Nice amount of food, the broth is really good with deep flavour, only con is that there is limited parking.

Very Good

For about 2 years, I've been visiting shops run by owners who trained at Honmokuya, and this was the only one I hadn't visited. I often pass it on my way to Yaen Jiro, and there's always a line. Open from 7 in the morning until around 15:00. I'd heard it was easy to visit with children, a thoroughly community-oriented Iekei shop. (My actual visit was in early May 2025) I arrived around 9:50 to a line of 9 people. While waiting, I bought meal tickets from the machine, requesting only firm noodles as my preference. I bought: Ramen, regular 950 yen 2 extra slices of smoked chashu 200 yen Rice, regular 200 yen Mugen Ninniku 50 yen Then I entered after 20 minutes, and my bowl arrived in just 2 minutes! I took 2 photos and was about to take a 3rd when the owner said, “The surface of firm noodles only holds up for a few seconds, so I'd like you to eat right away.” His tone was neither particularly polite nor overbearing, but my excitement about the meal plummeted dramatically. (The noodle and soup photos were taken after I'd eaten quite a lot) I've visited thousands of ramen shops, and I eat twice as fast as the average person, but this was only the second time anyone had said something like this to me, and the first at an Iekei shop. Now, to assess the taste calmly. For a direct descendant of Honmokuya, the soup had a strong soy sauce presence, and the extra smoked chashu was far too small. Also, the Mugen Ninniku, which used to be free, was sweeter than at other Iekei shops. Given its good reputation, this was one of the few shops I left feeling deeply disappointed on the way home. Still, I do want to note that, apart from that one remark, the other staff members' service was very good, even just from what I overheard. But never again...

+3

Visited around 11:30 on a weekday. Miraculously, there was no line. I'd been curious about this place for a while but hadn't managed to visit. This time I ordered chashu-men. They didn't ask my preferences, so I couldn't tell them... Everything was ordered normal. Watching the customers after me, they volunteered their preferences when handing over their meal tickets, so next time I'll make sure to request firm noodles. The bowl arrived. First, a sip of soup. That exquisite balance of chicken oil and kaeshi, with the mild flavor characteristic of classic Iekei. I can see why people of all ages and genders love it and line up from the morning. The noodles are short, medium-thick ones made by Sakai Seimen. They make you want rice. Finished it in no time. A very delicious Iekei ramen.

+1

Tamaya, the only Iekei ramen shop in the Tama area directly descended from the four major shops. My first sip of soup made me think, “Huh? A little lacking in punch?” But as I ate, the pronounced soy sauce flavor and richness of the broth gradually came through. And by the time I finished, it felt just right! Rather than staying at the same intensity from start to finish, it gets more delicious as you eat, keeping you interested to the very end. This time I requested firm noodles, but for some reason someone who ordered after me was served first. Then they said, “With the soup as it is now, normal noodles taste better, so wait a moment”... For a second I thought, “Where does that leave me and my firm noodle order!? (laugh)” But thinking about it, this proves they're carefully monitoring the condition of their difficult-to-manage, in-house broth and serving it at its best. It's touches like this that really impress!

+3