Tsukumo Ramen - The Master Of High-Quality Gouda Cheese Ramen

Tsukumon Ramen in Ebisu just celebrated their 20th anniversary. This shop is actually a secret tip among ramen lovers in Japan.

At first, Tsukumon Ramen used to be a ramen shop where cheese lovers and ramen lovers alike would meet to enjoy a rich bowl of cheese dripping ramen. However, they have expanded their menu in the recent years and now they offer a great variety of different toppings, soups, and flavors.

Let us introduce you to a place where ramen lovers can gather and enjoy a comforting bowl of ramen, with or without cheese.

What is Special about Tsukumo Ramen?

The interior of Tsukumo Ramen, as well as their dishes, are inspired by the Chinese roots of ramen. The kanji they use in their name means 99 in Chinese and 99 is believed to be a number that symbolizes health and long life.

Tonkotsu (pork bone) cheese ramen might sound rather unhealthy but they take great pride in their carefully selected high-quality ingredients.

They always use chicken from the same farm in Tottori Prefecture, carefully selected pork meat obtained from domestic pigs and golden gouda cheese made with 100% milk from Hokkaido.

Their ramen stock boils for 15 hours and they only select the best part of the soup for their ramen.

As their name suggests, they wish for their customers to have a long healthy life, so they want to make sure that they serve dishes made with the best ingredients possible.

A Warm Place to Enjoy a High-Quality Bowl of Ramen

Tsukumo's interior reflects their Chinese inspiration.

The store is mainly held in red, brown and black with Chinese decorations and their origin written on the wall.

Not only their origin is written on the wall, but their menu is showcased there as well.

They have a great variety of seasonings to match their different dishes and you can help yourself to as many as you want.

Their Bestsellers - Cheese Ramen and Cheese Riceball

Their bestseller is the cheese ramen with a tonkotsu ramen base.

They freshly grind a big piece of golden gouda cheese on top of the ramen after they finished making it.

You can slowly let the cheese melt into the ramen or you can mix it all up after you get it. The soup is packed with bean sprouts and sweet corn, which go perfectly with the cheese.

However, these are rather odd ingredients for ramen, so if you don't want them in your ramen, you might want to choose another dish from their menu. They also offer a cheese ramen with a tomato tonkotsu base. The tomato flavor helps it not to taste as heavy as the regular cheese ramen.

An item they recommend alongside their cheese ramen is their cheese onigiri (riceball). However, it is not like the normal rice ball you might find in the supermarket. It is a small square shaped portion of rice topped with melted gouda cheese as well as some crunchy cheese bits.

You can transfer some of your soup inside the dish and make a risotto. It is a great way to use up leftover soup which goes with rice just as well as with the ramen noodles.

Tonkotsu Ramen - A Basic Dish at Tsukumo Ramen

If you don't like cheese or don't want to experiment, try their basic Tonkotsu Ramen. It is made with only high-quality ingredients and has a perfectly creamy base topped with juicy chashu (marinated braised pork belly).

You can choose between regular, salty and miso Tonkotsu ramen. The Tonkotsu ramen might seem simple but it shouldn't be overlooked.

Spicy Chicken Ramen - Another Recommended Dish

If you like your food spicy, we recommend their spicy Chicken Ramen. It is topped with roast chicken breast and has a level of spiciness that's not for the faint of heart.

In fact, you can choose how spicy you would like your ramen to be and if you are not used to really spicy food, you should start with level one. It would be a pity if you couldn't finish your ramen just because it is too spicy.

Tsukumo's Healthy Ramen Dishes

Tsukumo has added some healthy ramen dishes to their menu as well. Especially their Coriander Noodle (coriander ramen) is a bestseller. Coriander has become really popular recently in Japan for its taste and health benefits. At Tsukumo, coriander is available as a topping so you can use it on any dish.

The other healthy ramen on their menu is a tonkotsu ramen topped with various vegetables. This way you can enjoy your vegetables and ramen at the same time.

Customize Your Order

Tsukumo Ramen allows you to add as many different toppings as you like for an extra charge. You can even choose two free toppings if you come at lunchtime between 11:00 and 17:00.

Their menu is available in English, Chinese and Korean which makes it really simple to order and customize your ramen.

If you still have room after a bowl of ramen we recommend you try their handmade gyoza as well.

Tsukumo Ramen - High-Quality Ramen at an Affordable Price

The noodle dishes available at Tsukumo Ramen are some of the best quality ramen you can get at a really affordable price. They have a great variety of ramen you can choose from and their staff is friendly, serving the customers with a smile on their faces.

The whole atmosphere is very warm and homely and you might end up staying longer than you intended to because you don't want to leave. If you visit Chiba, you can also drop by their Chiba branch.

So how about giving Tsukumo a try next time you are in a ramen mood?

In collaboration with Tsukumo Ramen Ebisu store

Ninety-nine ramen Ebisu main store

1-1-36 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0012