Japanese Soba Noodles Tsuta

Wowowowow
Worth it.
Grab a ticket and come back later. I picked one up at 10am on a friday and came back around 1pm, waited another 30 mins. There’s a 1000 yen deposit for the ticket that you get back.

I didn’t know ramen can be so delicate until I had thier ramen during my short visit to Japan. I bookmarked here on the day it was announced about their Michelin star award, I did a lot of reading up the reviews prior to my visit so I can be sure to try their bowl.
Coming here during a week was definitely helpful as I didn’t arrive at the restaurant to pick up the ticket until 10:30am (got lost along the way here). My ticket was for 14:00 — 15:00. I came back promptly at 14:00 and joined the queue. My wait wasn’t too bad at all as I was inside within 20 mins.
Roasted pork soy based noodle with black truffle was the best soy based ramen I’ve ever had. I smelled shiitake mushroom in the broth. I don’t know what’s their secret but the soup was so delicate, I ended up finishing the entire soup!
I hope I have another chance to come back here again, I want to try salt base with white truffle next.
Definitely worth all the troubles one must go through to have a bowl of noodles here if you like ramen. Highly recommend!

This place got some kind of award do I checked it out. Got a ticket to eat at noon after serving a little before 7:30am and explored Sugamo and other places. Returned and was allowed to enter, used the ticket machine and got seated. I could taste the high quality from the bamboo shoots, to the poached eggs, to the broth and noodles. These people know what they’re doing. Definitely check it out if you’re in Tokyo. It’s about ten bucks for some of the finest ramen out there.

Ramen that is worth the wait!
Wait at the nearby osen, 東京染井温泉 SAKURA, until your appointed time! Pick up your ticket at 9:30 then head over to Sakura (opens at 10am). Sakura has a wonderful rotenburo (outdoors bathing pool) and is not expensive if you bring your own towels. Spa and bathe then head back around 1−2pm for amazing ramen!
Do check out the old folks street Jizo-​dori in sugamo afterwards. Fantastic that everything is catered to retirees, you can get lots of traditional snacks! Sugamo is not a bad place to retired: shopping that’s catered to you, beautiful osen/​rotenburo for those cold Tokyo winters, and Michelin star ramen!

A-​mazing! This world’s first Michelin-​starred ramen shop is no joke. If you find yourself in Tokyo, Japan with a day you feel like dedicating to eating an amazing bowl of ramen… must come here! Just like what the other reviews say, go early in the morning to claim your ticket with a ¥1000 deposit. I went around 9:30am on a Monday and got the 2−3pm time slot.
I asked the guy who was helping with the line which one they recommend the most, and he said to get the very first button — the shoyu ramen (¥1250 — bring cash). It has all the goodies you want — chashu, egg, and… truffle. Truffle?! Never have I had truffle in ramen. Would you agree that there are so many restaurants lately using truffle or «truffle» on various dishes but not really knowing how to properly use it? No, this place does it right!
The first sip of the soup — I really had to take a moment and take it all in. The flavor, the aroma, the truffle in the soup just takes ramen to a whole new level. Usually I like tonkotsu ramen, which is rich and fatty in flavor. I thought shoyu would be, well, shoyu-​like, more salty and sharp. But the truffle addition really gave it a «smooth» umami.
The noodles are made from their special blend of flour, and you can see little grains of different color in them. They’re thin, which I prefer.
4 slices of chashu — good thickness in the slices. They don’t «melt in your mouth» or make you chew hard because they’re well-​done cooked. They were just the right texture for the thickness.
Even their menma were bigger and thicker than the usual I see. They’ve been marinated well.
The EGG (I’m a sucker for eggs) — well made. Warm, soft center, mMmmmm! (I have experienced disappointing eggs in ramen at other places.)
I noticed that they don’t have any of the extra condiments like most places do, like chili oil, vinegar, black/​white peppers, etc. That shows whatever is served is already at perfection and better to not mess it up. Have it the way the chef intended! Seriously, this ramen was packed with flavor like none other. I didn’t want it to end!
It’s been a while since I’ve had a good bowl of ramen that made me drink the entire soup. Here I even picked up the bowl and gulped it down like a true Japanese, hahaha. Sometimes after I have ramen, I feel «weighed down» — not here. After I left the establishment, I actually felt like I was floating, almost drunk from consuming something surreal! It was a sad moment when I took a sip of water (it was a very hot day) and had to wash away the flavor in my mouth.
MUST TRY!

Most of my friends are big foodies, far moreso than myself. As soon as news broke about a ramen shop winning a Michelin star, I knew that was going to be on their must-​eat list for the trip. As for myself, I figure, Michelin makes tires. They aren’t even great tires. I don’t really trust a French tire company to be telling me what food is worth my time, you know? Being that this star was awarded after their first real foray into Japan, I figured this was just going to be a ramen that had some fine-​dining touches that a normal bowl didn’t have.
We lined up at 7am just as the shopkeepers were passing out the day’s tickets. We got the tickets for the 11am disbursement and came back to get our ramen on.
I’d have to say that I was pretty much right. This is definitely the most fancy bowl of ramen I’ve ever had. However, is it the only bowl of ramen worthy of distinction? Not at all. I think what separated this ramen from the myriad other ramen-​ya in the Land of the Rising Sun is that Tsuta finishes each bowl of ramen with a splash of truffle oil.
There are definitely things here that are done a certain way, and they aren’t in line with what I want out of a «perfect» bowl of ramen for myself. I prefer firmer noodles to softer and chewy ones. I prefer the chashu to so tender that it’s falling apart. Tsuta’s chefs decide to make it a little bit more on the rare side, making it tougher to chew through cleanly. Not my personal preference. Good ramen? Without a doubt. Best ramen in the world? Nah, not in my book. If you’ve got a touch of jet lag, use it to your advantage, get on the Yamanote and head down to get to Sugamo at 7. Get your ticket and go over to Rikugi-​en, enjoy a walk and bask in the glory of nature for a few hours, then get back to Tsuta to enjoy the ramen you’ve worked up an appetite for, and that is an amazing day.

Sooooo like everyone else, I read Michelin star ramen and just had to be there. Now.
Went at 10am on a Friday hoping and praying to get a spot and we got one for 1−2pm. We showed up at 1250 and there were around 8 people lined up outside for our time slot. We waited about half an hour outside before making it inside where there were more people waiting on a bench.
Vending machine style for ordering your food. No English. Also, they don’t allow extra toppings. For example if you wanted extra pork or extra egg-​they say no.
Let me just say I’ve had better service in Japan and going to a Michelin star place I did expect friendlier people but the ramen was so good I guess it’s really not that big of a deal.
Such a pure, smooth, absolutely perfect broth with a great textured noodle and a perfectly boiled, slightly runny egg. Oishiiiiiiiii
Don’t know if I’d go back, because it’s quite limited and love spicy broth which as far as I could tell they don’t offer. But definitely recommend to go at least once!

By far this was my favorite ramen place we tried in Japan. When we heard that there was a ramen restaurant that was awarded with a Michelin star, we knew that it was going to be on the itinerary for our next trip. Luckily, a lot of other people posted tips on how the system works so it made it very easy and we knew exactly what to expect!
The basics:
Go early between 7a-​8a to grab a ticket. The ticket tells you what time to come back at so that you aren’t waiting in line for HOURS. Also, you will need to put down a 1,000 yen deposit per ticket – bring exact!
Go back during your ticket time. Could range from 11am til 3pm. Wait in line; it’s not too bad but be prepared to wait about 45 minutes.
When it’s your turn, go inside and order your meal on the vending machine.
ENJOY THE BEST RAMEN EVER!
Our experience:
We arrived at 8am and received a ticket to come back at 2pm. We decided to go to Ueno park in the meantime to view the cherry blossoms, which worked out perfectly! When we got back at 2pm, we only waited about 30 – 45 minutes. They were very organized! Now the ramen – you MUST get their #1 ramen, which is a shoyu broth with TRUFFLE! Oh my, it was so delicious and I can still imagine the aroma of that broth. Will definitely come back here on our next trip to Tokyo =)

Arrived on Sunday at 9:30 am and got tickets for 3 pm. Came back and waited 30 minutes. First Michelin star Ramen. After the first taste I understood why the star. With a clean n sophisticated broth Tsuta took ramen to the next level.

We got there on 6:30 on a Sunday. There was about 7 people ahead of us. You wait in a hall way on the side of the building. They tell you not to block the entrance to apartment. The guy who was passing out the tickets didn’t speak English. Make sure you have 1000 yen for your golden ticket. If not your will be screwed since he doesn’t have change. We almost got screwed but a nice gentleman helped us out. He has enough change for us to get our golden ticket. They were still giving out tickets for later eating times at 11.
You come back at the time your tickets tell you to come back. They give out a lot of tickets so there is wait for you to get seated. They seat 9 people and have 6 people waiting inside. There a soba machine inside and with no English on it. The guy was helpful so I got what I wanted to order. The first guy was done in 15 mins. Everyone seem to eat very so we got a seat by 11:30.
I ordered the soba noodle with the brown soup. The guy at the machine said it was the number seller. I also added extra pork and ordered the pork on rice. The kitchen works pretty fast so your food comes out quick. The food was really fresh and good.
My family seem to really like the pork on rice. I would recommend trying that since it’s only 250 yen. Prices are really reasonable and worth a try.
Hope this help out some other foodies that don’t speak Japanese. It was a adventure

It’s a bit tricky to secure a spot here, but it’s worth it. The restaurant hands out little tickets at 7 am (so we lined up around 6:50 am) and they give you a ticket telling you what time to come back. The times are between 11 am and 4:30 pm. I have heard that sometimes they run out of tickets by 7:30 am, but other times, there are tickets available even in the middle of the day but for the later times. You give them 1000 yen to secure your reservation, which they give back to you once you return for your meal. Once you arrive, you order your meal from a vending machine (they are kind in helping you if you don’t speak much Japanese). I ordered the big bowl of their traditional shoyu broth with egg (1250 yen). Then they sit you down (there are only approximately 9 – 10 seats at the counter), and your bowl comes out within a few minutes. I really enjoyed watching them prepare the bowls in front you — they are very methodical. Then you eat, and then head out. It’s no-​frills for sure. If you like shoyu broth, then I would highly recommend that you come out and try a bowl!

Michelin starred soba/​ramen!!!
This was our first destination in Tokyo! It’s a short walk from the JR Sugamo station in an otherwise pretty quiet area. We arrived around 10:30am and were greeted by a host outside a small soba shop. It’s not called Tsuta (although he did recognize the name and nodded) but Japanese Soba Noodles. We were able to get 3pm tickets. 1 ticket per person and each ticket requires a 1000 yen deposit, which we get back right before ordering our ramen from their vending machine inside. Their last time slot is 4pm so I’m assuming they sell out for the day when they open at 11am. Crazy!!! But if this was what it took to try the only Michelin starred ramen in the world, then we’re in!
We came back at 2:30pm and joined a long line next to the noodle shop. It curves into a small hallway in front of the entrance of an apartment building. The same host was there to keep the line in shape. At about 4pm, we finally entered! Thank goodness because it had gotten pretty windy and we were shivering in line.
We handed in our tickets and received our deposit. Then we proceeded to the vending machine, where you order, pay, and receive a ticket to hand to another host inside who delivers it to the chefs. Their shoyu ramen is the Michelin starred bowl and the host will show you their buttons (top left on vending machine). Their original/​standard is 850 yen. We got the 1250 yen (big button) which includes extra pork slices (4 total) and a whole egg.
And more waiting. There are 4 seats against the wall. We watched the other 9 ramen lovers slurp down their soba for 10 minutes before sitting on the counter in front of the chefs. It’s time!!!
Their ramen is definitely above average and one of the best. The broth was flavorful, the pork was lean and tender, the egg yolk was thick and runny, and the thin soba noodles (still not sure if the accurate term for their noodles is soba or ramen!) had a chewy firm texture that soaked up the broth very well. We were so enamored and focused on every bite that the bowl was finished in complete silence. Definitely worth the 1.5−2 hour wait for a one-​time experience. Not mind blowing enough to wait a second time though since there are other good ramen joints in Japan to try out!

Awesome!

World’s first Michelin-​ranked ramen restaurant. There’s only 9 seatings and with the michelin ranking, there’s a long wait. I got the shoyu soba, which has the chef’s signature truffle oil. You can see the texture in their ramen noodles, which is firm when you bite into it and complements the broth. Since it’s located in Sugamo, it’s a bit of a pain to get there, since there’s nothing to do so early while you wait for lunch. We failed to get there the first time (it was apparently sold out by 7am), so we tried again the next day at 6am. While it’s the best ramen I had, but it’s a lot of effort to taste it.

Really liked the soup. Pork was too lean for my taste. Other toppings and noodles were good but the standout was the soup.

Newly rated the world’s first MICHELIN STAR RAMEN store, and arguably best in the world. A four hour wait definitely proved worth it. I camea couple days afterthe michelin award so it was incredibly hard to get in. theh were giving out tickets for times to come. Come EARLY because some people lined up at 9am.
9 seats all at the bar, and you can just FEEL everything the chef does for you. The moment he takes off the lid of the sauces this riveting smell just exudes out of the kitchen into your nose. The broth gleams with textures of the base 3 aged shoyu against the truffle oil and red wine. Once youre presented with your bowl, use your spoon to dig at some soup from different heights to taste the full difference, because mixing it instantly would be a shame when there is so much difference in layers of this soup. Although they could only serve one piece of chashu due to overwhelming demand, that one piece was a hefty chunk that had such a lovely tenderness to it.

Went in around 30 minutes after store’s opening on a weekday, only stood in line for about 25 minutes.
Japanese Soba Noodle Tsuta’s «Shoyu Soba»
A fragrant blend of two-​year old Wakayama raw kiage shoyu, two-​year old Nagano superior grade honjozo shoyu, and three-​year old Aichi tamarijoyu; the lambic-​esque concoction is rounded off with a generous addition of porcino mushrooms and home-​made chicken stock, topped off with the finest Italian black truffle oil and black truffle sauce.
The straight skinny egg-​noodles whole-​wheat flour noodles are more reminiscent of soba than ramen noodles (hence the store’s moniker, duh) and the way it glides down your tongue and throat you could probably slurp it all day long. Despite being whole-​wheat, the noodles complement the soup perfectly, although I definitely ran out of soup before I did the noodles.
The noodles are topped with home-​prepped menma, welsh onions, finely chopped scallion whites, chashu which comes with a small spoonful of truffles; you can enjoy the truffles in all their glorious decadence or slowly mix them into your soup and watch it turn into an unbelievably intoxicating heaven in a bowl. All the toppings play well with the shoyu and undercut some of the salty, astringent after taste that accompanies shoyu in cooking.
Hands down the best shoyu ramen I’ve ever had.
Caveat: Tsuta becomes «Miso no Jin» on Tuesdays, where their menu is replaced with Miso Ramen. Avoid Tuesdays if you’re trying to taste the original.
Japanese Soba Noodle 蔦の「醤油そば」
スープは平凡でありつつ芳醇さが満ち溢れてくる絶妙なバランスを誇る。まさしく淡麗な感じ。醤油なのにさっぱりとしていて癖がなく、糖度と酸味の低い上品な味。醤油の味の向こうにトリュフの奥深い味がしてて素材の甘みを感じられる。ぶっちゃけスープが旨すぎて麺より早く飲み干しちゃった。
まさに蕎麦のような全粒粉のストレート卵細麺。少しざらっとした口当たりがして延々に食べても飽きなさそうな食感。スープとの絡みも当然抜群。
トッピングは即製品のメンマ、薬味の青ネギと白ネギ、チャーシューとその上に乗ったトリュフ。トリュフをそのまま楽しむか、少しずつスープの中に混ぜて一層香り豊かなスープが味わえるとても贅沢な択一。チャーシューの下味も、他どのトッピングからも出ているそれぞれのエキスが醤油のキツい後味を凄まじく和ましてくれる。
これぞ、ザ・醤油ラーメン。