Tsujita Ginza — Restaurant in Tokyo

We originally planned to go to a Michelin sushi restaurant in Ginza for lunch. However we were a bit behind the scheduled time, that restaurant (my friends told me that we should get there 30 mins before 10am otherwise we will end up queuing for a long while. So we decided to google and search for a ramen restaurant in the neighborhood instead. We found Tsujita Ginza, a popular tsukemen (“dipping noodles”) ramen restaurant in the neighborhood. When we got there at around 1045am, there were only 9 people queuing in front of us. Not bad at all. First we bought tickets from the vending machine. Because we never tried tsukemen before so we ordered the special rich broth ramen @ 1290 yen each. However later we found out that the shop’s bestseller is tsukemen. We should have at least ordered one to try. Next time!

After we handed the tickets to the waiter, we were shown to the counter seats. We noticed that all the chefs have towels tied around their heads when they were preparing the ramen. I think the towel prevent their sweat from dripping into the broth or noodles.

We all sat on stools around the counter. We did not wait too long before our special rich broth ramen came. It was served in a rich broth with a sheet of nori (seaweed), a slice of tender and delicious charsiu and an egg hardboiled on the outside but has a lovely dark orange gel of a yolk. The chewy and bouncy ramen noodle was perfectly cooked. The flavorable broth was a bit rich for my taste but it was not salty.

We noticed a phrase was printed at the bottom of the menu: when crowded, please order at least one product per purchase.” I think what they mean is that when the restaurant is busy, each customer needs to order at least one ramen and is not for sharing. I can understand that a bowl of ramen is too small to be shared between two person. I know that some restaurants do not like their patrons to order dishes to be shared. But sometimes I think it is reasonable for two people to share a bowl of huge fried tonkatsu (deep fried pork loin) don. Anyway when I travel to other countries, I always try to respect the local culture and traditions.

Staff were friendly and polite and their service were attentive. When we came out from the restaurant, we saw a long lineup outside. We were just lucky to arrive before the peak time.

Recommend Tsujita Ginza if you are in the...

Order first from the ticket machine Get in line when your group has ordered (individually or as a group)

A decent sized noodle shop serving Ramen and Tsukemen (Dipping Ramen Noodles). Fairly quick service.

About 3 groups ahead of us when we ordered and got in line holding our tickets. The hostess came by very soon afterwards to inquire about group size and take our tickets. We (party of 2) were seated at the counter and given our bowls in less than 11 min from ticket order, nearly 1pm on a weekday.

Kitchen was entertaining and busy as we ate our lovely noodles on such a misty and chilly day. Cold water and aprons were provided.

A) order of tsukemen Noodles were thicker and chewier than ramen noodles. They're chilled, to be dipped into the strongly seasoned dipping sauce. It had a beautiful egg with an orange yolk. After finishing the noodles, the sauce bowl was filled with a large scoop of broth to make the sauce more drinkable.

B) ramen Piping hot soup! Lighter soup and less salty. Good noodle texture, bowl seemed a little smaller than the tsukemen. Egg was lovely.

We were glad for the IC / Suica card payment option at the ticket machine as we have some extra funds left on our cards.

Location was quite convenient as we were in the area for the Imperial Gardens. I didn't understand the kitchen staff, the atmosphere seemed fun yet busy. No...

Here's what to expect: Expect long wait because it's only a 15-seater around the bar. Pay first before you queue. Insert money in the machine before you choose your orders. AC is not working so they leave the door opened. We saw a cockroach got in. Waiting bench is behind the AC compressor so the area is heated like sauna. Kitchen staff are dripping sweaty. It's fun to watch how they prep. If you're sensitive how they use bare hands with your food, the scene is not appetizing. If you expect a hot bowl of slurping ramen, this is NOT for you!!! Noodles are cold served in a separate bowl from the soup. Make sure you remove the wooden strainer from the noodles bowl before pouring the soup. Maybe this is the local style, but no clear instructions how to consume. You may ask for extra soup. It tastes salty, more like a miso soup. Noodles are thick & chewy. Pulled pork rice is not the same as shown in the menu. It's dry & tough which they top on the rice. Taste is ok. I prefer mustard...