A note on the words: jiro-kei is the style of ramen descended from the Tokyo shop Ramen Jiro — a thick pork broth, coarse chewy noodles, a mountain of boiled bean sprouts and cabbage, chunks of back fat and raw chopped garlic, ordered by calling out which of those you want piled on. Chashu is the braised pork laid on top, kaeshi the concentrated soy seasoning that the broth is built from, and ichimi ground red chili. Prices are as of this writing (August 2026).
Ramen Tonji, Kami-Itabashi main shop, on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
I want something good to eat today too. This is Hangover Meshi. In winter I want a hearty bowl of ramen. But I cannot finish much, so a large portion is hard going — much as I love jiro-kei. Which is why I have not been to one lately. And then I heard there was a jiro-kei in Kami-Itabashi that will adjust the portion, even for children. A jiro for children! I was intrigued.
Going to the address I was given, it is an unexpectedly proper jiro-kei. Newish, perhaps? The inside is fairly clean too. When a place is thick with grease it is a little hard to walk into, but this one is kept clean and may be easy to enter.
Ramen small, 200 g, 900 yen
Ramen regular, 300 g, 950 yen
Ramen large, 400 g, 1,000 yen
Ramen mini, 100 g, 800 yen
Children’s ramen, 500 yen
A children’s ramen! Reading the description: noodles 100 g, no garlic and no back fat, one slice of chashu. For 500 yen that is cheap. It says adults may order it too, which is good of them. Except that I do not want the noodles, I want the toppings. So I chose the ramen mini, the 100 g bowl.
Sat at the counter and asked for everything piled on: vegetables, back fat and garlic. At a jiro you have to eat the garlic without fear.
Vinegar, ichimi, kaeshi and pepper are all set out.
After a while the ramen arrives.
It looks good. They pile it up properly high, and it feels almost more careful than the original. Thinking I might have gone for double garlic, I took a mouthful of the broth. Yes, good. A broth whose sweetness stands out, and which is — can I say this? — on the light side. Not a jiro-kei trying to be clever or trying to be even heavier, but an orthodox one. If anything, made easier to eat.
The noodles are of the rough, coarse kind, though the original probably has more chew than this.
A hundred grams really is enough. Piled with everything, it filled me up. That was good. I would like to come again.
There is a need in this world for eating a hearty ramen in a small amount, I am sure. Not everyone is a competitive eater. So a shop that creates an option like this is genuinely to be thanked. The broth and noodles are made lighter as well, so it makes sense that children can eat it (with the back fat and garlic left out, at least). The shop is neat, it is not crowded, and you can eat comfortably. With fewer noodles and extra vegetables, jiro-kei ramen comes close to a complete meal. I rather want to make it a regular stop.
Ramen Tonji, Kami-Itabashi main shop (Ramen / Kami-Itabashi Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
