Tsukemen hasn’t quite taken off in the West in quite the same fashion as conventional ramen; but if tsukemen was done in the same way as at Tsukemen Tetsu, I’d put some money on it gaining siginificant popularity.
Looking at the picture will immediately tell those of you familiar to making sauces and stocks that this tsukemen broth possesses intense flavour. Made from pork bones and bonito, the flavour is different to your average tonkotsu ramen broth: the fish adds another umami dimension, not to mention that it’s highly concentrated in comparison with conventional broths. Basically it’s an umami overload: sheer deliciousness: perhaps too intense to drink on its own: hence the need for noodles.
Tetsu’s tsukemen noodles are in my mind a hybrid of an udon and a conventional ramen noodle: chewy and slippery like normal udon but thinner and with enough texture to allow the broth the cling on.
How to eat tsukemen: Dip these noodles in the broth, and slurp away, and eventually, you will reach umami nirvana. Add to that meltingly tender cha-shu pork belly pieces and an expertly cooked “onsen” egg, and that, as you can imagine, is an irresistible preposition.
I went to the branch next to Shinagawa JR train station: probably a good bet if you need to fill up before a long Shinkansen train ride.
Tsukemen TETSU (Shinagawa branch)
Shinatatsu Ramen Mentatsu Shichininshu
3-26—20 Takanawa Minato-ku Tokyo
Opening hours: 11am – 11pm (Ramen plaza opening hours)
Price: Around 900 – 1000 yen
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