Bangkok is an oasis for ramen spots. But when it comes to places that specialise in tsukemen, options seem to be far lesser. We’ve gathered for you a list of places that serve the best tsukemen in Bangkok.
From the concentrated, umami-packed dipping broth to thick, springy noodles, what’s not to love about tsukemen? Even after you have exhausted your noodle bowl, you can also go for a bowl of rice and pour it on top of the broth, making it into a hearty Japanese khao tom. These are some of the places where you can find your dream bowl of dipping ramen.
Best tsukemen spots in Bangkok
Kiri Tsukemen
What: The brains behind Thonglor’s popular Kansai udon specialist Tsuru have expanded their noodle repertoire to tsukemen, a bowl of thick, bouncy, freshly made noodles with a variety of dipping sauce offerings. Their burning stone bowl ensures your dipping broth will never get cold.
Recommended dishes: The seabura, a simmering, umami-laden broth made with pork back fat, has always been our favourite since the day of their opening. If you aren’t keen on intensely rich flavours, you can go for their kara tsukemen, which sees a fiery piquant chilli powder, but if that’s not enough to satisfy your craving, you can also add their homemade rayu (Japanese chilli oil sauce) to your bowl.
Kiri 64 Thong Lo, Thonglor, Watthana. Open daily 11 am–3pm; 5pm-9pm.
Fujiyama Gogo
What: Arguably one of our favourite spots for tsukemen. With its multi locations, Fujiyama Gogo has never failed to warm your belly after your post-work fuss.
Recommended dishes: Are you a fan of offals? Then, order their Gyu Horumon Tsukemen (THB250/USD 7) complete with almost gelatinous and fatty beef offals. If you’re in a stress-eating mode, you can also order rice to pour into the remaining broth as well.
Fujiyama Gogo. 55 Sukhumvit Soi 39. Open daily 11am-11pm. Tel. 02-662-6115
Menya Itto
What: Any ramen aficionados would know about this Tokyo ramen chain that landed in Bangkok in 2017. In its birthplace, you might expect to join the long queue to enjoy its signature tsukemen, featuring thick, al dente-like noodles served with rich seafood or chicken broth. Head to Gaysorn Tower this weekend to taste their hearty bowl of tsukemen.
Recommended dishes: The signature tsukemen (THB385/USD 10) features thick, chewy noodles served with three types of chashu made from chicken breast, pork collar, and pork belly.
Menya Itto. 3/F Gaysorn Tower. Open daily 11am-9pm. Tel. 063-045-0236.
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Shugetsu Ramen
What: Hailing from Ehime Prefecture, this noodle joint in Thonglor has gained a reputation after it was recognised in Michelin Hong Kong’s Bib Gourmand section.
Recommended dishes: The eponymous menu Shugetsu Ramen (THB250/USD 7) features a bowl of fresh-made noodles topped with slices of charcoal-grilled chashu. The best part is you can choose the portion of your noodles, ranging from 100G to 400 G. The only downside, as we recall, was that the chashu slices were a tad too fatty for our take.
Shugetsu Ramen. The 49 Terrace Sukhumvit Soi 49. Open Mon-Fri 11.30 am–3pm and 6pm–10pm; Sat-Sun 11am-10pm.
Taishoken Ramen
What: Among several apprentices who were trained by the progenitor of tsukemen, Kazuo Yamagishi, was Masayasu Sakaguchi, who opened his first Taishoken Ramen in Nakano in 1951 before branching out to over one hundred locations in Japan. Situated inside Fifty Fifth Thonglor, the Bangkok branch similarly follows the original recipe, serving a bowl of noodles with a concentrated bowl of pork bone broth.
Recommended dishes: Try gyokai tonkatsu tsukemen (THB260/USD 7), whose thickly rich broth might be a little bit overwhelming at first to those who are not familiar with the flavours. Fret not. Each bowl is accompanied by a light, clean broth to help adjust the richness according to your liking.
Taishoken Ramen. Fifty-Fifth Thonglor. Sukhumvit Soi 55. Open daily 10am-11.30pm. Tel. 02-010-1557.
Ramen Ajisai
What: Though not technically a tsukemen speciality spot, this Thonglor noodle establishment has been serving these bowls since 2014.
Recommended dishes: Order their tsukemen (THB269/USD 7), which promises tender Chashu pork slices accompanied by an intensely rich gyokai (fish) broth with aromatic dried fish powder. Here, the ramen noodles are chewy and perfect for dipping.
Ramen Ajisai. Sukhumvit Soi 23. Open Mon-Fri 11am–3pm and 4pm–11pm; Sat-Sun 11am-11pm. Tel. 02-661-6372.
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This story first appeared here.
Currency conversion was done at the time of writing.
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