Taishoken NYC

Taishoken has finally made its way to NYC! Been wanting to try their tsukemen for a while. I stopped by during their soft opening on a weekday and got seated right away. There’s plenty of seating toward the back, which was nice. The buckwheat noodles were chewy, and the dipping broth was rich with umami without being overly salty. The sandstorm calamari was super flavorful and paired really well with the sesame and aioli sauce. The karaage was crispy and juicy. Their cocktails were pretty unique as well. Overall, a solid spot for tsukemen. I’ll definitely be back to try their ramen next time!

Taishoken has become one of the most popular ramen spots in the San Francisco Bay Area. SO GOOD!! Their signature Tsukemen is exceptional, and the ramen is unlike anything found in New York. It's a must try for Japan lovers. This place is their first in NY and it’s great to see they’ve finally opened here. Gotta visit often!

Delicious bowl of tsukemen that is worth going back for. But the broth style is not the expected thinner consistency made famous by the original tokyo location but the more typical thick broth similar to Tsujita, Okiburo, etc. If you want a solid bowl of tsukemen this is your spot, if you want a fistful reproduction of Taishoken then you will be disappointed. The Sandstorm Calamari was very delicious, with the various toppings. Ordered the spicy tokusei (special) tsukemen which differs from the regular by adding an additional slow-sous-vide cooked slice of pork, very good! I would rate the spice level at 🌶️.5/🌶️🌶️ (out of 5). Plenty of seating with additional rear section that stretches much farther back than expected. Clean, modern feel interior. Attentive staff. Overall a great experience, will come back!

We came for their soft opening. Solid tsukumen options but was not as flavorful as I hoped it would be. The braised pork was delicious. And the egg had great texture and was marinated well. Not a bad spot for some quick eats. It’s a pretty big space too so shouldn’t be hard to get a table.

Finally, my favorite ramen restaurant from Nakano, Tokyo has arrived in New York! 🍜 There are many places that serve tsukemen here, but none come close to the quality and flavor this restaurant delivers. The noodles, broth, and presentation are all top-notch. On top of that, the service was excellent, and the spacious, clean interior made the whole experience even better. I truly enjoyed my time here, and I’ll definitely be coming back again.

Taishoken NYC totally lives up to its Tokyo roots it’s the birthplace of tsukemen after all! The handmade noodles have that perfect chewy texture, and the rare chashu just melts in your mouth. Great vibes and cozy energy I’m obsessed. 🍥💛

Great place for tsukemen. Got the kaarage and spicy tokusei tsukemen, and both were delicious! Kaarage was crispy and juicy at the samr time, and the sauce was amazing. The tsukemen was delicious and they offer you soup at the end to drink the dipping broth. Service was really quick and the space itself was really big.

A new tsukemen restaurant opened in New York! I tried the spicy fried calamari and tsukemen, both of which were delicious!

Taishoken has been one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco, so the moment I heard they opened in NYC, I ran. And honestly? They did not disappoint at all. The tsukemen is exactly how I remember it -- thick, bouncy noodles with the perfect chew, and that rich dipping broth that coats every strand. The spicy tokusei broth has so much depth and umami, and the portions are super generous. The chashu is melt-in-your-mouth tender, the egg is perfect, and everything is consistent from bowl to bowl. The space itself feels cozy and warm with that classic Japanese ramen-shop energy, which makes the whole experience even better. After tax and tip, it comes out to about $30 per person, which I think is really good for the quality and quantity you're getting -- especially considering how filling tsukemen is. So happy one of my SF favorites is finally here! The service was very attentive too.

Tsukemen in NYC = Tonchin over Taishoken The inventor of Tsukemen would be sorely disappointed by the product that is being put out here. This definitely enters the realm of ramen snob, but to put it simply. The people here making the actual tsukemen don't know what the taste and texture *should* be like. They've lost the soul of tsukemen. The noodles were too soft, the egg was over cooked in some parts. Just a lot of the finer, minute details I've come to appreciate Japanese cuisine have been lost here. It's technically still a decent bowl of tsukemen, but there is a LOT of hype to overcome being the "inventor of tsukemen" restaurant and a place that serves it as their speciality.

Famous original Taishoken... A question commonly asked by visiting relations to NYC is about Ray's pizza. What exactly made Ray's so original or famous, and was it owned by Ray? The general answer is...nothing, really. It's a series of local vinnie joint slinging orange oil foldable slices, and the owner is not typically Ray - most of the lore out there were invented to fit a narrative convenient to an establishment. A similar situation can be said about Taishoken (大勝軒). Do a search for 大勝軒 on tabelog (Japan's dominant restaurant review site) in Tokyo, and you'll average 2 per 'hood as that name is popular for Chinese restaurants. Even before Masayasu Sakaguchi 坂口正安 opened his in Nakano, there were others. The name Taishoken earned fame later as the ramen style tsukemen was invented in one. The lore popularized by David Chang was that Kazuo Yamagishi 山岸一雄 worked as an apprentice at his cousin Masayasu's shop, and he threw together a staff meal dipping chilled ramen scraps onto cool soup like soba noodles in dashi, customers saw it and wanted some. When Yamagishi-San opened his own store in Ikebukuro later in 1965 he put it on the menu, calling it mori-soba (it certainly wasn't at cousin Masa's shop back in Nagano). He was admired for his work ethic, generosity band solid cooking in a small shop, to the point when he closed up in 2006 due to health issues, many mourned its loss. A more nuanced version is that Sakaguchi and Yamagishi were members in a circle of folks who moved from the Nagano region to Tokyo, and they swapped recipes and practices within a noren-kai 暖簾会 informal business association. Since some had soba maker backgrounds it was natural to use soba serving practices on staff meals. Tsukemen was something informal passed around and no one owns it - the technique wasn't trademarked and no set recipe established as it wasn't invented as much as a "garbage bowl" hack that was kept in the circle but somehow made popular. This place traces its lineage from Taishoken Nakano, not Ikebukuro - most overseas visitors to the Nakano Broadway mall (big Otaku paradise) would've exited north from the JR Chuo line train station instead of south towards the place, and it's just a small self-service mom-n-pop. You buy a ticket, hand it to the staff, pour yourself a glass of iced water, do the condiments and they serve up a (hopefully) tasty bowl - eat, say your thanks and leave, no tipping necessary. Is that a bad thing? No...the Ikebukuro store was opened by a Yamagashi apprentice in 2011 and supervised by the old man until he passed away 2015, but it's now considered rather "meh". The one in Nakano in contrast is a solid local eatery. It's not the "good stuff" like Ganja Honten 頑者本店 (a well known modern Tsukemen shop) in Kawagoe, but it's quite satisfying. So how does it translate stateside? Well, it's a similarly solid bowl of mom-n-pop, but instead of paying 1350 Yen (9 USD) for a set of self-serve Tokusei, it's 21 USD, full service and 20% tipping in a large-ish place. Apps were windstorm calamari - 6 pieces of squid with a bunch of chili crisps and the dumplings were 7 to an order, but neither one really stands out. The tsukemen were solid - not the best I've had, but the broth (usually served warm and the noodles cool) is rich and had distinct porky/seafood-y flavors - the spicy one had some chili miso added which enhanced its flavors significantly - don't forget to ask for hot dashi to do the wari 割り, which is to say, dilute the gravy-like soup with broth at the end to enjoy with the remaining noodles (I almost never need it in Japan but it'a almost always available DIY) - What isn't great however is the tab, which for 2 with 2 apps and a beer is close to 95 USD. Granted that I paid almost as much at Okiboru tsukemen at Orchard, but somehow Okiboru seems to taste better (more fixins' and chewier noodles). These kinda places depend on turnover to pay the bills back in Japan, and 1300 yen for a weekly bowl isn't a ridiculous ask. A benjie for 2 though stateside? That's a splurge and I am not sure if the cooking is solid enough to guarantee return business. So yeah...if you are in Japan, partake in Ganja 頑者, just don't tell the local policeman at the koban. If you grab tsukemen in NYC, this one is solid but unless the cooking sharpens or the price goes down a bit, it probably won't warrant too many return visits.

TLDR: Taishoken is where tsukemen was created. Stick with the original Tokusei Tsukemen. Portion sizes are generous and service was fantastic. I had my eye on Taishoken for awihle, the original shop in Tokyo is where tsukemen (dipping ramen) was invented. We were able to make a reservation and they were able to make room for our stroller too. For apps got the sandstorm calamari, potato salad and the hiyakko. Calamari was fried well and came with fried panko, a sesame chili oil and a ranch sauce. I liked the idea but it was a bit tough to get the condiments to stick. I used the ranch as an adhesive and dragged it through the panko. Potato salad had a nice flavor and was finished with karasumi (bottarga) and a soft boiled egg. The hiyakko I personally enjoyed - a very large size too. It's finished with the usual soy, ginger and scallions but also chili bean sauce. My favorite were the sardines fried in pork lard for a nice crispy texture. Tsukemens. We got an original and a spicy, the Tokusei basically means it comes with all the toppings. The original is finished with fish powder and there is yuzu in the dip which makes it a bit lighter. The spicy has chili sesame oil, beef miso and chili flakes. There is no yuzu in the spicy one. If you like sweet/savory though the spicy might be for you. They make the noodles in-house downstairs which have a nice springy texture. You can also ask for soup wari at the end which is when they pour dashi to cut the broth into a drinkable soup. I thought the space was large and the service was great. My two bits of feedback were the dipping broth could have been hotter along with the soup wari. I also found the disposable chopsticks difficult to eat the noodles with and grip them.

I tried their Tokusei Tsukemen, which is their most popular dish, and the flavors were incredible. The broth was rich, deeply umami, and had strong notes of dried anchovy and bonito. The noodle texture was spot-on, the soft-boiled egg was perfect, and I loved that they included two different types of chashu. Since they're still in their soft opening, the temperature of the meal felt a bit colder than it should've been. I've been to many tsukemen spots in NYC and CA, so I know the noodles are meant to be cold and the broth warm--today, both leaned a little too cold for my preference. I shared this feedback with the manager, and he received it very kindly, which I really appreciated. I can tell the taste and quality are already there; they're just ironing out the details. I look forward to coming back in a few months once the restaurant is a bit more established. FYI you can walk in without a resy We walked in on a Sunday afternoon and was seated right away.

This review is solely based off their soft opening and lack of preparation, but I hope in the next few months they'll iron things out. I called ahead to inquire if I could give my name and book a walk in ahead of time as I was in transit, but they let me know I could do that when I was physically there. Upon arrival, we left our name and phone number down on the list and were notified it'd be a 45 min-1 hour wait which was a bit repulsive, could easily deter someone but we figured one time for the one time since we were already there. We stood near the entrance, chatting, waiting and as 15 minutes passed by, the host lets us know to follow them to our table. I understand the whole, "Underpromise to overdeliver" but it made me wonder if we actually left to kill time, would our actual wait time be 45 min? Mind you, it is Fall in the city and not a bit warm, but we were seated under AC vents that were just blasting cold air. If it were hot inside that would make sense, but literally no one had on a tshirt. We ordered: 1x Regular Tsukemen w/ Fried Tofu, Menma egg 1x Tokusei Tsukemen The noodles are ridgey and chewy enough, the dipping soup was very unique with a fish esque taste due to the dried anchovy but our main grip was the room temp/coldness of the broth. At one point, we wanted to ask if they could provide a warmer broth or heat ours up. For whatever reason, our experience just wasn't it-the inefficient sign up process, unnecessary dine in cold weather, and cold dipping broth just gave me the ick. Usually one can't crawl out from an ick, thus I don't think I can even fathom coming back when there are other tsukemen options in the city that just have it together.

There's been twice already where it says they're open until 9PM but the restaurant is completely dark at 8:15PM. I think it was on a Tuesday, this week. Today I walked by again and the door is unlocked, menu outside, the lady says they're open at 5PM. Hopefully they can afford to have a "Sorry, We're Closed" sign soon.

I came here on a weekday evening for dinner. The inside space is quite large which is great and I was seated immediately. I ordered the Tokusei Tsukemen. I thought the flavor of the dipping soup was very good - not fishy at all. However, the egg that we got was almost fully cooked on the inside, not the soft boiled egg that I had hoped for. The noodles themselves were okay - they were bouncy but I felt like they easily stuck to each other. Overall, it was good for the area if you're around but I'm not sure if I am going to go out of my way to go back. The serving size was great for the price ($21)

Great place for tsukemen. Got the kaarage and spicy tokusei tsukemen, and both were delicious! Kaarage was crispy and juicy at the samr time, and the sauce was amazing. The tsukemen was delicious and they offer you soup at the end to drink the dipping broth. Service was really quick and the space itself was really big.

I got the spicy Tokusei Tsukemen and my partner got the Tsukemen. I preferred the regular Tsukemen more. I felt the 2nd chasu wasn't necessary, it was thin and mild compared to the thick one. Also the chilli powder that came with mine looked identical to the chilli powder that's already on the table. If I revisit I would stick with the Tsukemen. You can taste the broth and flavor better. The spiciness was hindering the pork flavors for me as opposed to elevating it. The noodles have a stronger taste of buckwheat(?) but I'm a fan! The calamari were good. It came with seasoned sesame sauce and an aioli.

Taishoken is pretty great. The spaciousness, cleanliness and service stand out. The karaage was fantastic, and the tsukemen noodles stand out as chewy and springy. The tsukemen broth overall was good too, but gets a little too bonito-y. You can water it down later on to make it a drinking, rather than dipping broth. Generous portions here as well.

Solid spot for tsukemen, but arrive early because the Saturday line grew fast around 5:45 when I went. The interior is clean and stylish with a nice Japanese feel, and the dipping sauce is tasty with a lighter flavor profile than most. The noodles are pleasantly chewy but pretty plain on their own, and the pork was firmer and chewier than I prefer. Service was friendly, but everything came very slowly, including a second Sapporo that never arrived before I finished eating. I would return, but only if I could walk right in.

Broth was great! Very bonito forward, noodle texture on point. The two pork options were also cooked and seasoned well. Main gripe is everything was pretty lukewarm, including the broth. The egg was also a little overcooked for my liking. Quick service, plenty of seating.

Front of the house is not being managed well and that gives me pause about what is going on in the kitchen. I placed a delivery order at 6:30pm. Had to call several times to find out what was happening. Just completely unorganized. 2 hours later they said "ok we will cancel the order sorry" absolutely no attempt to make it right. When it comes to ramen I don't trust places that aren't being g managed properly - who knows what else is happening behind the scenes in the kitchen

If you haven't had tsukemen (Japanese dipping noodles) you're missing out. So excited this restaurant opened in NYC! I used to frequent the San Mateo location so I was stoked to see it's made its way to the east coast. We ordered the Tokusei Tsukemen, the Spicy Tsukemen, Potato Salad, and the Citrin Garden mocktail. Potato salad was my favorite in San Mateo, with the smokiness of the potato salad and the rich cured egg. This location didn't make it as smoky, so I was slightly disappointed but it was still good. Tsukemen was delicious: buckwheat noodles as expected and the dipping broth had great flavor, slightly lacked the yuzu/acidity that I remembered. Spicy tsukemen was quite spicy and imo drowned the broth flavor. Staff was super friendly and attentive and the restaurant has plenty of seating further back, nice vibe. Overall would highly recommend if you haven't tried this type of Japanese noodle dish yet!

This is the best ramen I eat, the service it was amazing specially Arah she our server her actitud to take care is the best I will come back .

I liked the food here. I wish the dipping broth was hotter. Servers were nice but it seems like they are still figuring things out. When I was seated there were dirty napkins on the bench which I had to move out of the way myself. I had to request water halfway through my meal even though I didn't order any other beverage. A ladybug was also flying around our table and landed on me during the meal.

Taishoken has become one of the most popular ramen spots in the San Francisco Bay Area. SO GOOD!! Originally from Tokyo, their signature Tsukemen is exceptional, and the ramen is unlike anything found in New York. It's a must try for Japan lovers. This marks their fourth U.S. location and first in New York. It's great to see they've finally opened here.