A note on the words: iekei ramen is a Yokohama-born style of pork-bone and soy sauce broth with chicken oil (chiyu), nori seaweed and chashu; at Oudouya the soup is concentrated to an opaque richness. Chashu is sliced braised or roasted pork, here tender enough to fall apart, with a light smokiness. Kaeshi is the concentrated soy sauce tare that gives the broth its sharp first bite before the pork richness rolls in. Shiraga negi is finely shredded white scallion; the “red” scallions ordered here are tossed in spicy miso and come on a separate plate. Mugen ninniku (“unlimited garlic”) is the shop’s famous tableside garlic.
Table of Contents hide
Oudouya Chokkei IEKEI TOKYO on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
To all you ramen lovers out there, thanks for waiting! It is time for Hangover Meshi!
This time, it is a shop just a few minutes’ walk from Suehirocho Station, also within walking distance from Okachimachi! Oudouya, whose main shop is in Kashiwa, Chiba, opened its first directly linked branch in Tokyo right here: Oudouya Chokkei IEKEI TOKYO.
I had been curious about it for a while. They say the line can get pretty long, so I braced myself a bit and showed up around 7 pm. Sure enough, there was a queue, but with only about two people ahead of me, I figured I might be fine, so I dove right in.
Their selling points are a tonkotsu-shoyu (pork-bone soy sauce) broth so opaque you cannot see the bottom of the bowl when you peer in, along with house-made noodles that the group takes pride in. You can customize the noodles, flavor, and oil to your liking, and having their famous mugen ninniku (unlimited garlic) and chopped ginger right on the counter is wonderfully junky!!
Now, one quick thing to watch out for at this shop is how you order!
There is a QR code posted outside the line. While waiting in line, you can actually complete both your order and payment through that QR code! Since it was my first time and there were only two people ahead of me, I panicked a little thinking I had to hurry, but apparently there is also a regular ticket machine inside, so there was no need to rush. Once you order, a QR code appears, and you just hold it over the scanner right inside the entrance to complete your order. If there is a massive line, doing it this way is definitely faster (though buying with cash inside as usual is completely fine too!).
You can choose noodle firmness (firm / regular / soft), flavor strength (light / regular / strong), and oil level (more / regular / less), so just let the staff know when you hand over your food ticket!
Now then, a beer to start with!
Cold and so delicious!!
The shop feels a bit stuffy, so the cold beer tastes great.
And what I ordered this time was the Negi Chashu Men Aka (“red” scallion chashu ramen)! It comes with 3 slices of chashu!
The red scallions come heaped generously on a separate plate! Rising from the bowl is a heavy steam of pork bones and the smoky aroma of chashu. A thick, glossy film of chicken oil (chiyu) coats the surface—even the aroma feels heavy, ha ha.
On the first sip, the kaeshi (soy tare) hits sharply first. The outline of the soy sauce stands out clearly before the rich depth of the pork bones slowly rolls in from behind to cover it. People say the Oudouya style is intensely concentrated, and indeed, this is a soup you eat more than one you drink. Honestly, the saltiness is quite strong. Since you can customize it with “aji usume” (lighter seasoning), on a first visit going with the lighter option might actually be a good idea!
The noodles are house-made and medium-thick. Rather than being chewy-soft, they have a solid density that pushes back firmly when you bite down, standing up to this heavy soup. The chashu slices are large and tender enough to fall apart easily. A subtle smoky aroma wafting through the nose is said to be their signature.
Now, onto the main attraction: the red scallions. I wonder if they serve them on a separate plate so as not to dilute the soup, since the ramen soup is so intensely rich, ha.
The moment you transfer them into the bowl, the brownish soup takes on a distinct reddish tinge all at once.
It is finely shredded white scallion tossed in spicy miso, and the crisp, crunchy texture combined with that spicy kick is delicious! The portion is simply huge, so whether you lift the noodles or scoop up the soup, scallions show up everywhere. Somehow, thanks to the scallions, the very rich soup starts to feel just right.
Spicy-scallion lovers will absolutely love this, ha ha.
Then halfway through, I spotted a sign on the wall: How to enjoy our ramen.
- Pepper: a little
- Garlic: 1/2
- Karashi miso: 1/2
- Ginger: 1/2
- Vinegar: a little
Let’s give this a try!
Adding everything on the sign made it feel refreshing while the garlic added a punch, and it tasted delicious, ha ha ha.
The garlic and ginger also make great snacks with a beer!!!
Maybe I ate a bit too much garlic… but it was delicious.
It’s well worth waiting in line!
A seriously delicious iekei ramen. It’s rare to find a broth this rich.
This will definitely wake up even a hungover stomach!
Above all, there are plenty of free toppings, and finding your own preferred taste is lots of fun! Piling lots of garlic on top of the shop’s recommendation, then finishing it off with vinegar and ginger was pure bliss! Do give it a try!
May you encounter wonderful food today as well!
Oudouya Chokkei IEKEI TOKYO Menu
Ramen
Noodles (firm / regular / soft), flavor (light / regular / strong), and oil (more / regular / less) can each be customized.
Pork-bone soy sauce. The standard style with nori seaweed, greens, and chashu.
Medium +180 yen / Large +200 yen. Increase noodle portion here.
Scallion Ramen
White = Japanese spice, Red = spicy miso. Thinly shredded scallions tossed with seasoning, served on a separate plate.
Tsukemen & Abura Soba
1.5 portions of noodles.
Toppings
Komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) + spinach.
Up to 3 slices per person.
Rice Dishes
“Mabushi” is rice tossed with toppings. Half size is also available.
Chashu, egg, and kimchi.
Drinks & Takeout
A bottled version of the condiment on the table. A notice above the ticket machine states “Double the amount, great value.”
*Based on ticket machine prices during my visit in August 2026. Sold-out items show an “X” on the button. Please check at the shop for the latest prices and availability.
Oudouya Chokkei IEKEI TOKYO (Ramen / Suehirocho Station, Yushima Station, Ueno-hirokoji Station)
Tabelog dinner rating ★★★★☆ 4.1
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
