Kin Den Maru Shibuya Dogenzaka — Restaurant in Tokyo

Wow. First off. Wow.

Let me start by saying that this was the ONLY restaurant in all of Japan that my partner and I stopped by twice on our brief vacation. It was THAT good. Everywhere else was wonderful, but we tried as often as we could to expose ourselves to different restaurants and different kinds of food. That in itself is a testament to how impressed we were with the Ramen served here!

So I got the "Garlic, butter and (parmesan) cheese Ramen and I would honestly recommend it as a MUST try. I did not expect the dish to be as amazingly complex and rich as it was. I expected a tasty novelty and got so much more. There was a slight sweetness to the noodles, which were quite generously portioned and paired beautifully against the rich savoury broth. The broth had a bit of a kick but not enough to distract from the full complex flavour. The broth itself was beautifully enhanced with the garlic, cheese and butter flavours. Though it was garlic forward, the dish still danced around the pallet. Again the chef was incredibly generous with the noodles and cheese, and for a very affordable 990¥ I couldn't complain in any respects. This was a wonderfully filling and satisfying meal. I found I frequently stopped to appreciate the meal while eating it. On top of that... our dumplings we're super fresh and well made. They were paired with a house made chili sauce that didn't pull any punches either! It was well rounded without being an assault on the senses. Oh! And the chicken! The chicken in my ramen pulled apart as I ate it into these beautiful strips. It was chewey without being too much work. Yet tender enough to pull so well. Every aspect of this meal was top notch and I cannot recommend this establishment highly enough. My partners meal was also delicious. If you're in the neighborhood. Stop on by. You will not be...

Food is good but I am giving one star because staff attitude.

There were a elderly couple of Spanish people and one of the staffs were screaming to them about buying tickets… I mean, it’s right, they need to buy tickets before but why screaming to them ? Why cannot you go to help them ? Instead of shouting at them… When he saw this couple didn’t understand about the tickets, he said in a small voice: mendokusai.

Staff were watching them struggling with the machine because the language barrier (which is obvious) and didn’t do anything to help them…

General Staff: if you don’t like foreigners, change the location of your ramen… you are next to shibuya station where the majority are foreigners. If you don’t want to do that, then learn some basic English, you should be grateful of all foreigners coming to your store as they are spending money and time in your place and dealing with you (because I am sure they also felt bad about the service).

To the person who screamed to this elderly couple: you have few tasks in your daily job: taking the dirty dishes from tables, bringing ramen from counter to table, helping people who are buying your products and you even cannot do that well. Then why are you in this job? If you don’t like what you are doing, then why are you doing it ? Or is it only racism from your end ? If your excuse is “language”, then you have hands to point where to click, right...

I was really looking forward to trying Ramen Kindenmaru in Shibuya’s Dogenzaka area after hearing some good things. The ramen itself didn’t disappoint. The broth was rich and flavorful, and the chashu pork was tender, making for a satisfying meal. The ordering process was simple with the vending machine system, and the staff was friendly and quick, which helped things move smoothly even when it was busy.

That said, I had some mixed feelings once I sat down. The place didn’t feel very clean. The floors looked like they hadn’t been swept in a while, and the counter had a sticky feel to it that made me a little uneasy. It’s one of those things you try to ignore while eating, but it lingers in the back of your mind and makes you question what’s happening behind the scenes. I’m not super picky, but when a place serves food, you expect a basic level of cleanliness. It’s frustrating because the food was good, and with just a bit more attention to hygiene, the experience could have been so much better.

I might stop by again if I’m already in the area and craving ramen, but I wouldn’t make a special trip. Depends on your...