Tried out this place for weekend dinner since I always saw a waiting line outside whenever I visit this plaza. I got their spicy ramen while my party got their regular tokusei ramen. A unanimous opinion I would best describe as "flavorful, but not tasty". I can tell the good material quality and strong flavors, but the taste itself is lacking and missing something- like everything got drowned out by 1 overpowering flavor and not hooking me to want to keep eating more and more. Otherwise, they've got good service, ambiance, and portion size. I just feel it is overrated compared to other ramen places I've been to. read more

Visited on early evening. The place has a modern vibe, nice layout. Our server was attentive. We ordered one regular and one Tokusei Tsukumen. We loved that the noodles tasted fresh, nice and bouncy & the meat was cooked perfectly (best part of the dish on our opinion). The broth however was a bit too salty for us. Prices are on the higher end ($18 for the regular, $21 for tge Tokusei). Not a great value imo esp considering the regular only comes with one slice of chashu. Nice to try once but don't think I'll be back. read more

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First time trying Tsokusei Tsukemen so don't know what to expect but it definitely set the bar high. The broth was thicken than what you would expect from a ramen. It's more like a gravy. It had the taste combo of soy sauce, some sweetness and a lot of bonito flavor. It coats the noodles pretty well. It came with two types of pork slices. One was the thick grilled chashu that was very yummy. The other was a thinner slice that resembled the taste of salted ham. The noodles were made buckwheat. It had the chewy texture, al dente. Also came with one marinated whole egg with a jelly yolk; tasted like salted egg. For some reason I found it difficult to pick up the noodles with the chopsticks and dip the in the broth. I ended up cutting the noddles and placing them on my spoon then dipping in the broth. I noticed people from other tables were doing the same thing so they might have had the same difficulty. The Niku spicy ramen came with thinner noodles in the broth. Was quite spicy especially when you mix the spicy ground meat. Also quite tasty. Would like to try the non spicy ramen next time. Also came with the same egg. They had to remake this one because the first one had uncooked noodles in it with the noodles still stuck to each other and still had the raw flour powder on them. They have just opened 3 weeks ago so not a big deal. They replaced it right away. Price was around $20. They had appetizers that I want to try next time. Waited around 30 min. Unfortunately they don't allow people to wait inside the restaurant so it was quite cold waiting outside where they had the benches. read more

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Tsukemen has been one of my biggest cravings ever since coming back from my trip to Taiwan. I was scrolling on a fellow Bay Area foodie page when I stumbled upon Taishoken -- which was surprising, because I had literally been thinking about it all day. So we decided to give it a try. It was not surprising that we had to wait at least 25 minutes for a table, as it was quite busy for a crowd on a Saturday night. However, what we thought was a very good experience, started off on the wrong foot. I'm not entirely sure why they don't allow people to wait inside... especially given the 50° weather that we had to face. But it also wasn't fair that some people were allowed to wait inside for their seats. However, that soon changed, as we were soon called and seated in a timely and fashionable manner. One of the waitresses welcomed us and asked us what we would like to drink -- and we all opted for different drinks, like the plum, sparkling juice, oolong, tea, and regular tea. You could say that the oolong tea was a star of the show, because it had a very crisp high mountain aftertaste to it. For appetizers, we ordered the takoyaki. Now, I'm usually suspicious and skeptical, but this one definitely hit the spot. The filling inside the takoyaki was balanced, not too salty, and not too overfilling. The crust of the taiyaki was very crisp, with a lot of texture to it, which satisfied my taste buds. All three of us ordered the Tokusei Tsukemen -- which was exactly what we came for. However, I can say that this one had mixed reviews from the three of us. On my end, I loved how soft and chewy my noodles were. The broth, however, was mid -- it turned out to be a little bit too salty, and there weren't enough bamboo shoots to balance out the saltines, and the freshness provided in the broth. The chashu meat was a little bit dry, and I was a little bit, disappointed that they didn't have any vegetables other than seaweed. What I will compliment, though, is that for the price that they have, this was enough to satisfy your appetite, if you had a decent craving of it (which I definitely did, and I ended up finishing up the whole bowl). The atmosphere of this restaurant is very chic and very modern -- however, there are some notable caveat that are of concern. The restaurant seems a little bit squeezed, and with so many people and children inside having a meal, it turned hazardous at times. I loved how the staff were very helpful and giving recommendations, and were absolutely attentive to every detail. However, at times, I felt like the surface was rushed a little too fast. I get that it is a brand new restaurant that just opened, and a lot of people are coming to try, but if I could give the staff a little bit of advice: please don't give your patrons a dismissive attitude. In addition, you should never leave a "we are no longer accepting guests" sign in plain sight, even if it's behind the reservation counter. It's going to drive a lot of people away, and feel very unwelcome to dine at your restaurant. Overall, I definitely come back a second time to try more dishes, but until the trending wave dies down, I'll reconsider my thoughts and choices about coming here and let other people have their own take on this restaurant. There's so much to offer, and I know they'll do a better job. read more

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Tried Taishoken and got the Impossible Dandan Men, super flavorful! Joined the waitlist earlier on Yelp, but still had to wait a bit for them to set up the table when we checked in. Overall, worth it though! read more

Taishoken - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

First time trying dipping noodles and they had a menu with special instructions, as well as helpful servers to explain the process. It's a refreshing experience and food tastes great. Even the side of chicken karaage was crispy and satisfying. read more

Taishoken - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

Several options are available at Taishoken with the regular ramen or tsukemen (buckwheat dipping noodles). My ramen came with a thick and thin chashu which I enjoyed. The consistency of the egg was not consistently runny across all the ramen ordered at the table. If I had to compare the tsukemen, I would say it's a lighter tasting version of Tsujita's tsukemen. The karaage arrived quick and was crispy. Paired with the Kewpie mayo, you can't go wrong ordering this. read more

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There's not many ramen places around in the South Bay that I can recommend or get all too excited about. The top players pre-pandemic either have lost their touch and quality went down the drain or have closed down. Taishoken just newly opened up a location in the popular Milpitas Square. I highly recommend either coming early during the weekends or joining the yelp waitlist somehow. The wait can be upwards of 40m or more. Parking in this plaza is a hit or miss during busy hours. It can be almost as annoying as driving around Grand Century mall to find parking with how certain people drive here (either unattentive or overly aggressive). I've had their Tsukemen at their San Mateo location once already. This visit I went for a more traditional broth ramen. The interior is quite roomy and very modern looking for a ramen shop. Servers are quite attentive though our group was quite simple. I'll preface the rest of this review saying that by South Bay standards, this is pretty good. On the whole scheme of ramen (considering SoCal and Japan), this is pretty mid. First of all the broth didn't really stand out to me. It lacked richness and depth that you'd typically find from a good mom and pop shop you would find in Japan. The noodles are better than most by Bay Area standard but nothing to rememberable. The chasu was interesting. They went for a mix of sous vide chasu and standard chasu IIUC. It wasn't really for me as I'd much prefer a nice thick slice of chasu and the sous vide chasu was too thinly cut to really enjoy. read more

I'm very happy that they opened up this location, but also sad that QQ Noodle closed up. It's a good addition to Milpitas Square. I enjoyed their San Mateo location, but I really hate parking in DTSM. Not that I love how people park in Milpitas, at least there is a parking lot. Came here on a weeknight at opening, so parking was not a pain at all. There was already a short line to go in, but it's more like they literally just opened and needed time to seat people down. I do expect less lines once the hype dies down a bit. Gotta say, for some newly opened shop, their flow was great and service was attentive. I came here not too long from grand opening, they still had that grand opening special: wagyu mazesoba. I've had their regular mazesoba, absolutely delicious, the sauce texture was just right, I expect nothing less with this wagyu one. The interesting thing about the wagyu one was that the sauce was made with Kyoto matcha. I must say it was lighter and more refreshing than their regular, but the matcha wasn't that strong, I tasted more of the julienned green onions. There were two large pieces of wagyu and some smaller cubes. The meat was very tender, not as fatty as I had in mind. I'd come again for this for sure, but I got many more items on the menu I have yet to try since I kept on getting the same thing. On that note, I tried their karaage, I skip out most of the time since their noodles keep me full and I don't want to feel bloated. Their karaage tasted better than Marufuku's, juicier for sure and not as oily. read more

Taishoken - Wagyu mazesoba - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

Great Ramen Nagi alternative. From where we were sitting, the kitchen looked clean and organized. Trust that the food is handled correctly. Great customer service! read more

Taishoken - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

My family and I arrived at Taishoken at 1:15 pm on Saturday. There was a line, but it moved swiftly. We ordered Spicy Tsukemen, Tuna Tartare, and Tokusei ramen. The ramen was decent and satisfying. Taishoken is situated in Milpitas Plaza, where all the other restaurants are located. The restaurant is clean and nice decorations, and the customer service was excellent! read more

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We had a BLAST here! Our servant, Johnathan, was not only welcoming and thorough with his menu descriptions but he also offered us great soup at the end with the leftover sauces we have for our tsukemen! The food has its great quality and the environment is well for a nice check in time with friends. Would totally love to come back again!! read more

Taishoken - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

Great new ramen place in Milpitas. The staff is friendly and food comes quick. Similar level to Ramen Nagi and the wait isn't as bad, definitely check it out if you like ramen. read more

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As somebody who lived in Japan for 2 years, I would consider this to be top tier, even among tsukemen places in Japan. A big standout are the really thick and chewy noodles, which are especially rare in the Bay Area. The abura-soba is also really good, and is a fine alternative if you don't want to get the tsukemen. One caveat is that I did take my parents here for the ramen, and we all agreed the ramen is just okay. So sadly I'd have to recommend another place for the soup ramen. Not enough for me to leave a star though, just because it's not their specialty anyway. A tip - your dipping sauce will inevitably get cold before you finish eating, but before you ask staff to add hot soup to it, know that it will make it a really delicious and rich broth to drink, but it won't be very good as a dipping sauce anymore since it's not as thick or flavorful. So I would recommend eating as much as you can before it gets cold! read more

Arigato Yoshi san. Just having lunch there today and everything was perfect. Restaurant ambient was properly ventilated. Chair surface was clean. Most importantly, the soup temperature was hot enough for the enjoyment of a properly heated ramen broth. Great management! Kudos for you guys!! (PS: I'll see if I can up the stars on the original review. If not, I'll just delete it to avoid confusion.) ;-) read more

Taishoken - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Spicy Ramen hits the spot. I definitely love my spice. The service was efficient, despite the waiting time unless you go on a day that's not on the weekend or too busy. The wooden decor is cute. read more

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

This is my ABSOLUTE favorite place. I go here at least once a week. I always get the tokusei tsukemen, hiyayakko, and the cucumbers. You could skip out on the cucumber, but I highly recommend the hiyayakko. It's a cold silken tofu with this chili oil and ponzu sauce, and it's a FLAVOR bomb. Just a heads up, they do put crunchy anchovy on top, so if you're allergic, you could ask for it off. For the tsukemen, I add a little lime and it is absolutely amazing. There's a good amount of seat at the restaurant, and if you put your name on the waitlist, it's not too bad of a wait. There's a lot of stores to go by nearby to check out while you wait. It's not too loud either, so good place to go with your friends or family. The service was amazing! read more

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finally tried the dipping ramen tokesei tsukemen . i do like it better than the regular ramen. my colleague alo enjoy the vegetarian ramen. service is quick and attentive definitely will come back read more

Came here a few days after they opened. Glad I got here early to be at the front of the line because the line was super long by the time they opened. We wanted to try a little bit of everything and it was all made well and had lots of flavor. The ingredients were really fresh. My favorite appetizer was probably the cold tofu. The sauce and toppings were so tasty and refreshing with the tofu. The potato salad was good but not sure it's worth ordering next time. The karaage chicken and calamari were really good as well. The dipping sauces were great compliments to the crispy coating. I ordered the taken which is what they are known for. It was delicious and very flavorful. However I'm not sure I would order it again because I prefer my noodles to soak up the soup flavor. I felt like the dipping broth was too flavorful so the noodles can get enough flavoring but became overwhelming half way through the dish. The ramen dish was very good and I would probably order this next time. read more

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So excited this location opened up so I didn't have to go all the way to San Mateo! We arrived around 7:45pm on a Saturday and there was no wait for our party of 3. They have quite a bit of seating on the inside. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful. My friend had wanted to get takeout to bring her fiance dinner, and she made recommendations about what she thought would still taste good after a 20min drive home. We all got the tokusei tsukemen, since it seems it's what this place is known for. I don't normally get dipping ramen since i love soup, but this place made me reconsider that. The dipping broth was so flavorful, I didn't feel like i was missing out on anything from not being able to slurp the soup! Also they were very generous with the noodles, and the soft boiled egg was perfectly cooked. Looking at the menu, I realized I forgot to ask about adding dashi broth to the dipping sauce at the end. Will definitely try that next time if it's not extra! The prices here are on the higher side ($21 for the meal) so while this will probably not be a regular place for me, it's a nice treat once in a while. And a note about the takeout- our waitress went on a break when we were checking out, and when we asked another waitress about our to-go order, there was some confusion about it. Apparently they don't offer to-go yet, but made an exception for us (they said it should be available soon?). So they brought out just a normal dine-in ramen and gave us 2 small containers to pack it ourselves. It worked out fine, but just a note that it might be dependent on your server if they allow takeout! read more

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

Food is below mid. Everything we ate was not worth it and I don't get the hype. The restaurant itself is nice with great customer service, but the food was not good and I won't be coming back. Customer service - 9/10. Attentive and we're friendly. Cucumber miso salad - was just a plain cucumber with chili crisp. Should've cost $4 instead of $8. Comically overpriced and not worth it. 1/10 Tuna tartare - fish quality was low. 3/10 Signature Tsukumen - did not live up the hype. The dipping soup got cold fast and the flavor wasn't tasty. I'm wondering if the people posting about how good it is are real?? Paid actors Forsure. 2/10 Tokusei ramen - best thing we ate. 6/10 read more

Taishoken - Tsukumen was not good - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

Ordered the Wagyu Mazesoba. My only gripe with the dish is that the sliced beef was a bit too raw for my likings. Texture of it was a bit mushy. But everything else was great. Once all mixed, the dish provided a variety of flavors and textures. Noodles were very good, thick and chewy. The noodles paired well with the sauce. I tried a little bit of my friend's Tokusei Tsukemen. I was not a fan of the dipping broth. Mostly because I don't really like the flavor of bonito. Noodles came clumped up. That seems a little annoying to eat. read more

Taishoken - Wagyu Mazesoba - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

Jonathan was a great help explaining everything and the food was delicious! We will define try again.

If you're a fan of tsukemen, Taishoken is a must-try. The dipping noodles are perfectly chewy with just the right bite, and the broth is rich, flavorful, and not overly salty. You can really taste the depth in the soup--it's comforting and addictive!!!! Service was friendly and efficient, and the staff made sure we were taken care of without being overbearing. The space is casual and clean, and even though it was busy, we didn't wait too long for a table. Highly recommend for anyone craving legit Japanese tsukemen or ramen in the area read more

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Yummm! Such a good spot for ramen during the winter I would simply go back here for the calamari alone- loved how crispy it was and the seasoning was the best calamari I've had at any ramen spot. We also got the dipping ramen which was filled, but our favorite was actually the vegan ramen broth! It was super light and unique and overall the restaurant was really clean and aesthetic. Loved it!! read more

Taishoken - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

​My wife and I had a wonderful dinner here. We were immediately impressed by our server, Jonathan. He was amazing--genuinely welcoming, full of positive energy, and incredibly helpful. He patiently took the time to walk us through the entire menu, explaining the different ramen bowls and appetizers. His service was truly exceptional and attentive all night. ​The food was just as great! We both had the Niku Spicy Ramen, which was rich and had the perfect amount of heat. We also shared the Cucumber Green Chili Miso and Edamame, which were fantastic starters (especially the cucumber!). ​Because of the delicious food and Jonathan's outstanding service, we will absolutely be returning. read more

We ordered the Tokusei Ramen and Tokusei Tsukemen. One ramen egg was cooked perfectly while the other was slightly overdone. The Tokusei Ramen itself wasn't bad, but the broth lacked depth of flavor. The meat in both dishes was tender and flavorful. The Tokusei Tsukemen wasn't as enjoyable. It's hard to describe. The dipping broth reminded me of a Japanese-style Thanksgiving gravy with bonito powder. The noodles were chewy and tasty, but so long and clumped together that it was difficult to pick them up with chopsticks to dip properly. Overall, there wasn't too much wrong with it, but it just wasn't to my taste. I probably won't come back. read more

I had such a great experience here thanks to our server, Faith. From start to finish, she was everything you'd hope for in great service. Attentive without being overbearing and super friendly! She checked on us at all the right times, made sure our drinks were always full, and somehow balanced being quick and efficient without making us feel rushed at all. You can tell she really cares about her customers experience!! read more

Food was absolutely delicious. Service was quick and super friendly. Definitely will be coming back!

We came by on a Wednesday night around 7 PM and were told the wait would be 60-90 minutes. We ended up getting seated around 8:30 PM. By then, the waitlist was closed, and the host was manually checking people in. It was pretty crowded, and we weren't sure if we were accidentally skipped--he was going to everyone else around us, so we eventually had to go up and check in ourselves. Once inside, the restaurant was clean with cozy, warm lighting. The staff were super welcoming and attentive throughout our meal! We ordered the Tokusei Tsukemen and the Karaage: Karaage (7.5/10): Juicy and flavorful, the chicken reminded me of the nostalgic chicken from Tapioca Express with similar breading. It was tasty, though the breading was a bit uneven--some pieces weren't fully coated on the bottom. Tokusei Tsukemen (9/10): This is what we came for, and it absolutely delivered! The broth was warm, rich, and full of umami without being overpowering. The noodles were wonderfully bouncy, and you could really taste the buckwheat. We've also tried Shugetsu, and this place definitely stands out in comparison. We'd love to come back and try more items--maybe once the wait isn't quite as long! read more

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Best tsukemen in South Bay, and it's not even close. The broth / dipping sauce is very rich and complex - exactly like what you'd expect in Tokyo. It is very, very difficult to find authentic Japanese ramen in Bay Area. I'm really happy that Taishoken opened a shop in South Bay this year. I can still recall when Ramen Nagi first opened in Westfield - me and my girlfriend had to queue up for almost 2 hours. I was able to get a seat with my girlfriend today by queuing up 10 minutes before the shop opened. Service was quick and friendly. Would definitely come here again. read more

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Delicious ramen with large portions and flavorful hearty broth. The broth is a bit on the thicker end but packed with flavor. Still bigger fan of the ramen vs the dipping ramen. The extra noodles were huge fyi so very worth if you are really hungry. The chicken karage was also super juicy and paired with a really good mayo dipping sauce. read more

My kid is a regular here!!! We come here so often that the staff remember us everyone is super friendly here food was super delicious. read more

Taishoken - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

Pork noodles are very rich and tick source! Not sure my liking. Service is fast and friendly. But cannot get beers and sake yet! Give seats only when all parties arrive. read more

Can't remember the last time I left a yelp review so here goes! Came to Taishoken on a late Saturday night. Didn't really know what to expect in terms of how busy it would be but after putting my name on the wait list, est. was about 25-40mins. No big deal, huge plaza to walk around to get by steps in and did some ranch 99 shopping. By the time you know it I get the text that my table was ready. Love the wait and check in system here! Got seated rather quickly after and order was taken about a minute later. Got the Tokisei Tuskemen. Their bread and butter. There was an $18 option which is $3 less but I was told it does not come with the egg and the thin slice of cha siu. The order came out and I would say it was normal wait time, maybe 5-10mins not too sure, but it wasn't long. The Tsukemen was so delicious and filling. Great value for $21 and don't forget to ask for the soup broth at the end to be added to the dipping bowl. I tried asking for more of the thick noodle but was told that they do not sell it on the side but for $3 you can add the thin ramen noodle. (Maybe they will add more options in the future as takeout also wasn't an option) Overall I am very happy this places opened in my hometown of Milpitas. I been living here so long that I really want to see businesses like this do well as we all know so many have come and gone. I tried the one in San Mateo years ago during the pandemic and it always struck a cord with me on how good it was. The service here was exceptional. Shoutout to my server Kai! She was super attentive made the whole experience great. She also told me there's a location in SF and even in Japan, i didn't even know about that! I've recently tried a few dipping ramen around Japan and Taishoken is hands down just as good here in the states. I can't wait to come back there to try their ramen and wagyu dishes and their appetizers look soooo good. I felt I had to leave a review because it's been awhile since I've been blown away by the combination of service, quality, taste and overall dining experience. Hope this review helps anyone on the fence on trying Taishoken. Don't let the wait discourage you, it's only been open about 2-3 weeks, but one of the few places I don't mind waiting. WORTH IT! read more

Taishoken - The Signature. If you know you know.. - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

Got the mazesoba! It was so good !! Service was quick, we got In right away on a Wednesday at 7:20. Even when we were leaving there was no line was well. The food came out quick as well. The calamari I would rate roughly 7.5/10, came with little garlic bits which was fun. 10/10 would could again for the Mazesoba read more

Taishoken - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Their new location in Milpitas is just as good as the amazing San Mateo location. Their signature Tokusei Tsukemen(dipping noodles) and Tokusei Ramen are amazing and must-try for every Ramen lover. I tried Tori Chintan for the first time. The soup was so beautiful and incredibly flavorful! I have never had such a high quality Japanese food ever in Bay Area. I also like their friendly staffs and clean dining spaces. The wait was an a hour on Sunday at 12:00 so I recommend to join the waitlist online through yelp. read more

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Order soupless ramen I would like trade egg yolk to the egg instead b/c worry about uncook egg yolk but too late A dip ramen is kind of salty The other one is so cold hahaaaa not hot at all so green onion seem uncook i hate that read more

Taishoken - Party ò 3 A dip ramen Soupless And tokasei - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

Ordered the Tokusei Tsukemen. Would give it a 7.5/10, the flavor for the dipping sauce was savory and rich. The noodles also had a good chew to them. The broth poured at the end to mix with sauce was what threw me off. It was more sweet than anything else and it threw off the original flavor of the dipping sauce to me. It may be tailored to a more western audience but it isn't for me. read more

Taishoken - Ramen Near Me - Milpitas, California

Raman tastes great! And also love their calamari. Service was also great. Would go back again. read more