there is one restaurant that has received the acclaim of being called the best (or second best) ramen shop and best place for tsukemen and that is Menya Itto in Katsushika City which opened its doors back in 2010. But for master Sakamoto Yukihiko, his original store is Menya Itto and where people will wait in line to taste their ramen or tsukemen. He decided to pursue his efforts in ramen and worked alongside Tashiro Kouji (who is known as "son of Ramen God"), a student and disciple of "God of Ramen" and tsukemen inventor, Yamagishi Kazuo of the famous ramen restaurant, Higashi Ikebukuro Taishoken. Note II: You'll start to notice that a lot of the top ramen restaurants, many were disciples of Yamagishi Kazuo, including Tomita Osamu of Tomita Ramen. Menya Itto means "noodle shop - One Lantern" and the metaphor is "one small light can illuminate the path for others to shin, into create a brighter world". So, I went to Menya Itto to give this popular restaurant a try! Once you get there, you will notice a line of people. It's important to note that unlike other restaurants where lines are often people sitting at tables with family, friends, co-workers. This is not the case. People go there to eat and they are in and out, so the wait is not too long. About 20 minutes or so, depending on how big the line is. And all seats are counter seats. Knowing many Ramen Heads from all over the world are traveling, they put an English menu and information outside the door, so for those who worry about not being able to read on the ticket machine, you can look at the menu. Also, there is a person who is a greeter at the door who can assist you. So, if you want tsukemen or ramen, you can look and see which one you want. For those who wonder if I prefer tsukemen over ramen, it always depends on the restaurant and season for me but tsukemen is my choice. With Tsukemen, the soup/broth and the noodles are served separately. The broth/soup is typically thicker and the noodles are cold and you put it in the hot broth/soup. And once you are done, you can ask for them to put hot soup into it which is less thick and so you have a soup afterward. I absolutely loved the tsukemen at Menya Itto but I've been asked many times, does it beat Matsudo Tomita Ramen's tsukemen? I loved Menya Itto, don't get me wrong, Menya Itto's tsukemn was delicious! It's great! It's awesome! But yet there is something about Tomita Ramen's tsukemen that is just heavenly. But I highly recommend Menya Itto in Katsushika City. It's definitely top-tier and is one of the top 3 ramen restaurants in Tokyo.

Kind of confusing wait system-you wait on the right first, buy your food ticket and are given a waiting ticket, then when you come back you wait on the left. I waited on the left first (as did the other people in front of me) which led to some confusion but the waiter was nice about it. I also dropped all of the coins in my wallet while I was ordering so that kind of set the experience off poorly. After maybe a half hour wait, I got the deluxe tsukemen. The noodles had a delicious chewiness and gyokai tonkotsu is always fantastic. This place was less gritty than other places I've had and was maybe a tad more sweet and milky, probably from the pork. Definitely one of the best broths I've tasted. Egg was delicious too with an interesting flavor, great when dipped in the broth. Probably one of the best eggs I've had with ramen too. The meats were alright, a little more tough than I expected. The pork was not super fatty too, less than I had hoped. The broth, noodles, egg, and tsukune (maybe tsumire?) thing definitely made up for it though. Superb and memorable bowl, and great for what is possibly my last ramen in Tokyo for a while. I think I have had better though, but this is definitely near the top in Tokyo based on noodles and broth.

I've been to dozens of ramen shops in the two months I've spent in Tokyo, and this is one of the few that was so amazing that I felt the need to write a review. Fuunji, Rokurinsha, even Michi all have a special place in my heart, but Itto is hands down my favorite tsukemen ever. Every detail-- broth, noodle temperature and chew, three different types of chashu, tamago-- all just perfect. Line up to the right side of the shop first to buy your tickets. They've streamlined the process such that there's a white board on the wall listing what time to return based on when you're buying your tickets. When you've ordered, the host will take your tickets/order and give you a receipt telling you when to return. Might sounds complicated, but once you're there you'll see it's pretty straightforward. Return at the designated time and wait another 5-10mins and you'll be let inside to eat. In the pictures below, I got the ¥1100 option and paid ¥150 to upsize to 500g of noodles and ¥100 for an egg.

Rating: 94/100 Three facts you should know that relate to Menya Ittō: 1) There are currently well over 3000 ramen restaurants in Tokyo alone. Menya Ittō is consistenly ranked among the top 10, frequently even appearing as #1. 2) Lines will be long, and you will have to wait. Expect two hours during most times, or around an hour at opening/non-peak hours. 3) Assuming you like thick, bold ramen, this will likely be the best, or among the best ramen you ever have. The thick tsukemen broth feels and tastes as it looks: like pure gold. In my mind, Menya Ittō is less of a restaurant, and more of a ramen pilgrimage of sorts. Do come here if you are looking to enjoy one of the clear apexes of the art of ramen. Do not come here when you are hungry. That will make the long wait unbearable. Being in Shinkoiwa (outside the center of Tokyo), including the trek and wait, for most people eating here will be an event that takes a good half-a-day. Is it worth it? If you are a ramen enthusiast, absolutely. And perfectly fitting for my 500th review. **Don't speak Japanese? No problem.** The menu they pass out has the variety names in English. Wait in line until being called in to buy your ticket. Then go back outside into your place in line.

When you search "best ramen in Tokyo" Menya Itto has to show up in at least half of your search results. Does it live up the hype? Yup, would come for another bowl! * * * EXPERIENCE * * * I knew the line's going to be long, and I just don't like waiting at all. To minimize (and cap) the amount of waiting time I decided to arrive at 10am while they open at 11am. There was no one and I didn't really want to be the first/only person there, so I decided to walk around the neighborhood while waiting for a few more people to come. Finally, I came back at 10:15am and there were 4 people lining up already. I was given a sign "5", I think the purpose is that the whole party needs to be there at the line, so you can't just have 1 person coming early to get 10 people's spots. At around 10:30am, we were asked to go into the shop one by one (or by party) and buy our ramen from the ticket machine. ==CASH ONLY== Bought it, gave it to the server, and continued to wait outside, until about 10:58am the door was opened and we could walk in. Since they had our orders earlier already, we were given our bowls of ramen less than 5 minutes after we sat down. * * * FOOD * * * No 1: Special ramen with thick fish based soup: A I could see why everyone loves their tsukemen. Firstly, the soup was really very thick. However, the magic was that you don't feel salty or greasy at all, it was a perfect balance of ingredients used to make the soup which, I could only taste fish and probably some other seafood, or a bit chicken bone and/or tonkotsu? I'm not sure, but the fish was definitely there, and was tasty. Secondly, the noodle was very thick and chewy even after you dipped it into the soup. It was probably one of the best noodle I have had in any other ramen places. Thirdly, those 3 pieces of meat: heavenly. Oh man, they were chicken, pork #1 (ham?) and pork #2 (chashu). All were relatively much thicker cut (compared to typical ramen places) but at the same time much more tender and moist. Looking at one of the signs they put up in the store, I guess it was because they used "low temperature vacuum" cooking method with the meat, which is known to be locking moisture inside the meat. I guess this method is more time-consuming and probably higher cost? But the ROI is so good. I had to close my eyes and enjoyed those pieces of meat. There were also two pieces of chicken meat balls in the soup, very soft and with strong chicken taste. The egg was slightly over-cooked to be qualified as a soft-boiled egg IMO but nevertheless the taste was rich and wonderful. If you find yourself in Tokyo, please do yourself a favor and visit Menya Itto. From the map it looks a bit far from Tokyo downtown but honestly it's just a 13 min Sobu rapid line train ride from Tokyo station plus a 5 min walk after. Your stomach is waiting for you! I'm not sure if I want to use my valuable Tokyo-visiting chance to go back and try regular ramen instead of the much more famous tsukemen. But I feel like I have to. Or I should plan my trip to have two meals at Itto? Mmm....

I came here in the evening after having lunch at Tomita. Double win of the top two tsukemen shops in Japan. We arrived at 5pm to order and got tickets for entry at 620. Much easier than Tomita. The soup is thinner and the noodles as well. I can't say which of the two is better, but would eat here again for sure.

Second fave tsukemen in the tokyo area, hella good, short wait just make sure you know what to do. Kinda out of the way but gooood.

Unlike back in the home of the free, waiting in line food seems to seldom disappoint in Japan, and I would most definitely put Ittou right at the top of the list of "restaurants I would gladly stand in line for." And trust me, you will be standing in line; unless you get here around thirty or forty minutes before 11, you will either find yourself standing in the main queue (right in front of the store), the second staging area (which is a little further down the street to the right) or if you're really unlucky, in the third staging area all the way down the street after the next intersection. The waiting also doesn't quite end with simply standing around, yawning, and looking at your watch; you're given a moment of false hope when one of the serving staff comes out, greets you, and ushers you inside so you can buy your meal ticket from the the vending machine -- after which you go right back outside in line until that fateful moment when you get to go inside and reap the fruits of your hard-earned (albeit by doing absolutely nothing) labor. Men'ya Ittou has two main items on their menu, with each being as unequivocally good as the next: Noukou Gyokai Ramen (濃厚魚介らーめん "Rich Seafood Flavored Ramen") The broth, like its name, is really rich and is packed with seafood in every bite. The broth itself has that initial punch, but doesn't linger around like the fatty taste in Tonkotsu or the salty soya taste in Shouyu ramen. For toppings you get tsukune (chicken meat balls), spinach, white leek strips, menma, and scallions; I'm not quite sure what the tsukune is made of, but I originally thought it's some sort of amazingly delicious chewy fishball... which kind of sounds like chicken in retrospect, but whatever. The noodles are medium skinny, leaning more toward medium and doesn't soak up too much water. You also get the choice between getting this as straight up Ramen or as Tsukemen, with the latter being the most popular menu item at Ittou. Houjun Koumi Soba (芳醇香味そば "Mellow/Fragrant Soba") You get the option of ordering this as a Shio ramen or Shouyu ramen, with the former being the more orthodox choice. The broth is a sensational blend of rich chicken broth and a seafood broth (which I believe is made with scallops, dried clams, oysters, among others) and the very first thing you notice about this masterpiece--like the name implies--is how fragrant it is. The chicken introduces a rich, thick mouthfeel once you slurp the soup, while its seafood counterpart leaves you with a clean, fragrant after taste. For toppings you get Menya Ittou's special combination chashuu, made by combining chicken and pork loins; spinach, white leek strips, menma, and scallions. Medium skinny noodles again, with the option to add more noodles, add more toppings etc. As far as side orders go, you can add rice and order extra chashu (chicken, pork, or combo) but no other funny business; this place is strictly ramen and extremely justifiably so. Oh, and apparently Nissin (the people who brought you Top Ramen) has made a cup noodle version of the Houjun Koumi Soba, and it's apparently mindblowingly amazing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlBaUAuahRE) grab it if you ever see it at Lawson's!

This Tukemen is the best of Tukemen I've ever had. I waited for 1hour and half outside of the shop. But it worth the wait.

I walked here from Kuramae which is a crazy person thing to do but I had time and got to check out random suburban Japanese neighborhoods. Once there, there can be quite the wait but this is some of the best ramen in Tokyo and therefore Japan. They're most famous for tsukemen which isn't really my thing so I went with the shio, which I've been told by Scott S. is also extraordinary. I can only concur. It's the best shio ramen I've ever had. Notably the pieces of chicken that came with it were so well seasoned and soft. I literally have no idea how they do it but boy to I want to eat more of it.

I thought it was solid. If it was little less saltier it would've been better. I thought the meatballs were a good touch. The noodles were a little too chewy but good. I didn't like the fact that they microwaved the broth. Waited 2 hours 40 minutes. Not worth the hype and wait.

Absolutely amazing broth! The broth is even better than Tomita's (maybe I'm biased since I dun like too salty and rich broth) The noodle (the ramen that dipped into the broth) is also amazing!

This is the BEST ramen (tsukemen) place in Tokyo. In Japan! Right near the Shinkoiwa Station. The line may be long but it is totally worth it. I can't go 100% Vegeratian because of this place. (this Ramen is the ONLY exception i make... I get it without the meat but i think it's in the broth) I'm Japanese and only go home about once a year now and always make sure I head here! 東京一番のラーメン屋！

I had read about this restaurant on a blog. Since we hadn't tried tsukemen in Japan yet, I thought this restaurant was the perfect place. We arrived around 6, and they had already finished the first round of seating. They asked us to purchase the tickets from a vending machine and come back at 6:35. Similar to a lot of ramen/udon places in Japan, this restaurant only accepts cash. The noodles were so chewy; the broth was amazing as well. The only thing I didn't like was that because the noodles were cold, the broth got cold pretty fast. I definitely recommend this restaurant!