Tsukemen TETSU in Mito is located in the Excel Minami building near Mito Station’s south exit. It is on the 4th floor near Bic Camera. We have passed it on our way to Bic Camera numerous times and were always curious. We had not tried it because there was always a long line outside and we usually had too large of a group. Only after receiving a glowing recommendation from one of my co-workers did we make a concerted effort to go.

Tsukemen TETSU Menu

We got off work early one day and were in the area, so we thought we’d give it a try. We went around 17:30 and were pleasantly surprised to find no line. After ordering from the vending machine, we got our tickets. We decided to go with the special tsukemen (特製つけめん), a regular tsukemen (つけめん), and the goku chashu bowl (極チャーシュー丼). We handed our tickets to the waitress and she confirmed our order.

She then asked us what portion size of noodles we wanted. We learned that the large (大盛) and extra large (特盛) noodles sizes were free upgrades. We ended up going with the large (大盛) portion which was the second largest option. Even though the noodle upgrades were free of charge, we would not regret our decision. The inside of the restaurant was pretty small with just two large tables and a number of counter seats. We only had to wait for five minutes before being seated at one of the two tables. The tables were pretty long and could probably accommodate parties of six to eight people.

Tsukemen TETSU Food Review

We didn’t have to wait long before our goku chashu don came out. The chashu had tremendous flavor and a memorable melt in your mouth texture. Probably one of the best chashu we’ve ever had. Definitely in our top five of all time. The raw egg yolk and the sliced onions served as a nice compliment. We would definitely get it again.

A little while later our tsukemen came out. The only difference between ours was that Amy’s came with more chashu slices. Tsukemen usually comes in two separate bowls. One for the soup and one for the toppings. We started by dipping a couple of noodles into the broth, and then taking a bite. The taste was really good. We really liked how the cold noodles and the hot soup balanced each other out. The soup had a pretty strong flavor, so dipping the noodles gave us just the right amount of soup. The egg was soft boiled and the accompanying bamboo shoots were well marinated. The chashu was good, but not on the same level as the chashu in the chashu bowl.

As we continued our meal, we were grateful to have gotten the large (大盛) portion size. We were super full when we finished. If we had gotten any more noodles, the meal would have been less enjoyable.

Upon looking at there website we were surprised to see just how many shops they had. They were particularly concentrated in the greater Tokyo area including Kanagawa and Saitama Prefectures. There were also stores in Nagoya, Osaka, and Mito.

Final Thoughts

We would definitely come back again. The ramen and chashu bowls were delicious. Next time we want to try there gyoza as well. When people come and visit us, this is definitely a place we will take them. Good food and a convenient location. If you have some free time at Mito Station come by and check out Tsukemen TETSU in Mito.

Here is a link to their website.

More to Come…