[Special]“Reliable Ramen Shops” in Ota City, a True Hotspot for Ramen Introduced by Area (Vol. 3)

Confidence in their new flavors and ingredients!

Boiled egg tsukemen with chicken and seafood
Noodles: originally composed thick noodles, straight
Sauce: soy sauce base
Broth: domestically-produced Date chicken, niboshi, seafood, kombu, shiitake mushrooms
Toppings: boiled egg (Okukuji egg)/2 types of chashu (grilled pork and chicken)/bamboo shoots

The shopkeeper, after working at Italian fine dining and Japanese restaurants, ended up at Tsukemen Takemoto as a shop where he can provide cuisine that reflects 100% of his own exacting preferences.
Whether it’s the broth ingredients or the toppings, he has thoroughly considered them all. Bringing out the maximum flavor in tsukemen and ramen, here’s the signature menu item the shop provides.

With the base being domestically-produced Date chicken broth that has been simmered for over an entire day to bring out the umami, this thick dipping broth also contains five types of seafood, niboshi, and kombu, giving it a characteristic rich yet elegantly refreshing finish.

By using a unique mix of medium- and high-strength flour, a robust flavor and fragrance as well as stiff noodles come together in the best way! We must also mention how although it’s thick, it’s sweet, giving it an addictive dipping broth taste. There are plenty of thick-style noodles around, but we guarantee that these will stimulate your sense of taste in a way you haven’t experienced before, and you won’t be able to stop your chopsticks from moving.


Naturally, not being lazy about any ingredient is also Takemoto’s style. With pork roast and chicken, two types of chashu will be added as a topping; one special point is that the pork is prepared at low temperature to keep it soft and sweet, then served rare. Since star anise is used for fragrance, an elegant smell will fill your mouth. The boiled eggs are an indulgence as well, being Okukuji brand eggs from Ibaraki.


Having different ways to enjoy things is the real pleasure of tsukemen. There are hot stones for when the broth gets cold (upper right of the picture), spicy fried chicken (upper left of the picture), the incredible “Yuzu Hachimi” seasoning sold at the shop (lower left of the picture), and for the broth dilution that is frequently requested for tsukemen(lower right of the picture), there is a specially prepared diluting broth with dashi taken out, so go ahead and give it a try!


Tokyo gamecock soba
Noodles: originally composed thin noodles, straight
Sauce: soy sauce base, chicken oil, niboshi, dried bonito
Broth: Tokyo gamecock base
Toppings: 2 types of chashu (grilled pork and chicken)/bamboo shoot/onion and purple cabbage

Another popular dish from this shop is the gamecock soba. The soy sauce broth is overflowing with sweetness and umami derived from the gamecock and vegetables. And the carefully selected thin noodle combination leaves a vivid impression different from that of thick tsukemen. In particular, with the natural sweetness of the chicken and vegetables melted into it, the broth is delicious enough to make Japanese people happy they were born here!

As you continue eating, the tastiness of the fresh onions and purple cabbage toppings becomes more apparent. When the sweetness from these vegetables naturally melts into the broth, the taste of the broth transforms. The original richness is joined by stronger sweetness, allowing you to enjoy its shift toward a softer impression.

A word from the shopkeeper!

“We create everything by hand here, from the broth, to our original brand of noodles, to each of the toppings. The reason we’re so particular about the ingredients, even down to their origin, is because we want to delicately bring out the flavor—the true capability—of each of the ingredients. We’ll keep closing in on good things, and good flavor. Please come to our shop!
(Mr. Kariya, Shopkeeper)

Shop Information

Savor the finest noodles with “white” and “black” soy sauce

White delicious special wonton noodles
Noodles: thin noodles, produced in-shop using flour from Hokkaido
(blends multiple types such as Haru yo Koi)
Sauce: white soy sauce base
Broth: pork, chicken, niboshi, kombu, dried fish, dried shiitake mushrooms, and more
Toppings: 3 shrimp wonton/3 beef wonton/2 chashu slices (grilled pork and chicken)/green onion from Kujo/bamboo shoots/seaweed

The smooth and refreshing broth pairs amber-colored white soy sauce with incredibly clear dashi. The combination between their renowned smooth noodles and wonton creates the ultimate bowl; these are the white delicious special wonton noodles that Chuka Soba Isobe provides.

The filling wonton are made from shrimp and beef. You can enjoy the robust scent of the shrimp wonton, and you’ll be overcome by the juiciness of the meat in the beef wontons. Even just for the wonton, there’s reason enough to come to this shop.



But the wonton is just a topping. The heart of Isobe’s ramen is within the noodles and broth. As you’re eating, you’ll quickly and especially notice the “presence” of the noodles. With just one slurp, you’ll be astonished by the chewiness and the feel down your throat, made possible by the exacting preferences of Japanese noodle-lovers. It’s a natural result since the noodles are made with flour from Hokkaido, yielding an incredible dish created with tireless research to bring out the noodles’ innate smooth feel down the throat. The shopkeeper makes the noodles himself with a noodle machine next to the kitchen, so the flavor is guaranteed to be good!



What brings the noodles together is the broth, made from a domestically-produced soy sauce base and generously apportioned pork and whole chicken meat. Normally, broth is made from ingredients like pork bone, but at Isobe, they use only meat parts to achieve a clear broth with focused flavor. The dashi broth is derived in an almost consommé-like way, full of richness and umami, yet smooth and refreshing.



You can enjoy this special broth to the last drop with dashi chazuke using “shimegohan” (a rice dish at the end of the meal) (ordered separately). The broth is added to rice containing spices and wasabi, yielding an incredible dish! The wasabi and spices have a strong effect, radically transforming the impression left by the ramen. The umami is undisturbed and the dish becomes lighter, so even if you’re pretty full, you’ll be able to eat it easily. It’s just my personal impression, but I think you’ll really lose out if you don’t order this (laughs). Please give it a try!


Black delicious special tsukesoba
Noodles: thick noodles, produced in-shop using flour from Hokkaido
(blends multiple types such as Haru yo Koi)
Sauce: koikuchi soy sauce (blends 4 types of soy sauce)
Broth: pork, chicken, niboshi, kombu, dried fish, dried shiitake mushrooms, and more
Toppings: 3 shrimp wonton/3 beef wonton/thinly sliced chashu/leek from Kujo/bamboo shoots/sliced seaweed/mitsuba

Tsukesoba allows you to fully savor Isobe’s noodles, broth, and wonton. Instead of the “white” dish using white soy sauce, you can enjoy the “black” dish containing a mix of four types of soy sauce with the black delicious special soba.

The feature of tsukesoba is being able to more directly enjoy the throat-feel and chewiness of the noodles. The careful attention to the noodles is the same as the previous dish, but these noodles are chewier for use in tsukemen, using an exclusive composition to seek a springier feel. As a noodle-lover, you definitely have to give these a try!
The black dipping broth contains an exclusive mix of four types of soy sauce—including pure soy sauce and two-stage preparation soy sauce—adding a thick flavor that brings out the most from the soy sauce’s original fragrance and umami. It goes very well with the thick noodles.



Incidentally, for the tsukesoba, since the dipping broth is given a thicker flavor, the wonton will be brought on a separate plate in its own soup just for wonton. You can eat it as it is, or let it sit in the dipping broth—whichever way you like.

A word from the shopkeeper!

“All of our ramen contains no chemical seasoning, so we recommend it to people who look after their health. We have chuka soba and tsukemen designed for both “white”—with white soy sauce in the broth—and “black”—with koikuchi soy sauce containing four types of soy sauce. We also have two types of wonton, so we think you’ll be able to combine them in a way you enjoy. Please come to our shop!” (Mr. Isobe, Shopkeeper)

Shop Information