We came to Tsukemenya Yasubee, known for tsukemen—noodles dipped into a separate soup.
This popular restaurant has branches across Tokyo and often draws a line.
For this visit, I chose the Akihabara branch, about a one-minute walk from the station toward the electronics-shopping area.
Reflecting Akihabara’s expensive real estate, it is in a basement, with diners close together at a typically narrow Japanese counter.
There were many choices but no Korean menu at this visit. The source notes that branches with more Korean customers sometimes offered Korean menus; this does not establish English support.
In the recorded ticket-machine layout, choices 1–4 were tsukemen, 5–8 spicy tsukemen, 9–12 miso tsukemen, 13–16 spicy miso tsukemen, and 17–20 regular shio ramen.
Within each group, the later number meant a larger portion, with no additional charge at the time.
For example, number 1 was a small tsukemen and number 4 the extra-large portion.
I ordered spicy tsukemen at JPY 780
and Yasubee’s special topping selection at JPY 320.
The busy kitchen was working through many orders.
Noodles were constantly being boiled and bowls prepared.
There are a few ways to tailor the meal at Tsukemenya Yasubee.
First, you can choose cold or warm noodles.
Ask for ‘atsumori’ if you want the noodles warm alongside the hot soup.
Second, there is dashi powder to deepen the dipping soup’s savory flavor.
Stir it into the broth for an especially concentrated seafood character.
Adding a little at a time as you eat keeps the flavors changing.
The cold noodles arrived soon after ordering.
The thick, chewy noodles characteristic of tsukemen looked very promising.
The dipping soup had a red tint from a little heat.
Chili oil supplies that heat, and the level can be adjusted to your preference.
Choosing the heat level was also free in the original record.
It was hard to wait before slurping up the first mouthful.
Toppings are another part of the appeal here.
The special topping set removed the need to choose each one separately.
It included inviting additions such as chashu, egg, nori, gyoza, and vegetables.
Tsukemenya Yasubee is enjoyed by Japanese and Korean diners alike.
On a Tokyo trip, it is worth considering for a bowl you can adjust to your own tastes.
Tsukemenya Yasubee Akihabara (つけ麺屋 やすべえ 秋葉原店)
Address: Basement level 1, 1-15-11 Sotokanda, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo
Telephone: 03-5296-5411