Menya Taisei

Why this shop

Opened in March 2023, Menya Taisei is one of Tokyo's most noteworthy ramen openings of the past few years. The shop's founder, Taisei Hikage, trained under the celebrated Budoka Ryu team, and when he opened his own counter in Nakano-sakaue, he introduced a concept that didn't quite exist before: "iekei powered by chicken and shoyu" — a reinterpretation of the pork-bone-shoyu style pioneered by Yokohama's Yoshimuraya in 1974.

The results were immediate. In the shop's first months, Menya Taisei won the Creative (Original) category in the New Shops Division of the 24th TRY Ramen Awards 2023–2024, placing it among the most exciting ramen openings in Japan that year. On Tabelog, it climbed rapidly to 3.72 across more than 1,900 reviews — remarkable velocity for a shop that opened in 2023.

What makes it different from every other iekei shop in Tokyo is what's in the broth. Most iekei relies on a heavy pork-bone base; Taisei pivots the foundation toward chicken — Awa-odori jidori (Tokushima's prized brand jidori) combined with three kinds of chicken bones, seasoned with a house-blended shoyu tare. The result is iekei's expected density and richness, but with a cleaner, more aromatic finish that doesn't coat the palate the way classic tonkotsu-shoyu can. Noodles are custom-made by the revered Bannai Seimen.

This is not a traditional chokkei ("直系") iekei shop — it breaks the rules of what iekei is supposed to be. But for anyone who has eaten their way through Tokyo's iekei scene, Menya Taisei offers something you literally cannot get anywhere else: an iekei experience built on chicken-first depth rather than pork-first weight. For travelers who want to understand modern ramen innovation rather than replicate it in their home city, this is the counter to visit.

What to order

Two entry points:

• Ramen (¥950) — the standard bowl. Recommended for first-time visitors who want to understand the shop's base concept without overwhelming complexity.
• Tokusen Ramen (¥1,250) — the "special" bowl and the one that won the TRY award. Loaded toppings (extra chashu, nori, special garnishes) designed to showcase the full concept.

As with traditional iekei shops, Taisei offers the standard three-way customization at the counter: noodle firmness (kata / futsuu / yawa), oil amount (oome / futsuu / sukuname), and saltiness (koime / futsuu / usume). For your first visit, say "futsuu, futsuu, futsuu" to get the baseline — the ratios are calibrated to showcase the chicken-forward broth at its best.

The small bowl of rice (~¥100) works with the broth in the iekei-traditional way: dip a sheet of nori in the soup until it softens, wrap it around rice, eat alongside.

For most visitors, the Tokusen Ramen delivers the full picture of what Menya Taisei is doing. If you are on a Tokyo ramen tour and have room for only one iekei bowl, order the Tokusen here — you'll taste something you won't find elsewhere.

Practical notes

Menya Taisei is on the ground floor of the Bell Nakano-sakaue building, a one-minute walk from Exit 2 of Nakano-sakaue Station (Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line and Toei Oedo Line). Exit the station, turn onto the main street, and the shop signage is visible from the sidewalk.

Buy your ticket at the vending machine inside the entrance before you sit down or join any queue. The ticket machine is button-based with Japanese text — photograph the main menu board outside before entering to know which button corresponds to your order.

Payment is cash only. Credit cards, IC cards (Suica/Pasmo), and QR code payments are not accepted.

Seating is 14 counter seats, L-shaped layout, smoke-free. No reservations. The shop is open every day with no closed days (rare in Tokyo's ramen scene).

Wait times are manageable by Tokyo standards. Weekday off-peak hours (around 16:00–17:00) are typically 15–20 minutes or less; weekday dinner peak (around 19:00) brings a ~7-person queue and 20–30 minute wait. For the shortest wait, arrive around 16:00 or in the final hour before the 20:00 close.

Note that Nakano-sakaue is slightly outside the main tourist corridors — it's a 10-minute subway ride from Shinjuku. For a serious iekei fan, it's worth the detour; for casual visitors, consider combining it with Shinjuku dining plans.