The line went by pretty quickly and the seating was nicely spaced. I didn't feel too cramped inside as opposed to other Japanese restaurants. We ordered the karaage, chashu don, and tsukemen. The food came out pretty quickly. I'd say within 10 to 15 minutes! The karaage was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, and the tsukemen was well-prepared, but it's not really my style of noodles. I just wanted to try it out! The chashu don was decent, but the pork was a bit drier and tougher than I expected, especially compared to what I'm used to. Overall, a pretty solid choice to dine at! I'd come back to try the ramen and other appetizers. read more

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Good ramen, you can tell they use quality ingredients. They are known for the tsukemen but I like tsujita better since taishoken uses an anchovy broth which I don't prefer. I also tried their regular tonkatsu ramen and their mazemen both were good. Mazemen had super bouncy noodles. They skimp out on meat for sure. I think I only had one piece of meat on the mazemen. read more

Taishoken's third location in the Bay Area comes with much anticipation, no longer will patrons have to venture off to San Mateo/SF to enjoy their famous dipping noodles. This Barber lane location comes with its own share of struggles too though- long wait times even on weekdays and parking issues. But perhaps the best part about this location is that you have plenty of dessert options after to end on a sweet note in this very plaza. The menu features a great selection of shareable appetizers to wet the palate, like takoyaki, karage, and tofu. They offer dry noodles, dipping noodles, and soup based ramen. The interior feels upscale yet warm and inviting. The ramen bowls on display were a simple yet powerful touch to the decor. The tables are situated a bit too close for my liking and the restaurant itself is a bit loud so its difficult not to hear the side conversations adjacent to your table. Sand storm calamari - The calamari was crispy with a nice bite to it. I wouldn't call this dish "spicy" so don't be too intimidated by the seasonings listed. Karage- The batter was light and the chicken was well fried so that the meat was tender and juicy. The lime and kewpie mayo added that zesty cut of acidity and heaviness that makes it an all around great appetizer to share. Mazesoba- The noodles are on the thicker side which makes them perfectly bouncy and chewy. The sauce felt pretty one dimensional to me with the most prominent flavor being the fish powder. When you mix the egg yolk into the noodles, you get this sort of gravy like consistency that coats the noodles. I really enjoyed the contrast between the crunchy menma and the chewy noodles however, I thought the flavor was quite mild and lackluster. It certainly needs more interesting flavors to make this dish better. To me, I would rate this 3.5/5. Decent but I wouldn't order it again. Niku Spicy ramen - I am usually a thick noodle girly but these thin noodles had the perfect texture that made each bite so enjoyable. Maybe Taishoken has converted me to be a thin noodle girly afterall. Not only did this ramen have a lot of depth in flavors but the textures were intricate as well. The soup base felt a bit heavy to me so you don't need to drink much of it- in fact, the noodles cling onto a lot of the flavor by itself. The pork belly wasn't the most melt in your mouth I've ever had but the seasoning was delicious and the meat quality was great. I would order this again. Service was friendly and our food came out within 10 minutes or so during a busy lunch rush. Even on a Friday right at opening time ~11:30 am, we still had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated. Taishoken serves a solid bowl of ramen along with some tasty appetizers. With a lot of ramen options in the Bay Area, not a lot of them execute ramen and appetizers equally as well. If you take Nagi, Santouka, and Kajiken for example, all of them serve pretty average appetizers in my opinion. I do enjoy the selection offered at Taishoken and the quality of their dishes outshines a lot of other ramen shops in the Bay. read more

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Best ramen is the Bay Area! Their service is always top notch. Make sure to ask for Fatih, she is amazing!! Love this place highly recommend! read more

Taishoken - Niku Spicy Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

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We were craving some noodles and decided to try it out since the line was not too bad. They require everyone to be present to be seated. And when we ordered our waitress was very rude. She gave us the menu and when we were still debating of what to add. She snatched the menus away, not even taking the time to let us view the menu to add other items. I asked if we can add more spice and brought out spice on the side. The digging sauce was really salty. It was really thick. I am definitely not a fan. I also got a phone call when my bowl came. So I stepped out to handle the call. And then my partner told me she said I was not allowed to leave because tables are timed. On our way out I saw the next table had two older ladies and one gentleman. One lady was still deciding and one was ordering. And when the one who ordered her food the same waitress grabbed the menus away from her hands and walked away to put it away. And the other two customers have not ever ordered yet. One recommendation is to please be patient because sometimes people need a bit more time to discuss between a group what to order. read more

Service is professional and fast paced but not very warm until the end of service we had a new hostess who helped clean our tables which was warm and friendly. Beautiful decor inside the restaurant but food not the best. I prefer buckwheat noodles for dipping that are thinner and less robust with chewiness. The boiled egg was done wonderfully though. First time seeing a Matcha beer and it was great at the beginning - smooth and balanced. Then it fell flat and it's artificial colored with blues and yellows to get its green hue. The cedar aged sake smells like cheap Chinese toy from 30 years ago at the first nose and after 30mins breathing the sake became much more complex and had plastic and green grape candy on the nose) The cold tofu was so spicy it was painful. The spicy warning wasn't given appropriately. read more

Excellent service the Ramen was so rich and delicious. Perfect chicken carriage. They have the cutest portions for children with great utensils. It's very clutch. read more

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Repeat visit - same great space, helpful staff, and another round of dishes - all delicious. Highly recommend! read more

Taishoken - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

4.5 stars. Delicious ramen. Clean and aesthetically pleasing inside. This restaurant is very popular so come early to get seating right away. I arrived a few minutes before they opened and there was already a line forming outside the door. They are known for their tsukemen (dipping ramen). I ordered a few appetizers for my guests to share while we waited for our noodles to arrive, which included the chicken karaage and calamari. Both were decent. Their chashu don was tasty. Friendly and attentive wait staff. Great first experience eating here. Will be back for sure. This restaurant is located in the Ranch 99 plaza. Although the parking lot is large, it can fill up on the weekends when people eat out and do their grocery shopping. Parking spaces can also fill up during the weekday lunch hour since it's conveniently close to many tech companies like Cisco, so employees will stop at this plaza for lunch as it houses many other restaurants. read more

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I think their tsukemen dipping broth is good but nothing special, but their noodle texture is very good. Their takoyaki has a different, egg-salad like sauce that was pretty good and the skin was super crispy. I always see a line here around dinner time so check the yelp waitlist early. In a big plaza with a ton of shops so usually parking is not too bad unless it's the weekend rush. read more

Taishoken - Takoyaki - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Finally, we no longer have to drive all the way to San Mateo to savor their delectable Tsukemen! This new location boasts ample space, and the staff is incredibly friendly. The Tsukemen are cooked to the same level of perfection as those at the San Mateo store. We are thrilled to have a local spot to satisfy our cravings for a truly satisfying bowl of noodles! read more

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Given the success of their San Mateo location, I knew Taishoken Milpitas would've been absolutely SWAMPED during their first few weeks of opening. I absolutely love the San Mateo location and it's definitely top of my list for best tsukemen in the Bay. Knowing this, I came here at an off time at 4pm before the dinner rush and even then pretty much every table was filled! For my first time at the Milpitas location, I had to get their classic Tokusei Tsukemen, cold tofu, and the spicy calamari. The Milpitas location slaps just as hard as the San Mateo spot, the noodles are nice and al dente, the dipping broth is packed with that bonito flavor, and make sure you request the hot water at the end so you can drink the dipping sauce! Make sure to get the calamari as well, they fry it just right so it's not overcooked and the pieces are massive! Will be back once the hype dies down a bit! read more

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Really good- we tried dry noodles that you dip into a savory sauce, and ramen - so good and flavorful. They've definitely got a special way of preparing this Ramen. read more

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Ordered the Tokusei Tsukemen, their signature dipping noodles -- my all-time favorite style of ramen! Came in around 8pm on a Saturday and didn't have to wait long. The service was great -- friendly and efficient. Nice restaurant and great ambiance. The noodles were very chewy, and the dipping sauce was rich and flavorful, very reminiscent of the ones I had in Japan. My only complaint is that the dipping broth wasn't quite hot enough and cooled down pretty quickly (within about 5 minutes), which took away from the experience a bit. The soft boiled egg was nicely made. I loved that they added dashi-flavored soup to the leftover dipping sauce at the end to turn it into a warm, savory soup -- a great way to finish the meal! Would definitely come back again, especially if they can keep that dipping broth nice and hot! read more

Taishoken - Tokusei Tsukemen - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

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This place is not bad. It was quick to seat. The place is well spaced out so you are not back to back with a other table. You are able to wait list online. The parking can be a bit crowded with the plaza. They had a seasonal spicy favor dip and I got to say it was really good. It had enough spice to give it a kick. The kaarage is also not too bad. It has a good amount of flavor. The server was super nice and attentive. She came around to make sure we had water. The place has a very nice dim ambiance. I really like how the place looks. The bathroom is pretty clean. Overall I love this place. It has really good food although it is a bit on the pricy side. I am not an expert so I am not sure if they are sticking to traditional recipes or anything like that. I love how fast they prep the food and the service was very good. read more

Heard Taishoken opened in Milpitas and had to pay a visit!! For a late Saturday lunch for two, we still had to wait around 20 minutes for a table. We got the takoyaki to start, and the mazesoba and tsukemen! Both were really good and enjoyable with generous portions! read more

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Took my cousin here for her birthday, and she loved the Tsukemen! I've been to the San Mateo location before, but this was my first time at the Milpitas spot. I was excited they opened a location closer to me. We showed up on a Wednesday around lunchtime and saw a crowd outside--thought we were in for a long wait. The waitlist said 15-25 minutes, which wasn't too bad, so we signed up. Luckily, since it was just the two of us, we got seated way faster than expected! Once inside, the staff asked if it was our first time. It was for my cousin, so they kindly explained the menu. We both ordered the Tokusei Tsukemen, and she was so happy she got to try it--said she'd totally come back. The service was friendly, and overall, we had a great experience. Glad the wait wasn't as long as it looked. read more

Taishoken - Tokusei Tsukemen - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

The service was great! The chicken ramen was limited to a certain amount daily. We felt like they were rushing to get out orders to the point where my noodles were a bit hard and stuck together. The takoyaki texture was crispy and great but the sauce was too overbearing and didn't taste that much octopus inside the takoyaki balls. The problem we had with the tsukemen was that the noodles were cold, which eventually made the broth cold at the end. The buckwheat noodles made the entire soup cold by the end of the meal, so you would have to eat it pretty fast for it to keep it hot and warm. read more

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Came here with a friend for lunch and the food was delicious! I believe I ordered the Hiyashi Cold Ramen, while my friend ordered the Mazesoba. Our server was kind to us and since it was my first time here, she walked me through the menu. Would recommend coming here! read more

Taishoken - Hiyashi Cold Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

First time at the new Milpitas location. No wait on a Saturday around 2pm. Thank goodness because I was hungry! Food is comparable to the Peninsula location. I love tsukemen. Just wished that toppings were included instead of having to pay for extra. Don't forget to sprinkle some togarashi on it! read more

New noodle shop in town. The house cold noodles were different but definitely tasty. The sauce is sweet and savory. Pork cooked perfectly and tender. Wifey got the ramen which I prefer over the cold noodles. Creamy broth and thin noodles. Perfect egg with the tender pork. You can really taste the quality in the ingredients. Chicken karrage has a nice coating and juicy meat. Served with Kewpie mayo and lime 5/5 read more

We were able to be seated quickly on a Saturday for Lunch. The store was clean and has a minimalistic aesthetic. The best part of the experience was the food! We started with the cucumber miso and fried chicken karaage. The cucumber is really fresh and the miso had a nice flavor to it. The chicken was juicy and the mayo gave it the right tang with it. The Tsukemen was delicious. I've never had it before but I can confidently say this is the best Tsukemen I'll have. The Niku spicy ramen was delicious too. The broth was rich and flavorful. read more

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The mazesoba is my favorite - noodles are perfect and the pork is flavorful. The chicken karaage is also great and has good texture. We also enjoyed the tsukemen dipping ramen. Everything was fresh and yummy. This location is less spacious than their amazing peninsula shop, but the service is friendly and efficient. read more

Taishoken - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

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I've been coming here often and really enjoy it every time. They have limited seasonal drinks and I recently tried the mango yuzu cream soda. It was amazing. Super refreshing, sweet with a nice citrus balance and really different in a good way. Overall this is one of my regular spots and I always have a good experience here. Definitely recommend trying their seasonal drinks if they are available. read more

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Food: The mazemen is delicious and creamy! There's a generous amount of noodles and it comes with alot of toppings, so make sure to come hungry. They also provide vinegar on the side to mix into the dish to make it less heavy. I finished the entire dish, but I definitely felt pretty full after. Ambiance: We came at 2:30pm on a Sunday afternoon and luckily, there was little to no wait. However, it was still pretty full inside, with parties still coming in to eat until ~3pm-ish. read more

Taishoken - Ramen (top), mazemen (bottom) - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

Tokusei Tsukemen is amazing and definitely a must-try! I'm originally from Tokyo and often visit popular ramen restaurants there. Taishoken Milpitas (as well as their San Mateo and San Francisco locations) truly matches Tokyo's top-tier ramen spots--meaning you can literally enjoy some of the best Japanese ramen right here in the Bay Area. It's incredible having this quality nearby, so big thanks to Taishoken for bringing authentic ramen to the area! I visited with my wife and two kids, and we ordered Tokusei Tsukemen, Tokusei Ramen, Kids' Ramen, and Karaage (Tokusei means it comes with all the popular toppings). Everything was absolutely delicious! Highly recommended! read more

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3.5 stars rounding up to 4. Been a fan of Taishoken in San Mateo and was stoked to hear there was one closer. Minimal wait time on a Saturday morning at 11:45 am. We ordered the tsukemen, kid's ramen and Tori Chintan Ramen. They forgot to put my ramen order in but staff was apologetic and it came shortly after we inquired about it. Staff was friendly and gave us an extra piece of seaweed as well. Tori Chintan ramen had limited quantities but was so good. The small amount of yuzu peel was refreshing. There was also a small piece of egg shell on my egg. This place has potential and we are still fans of Taishoken as everything tasted delicious. read more

Taishoken - Tori Chintan ramen - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

So happy another location opened in the bay. The first and my favorite dipping ramen place!! It's a solid place to eat and this location has so much more. The chicken karrage is delicious and the tuna tartar here was delicious. I had to order extra nori $2 to enjoy the massive dish. The hojicha Palmer (hojicha with lemonade) and crème soda was delicious. Everything hit the spot. Dont forget to get the dashi at the end to cleanse everything down. read more

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My friends have been raving about this spot to me, so we all went together after a round of badminton and were STARVING. It is BUSY here. Before doors even opened for dinner hours, there was a line and about 10 groups on the waitlist already. However, getting seated didn't take too long! We ordered the Tuna Tartare, Potato Salad, Elderberry Creme soda, and our server recommended the Sand Storm Calamari. The Tuna Tartare was OK. The seaweed was nice and crispy, and I enjoyed the pickled cabbage, but there wasn't much to it that gave it a "wow" factor. The Potato Salad was only ordered because pictures online made it look so interesting. I love potato salad and hadn't gotten it from a Japanese restaurant before too, so I was a bit intrigued. However, it is really fishy and I wasn't expecting that flavor profile. I don't think I would order it again. Now, to the best appetizer: the Sand Storm Calamari. WOW! I'm so glad that we were recommended this! The crispiness of the Calamari with the flakey dry seasonings dipped into the aioli was soooo satisfying. PLEASE give this a try. Please also give the Shonen creme sodas a try! They were really good too, and I don't usually like creme sodas :) I didn't get the famous Tsukemen only because I was craving Mazemen so much, but I did get to try it from my boyfriend's bowl! It's very good, and the soup is more similar to a sauce or gravy-like texture. The Mazemen were amazing. One thing I loved about all the main dishes that we had was that the texture of the noodles was perfect. I loved the chewiness of the noodles, it was amazing. I will say that the noodle texture is what makes up for the flavor. It wasn't a bad flavor overall, but I've definitely had better in the bay. I recommend this spot, and I'll definitely come back next time for the Calamari and to get my own bowl of Tsukemen! read more

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02/28/26 just saw their San Mateo restaurant aired on Bay Area Check Please show. Pros: Food is really tasteful. They serve good size portions. The cucumber salad $8.00 is topped off with miso chile and oil. Cucumber is crispy and chilled. The sauce is not overpowering nor was it smothered. The Tokusei Tsukemen (dipping noodles) $21.00 is a wheat noodle, pork, boiled egg,sea weed, and chile sauce in a separate bowl . When you're done with noodles and condiments they offer a light broth to your dipping sauce to make a tasty soup. The spicy Tsukemen $22.00 pretty much the same as the tokusei except the spices. The Niku spicy Ramen soup $20.00. It comes with pork, chicken broth, boiled egg, sea weed, ramen and some other type of noodle. You get plenty of food in the soup. I recommend getting a fork so you don't wear as much food. We shared the hot sake $12.00. We also tried a glass of Adatara Ginjo Sake $12.00. Either one is fine and paired with the food. Our server was very nice and helpful so a big shoutout to Adelita F. The restaurant is nicely decorated and plenty of dining. Cons: Parking is tight even though is a shopping center. It's a little pricey . read more

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My partner and I came about an hour after opening on a Saturday and there wasn't any wait with several tables open. The service was top notch as our waiter stopped by several times to check up on us throughout the meal, as well as other staff making sure our waters were always full. I ordered the deluxe tsukemen and my partner ordered the abura soba. Both dishes tasted great but the abura soba was SO good that I kind of wanted to switch dishes with my partner lol. We took about 30 minutes to eat and by the time we were done, the restaurant was nearly full with diners. Definitely try to get there early! read more

Been to their San Mateo store and came after the fuzz died down. Same menu same taste. I personally rly like their fried chicken , juicy and not salty . Came in around noon on a weekend and there was surprisingly no wait. The servers were fast and I rlly love their chicken broth ramen. Could be a little blend, but the broth is refreshing. Too much noodles imo cuz the soup isn't as flavorful ... read more

The dipping ramen was delicious! Definitely recommend getting that if it's your first time. We also got the chicken karage as the appetizer and it wasn't too dry so that was good. Service was relatively quick and the servers are all very polite. read more

Taishoken - Chicken karage - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

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tried their signature dipping ramen! the noodles were an excellent texture and the flavor of the dipping broth was good. however, it was quite salty even for a dipping broth, so it was pretty difficult to finish the dish. i also wasn't a huge fan of the chashu, it was just a little too fatty for my liking (personal preference!). the other toppings were good though! i would try a different dish next time, the noodles were great so probably a soup-based ramen. the shop was cute and tidy and in a plaza with plentiful parking. the service was also fast and friendly! read more

Taishoken - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

My family of 4 came here on Saturday after the restaurant opened the week prior. We were about 28th on the waitlist so we ended up waiting an hour. The workers were really fast with cleaning the tables and seating people though. Once we were sat down, we ordered right away as we were quite hungry. The appetizer came out very quicker and the ramen bowls came out soon after. The Karaage was nice and crispy, and definitely hit the spot since we were hungry. Other than that, it was just normal karaage, which isn't a bad thing. The Mazesoba looked appealing. You really have to mix up the dish though as all the sauce is on the bottom. The noodles were nice and chewy and the sauce was nice and thick, coating everything well. The tsukemen was good too, with the noodles still being nice and bouncy. My brother and I figured out the Mazesoba and the Tokusei tsukemen used the same sauce/broth as it tasted the same, one was just thicker than the other. The broth was also a lot less salty than the San Mateo location which was good. Our one complaint is the Tokusei Ramen. The dish came out lukewarm so eating it was a little hard. The noodles were fine. The broth needed a bit more seasoning. Overall, the workers really put a lot of effort into making sure everyone is having a good dining experience. There were good and bad parts of all the dishes but I would love to come back to see if maybe it was just a one off experience. read more

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I really enjoyed the San Mateo location in the past so I was excited to have one in the South Bay. I've already been to this location a few times. I got the usual Tsukemen and karaage. The karaage had a perfect and light crisp. The chicken was tender and juicy with plenty of flavor itself, only to be elevated with a squeeze of lemon and kewpie mayo. When my tsukemen arrived, I was surprised to see the lack of pork belly slices this time. It only came with one pork belly slice and one super thin slice of ham. I swear they used to give at least two full pork belly slices or more! Might be shrinkflation, but that part was definitely disappointing especially for the price point. There was also no small meat chunks in the dipping broth when there used to be plenty. The flavor fortunately was still there. It's sad to see a lot of restaurants starting to cut corners when the prices have gone up and/or stayed the same. I'd give this spot a 3.8 stars but will round up. read more

AUG2025 We landed here for a nice recovery meal for lunch. Arriving a little before they opened on a Sunday, there wasn't much of a line and we had an easy time getting in and being seated. Service was very friendly, helping with any questions we had for the meal. He also explained their history as a restaurant and development of their receipe. Water refills frequent. I had gotten the Yuzu Shio Ramen, my partner the tokusei tsukemen with recommendation from our server. We also grabbed the cucumber, takoyaki, and karaage to share with compatriots. Everything was cooked well for the table. The takoyaki was still hot and slightly crisp when it hit the table. I liked that it wasn't overly sauced like some other iterations. The karaage were cooked well and stayed crisp throughout. The cucumber I really liked the spice mixture that they put on top. It added a nice crunch along with the sesame oil and worked as a palate cleanser. The Tsukemen dipping soup was rich but got cold pretty quickly over the course. My partner really enjoyed the soup wari after since it was much more approachable by itself. The yuzu shio was pretty good; not too rich with hints of yuzu on the tail end. The broth came out hot which was great but I'd want a little more in the bowl. If stopping by again, I'd fiddle with the additions for it and add an egg and the chili oil. An easy stop and not as busy as I thought it would be. Plenty of parking and close by if you're lucky. Everything came out quickly to the table. read more

Ahh! This place replaced QQ noodle (rest in peace) This Taishoken actually has limes! Definitely recommend squeezing a lime or two on your tsukemen noodles before dipping them in the broth. It's refreshing and a game changer. Last time we tried the San Mateo one they didn't offer it, but it definitely makes a difference. The food was good, what you would expect from a typical ramen spot, their tsukemen was a tad bit on the saltier side for me but the lime helps with that significantly. Not sure if they turn your dipping broth into a soup after you're done with your meal though we were too full to ask. This place makes me miss Japan though (lol) read more

been seeing taishoken around social media a lot and decided to stop by with my friends and I'm so glad I did because wow their food is amazing!! I think my favorite appetizers has to be the calamari because the burst of flavors along with the texture was so delicious - if this was a staple item on their menu, I definitely recommend the wagyu ramen. it had the perfect balance of flavor texture and I loved how tender the meat was and I was just playing around with the flavors and added the chili flakes at the table along with some of the crisps from the calamari and wow it really added amazing texture and layer of flavors. if you're looking for like a soup based Ramen, then the niku spicy Ramen is pretty good if you're looking more for like a dry Ramen, then I highly recommend mazesoba (this one also had amazing flavors and I loved the balance of the savory with a dash of vinaigrette, which adds a very refreshing taste) our server was super attentive and was very thoughtful and making sure that we had everything that we need and was coming around checking in on us throughout the meal. The ambience is very chill and relax with an elevated feeling of classiness definitely the perfect spot for hang out with friends, dates, and small family dinners! tips: - lots of parking available in a private parking lot with lots of dessert options available in the area - you can hop on the waiting list ahead of time if you're within the mileage distance read more

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Came here on a Saturday with a party of 7 around 6:30pm. Surprisingly we didn't have to wait too long. I've been wanting to try Taishoken since they first opened but was scared there would be a long wait. The Tsukemen was great! I couldn't finish my bowl and took half of it to go. Calamari was good as well, crispy and large pieces. Karaage was also pretty good. Skip the takoyaki, it barely came with any octopus filling. Service... I thought the servers were too in our face. They were checking on us every 5 minutes which I thought was too excessive. We hadn't even had the chance to put food in our mouths and they were asking if everything was okay... They were also quick to start cleaning our dishes while I was still eating, please don't put your hands in front of my face as I am taking a bite of my food. read more