Ramen Jiro Kameido Branch

My interest in Ramen Jiro Kameido Branch, a popular Jiro-style ramen shop at Tokyo’s easternmost edge, began two years ago when I wrote an article about Ramen Jiro Kanda Jimbocho Branch. A tweet the Kameido owner posted on X (formerly Twitter) about the Kanda Jimbocho Branch left a strong impression on me. Since then, I’ve kept an eye on Kameido Branch whenever it became a topic in online news. Even when it occasionally sparked controversy on social media, I was impressed by how skillfully they managed their communications.

With that background, I thought, “If I get the chance, I should visit…” and finally made it to Ramen Jiro Kameido Branch during a recent business trip to Tokyo. But actually going there, I realized this shop seems a bit different from other Jiro-style ramen places…

Extra toppings are not available… Here’s an explanation of Ramen Jiro Kameido Branch’s unique rules, including how to order and queue.

I arrived at Ramen Jiro Kameido Branch just past 12:30 pm on a weekday. It felt a bit… no, quite off, but there was no line forming in front of the shop. Maybe it was because it was broad daylight on a weekday and everyone had already headed into the city center from Kameido, but this was quite unexpected. This was the first time in my experience at Jiro that I could walk right in without waiting.

However, it seems this shop has a rule where, when full, you start lining up in the empty space inside. The compact interior has 12 counter seats, and behind them is a small area where about 4-5 people can wait. While I was eating my ramen, about four people were waiting in that space. Once that fills up, you have to line up outside. In that case, it seems the line forms away from the national highway in front of the shop.

Also, while you’re waiting inside, a staff member will call out, “Please show your meal ticket.” At this time, show your ticket and also request any preferences for noodle portion size or cooking firmness. Incidentally, when I visited, a young female staff member was handling the cooking. This was also my first time experiencing a female staff member preparing Jiro-style ramen. It shows how Ramen Jiro is gaining popularity even among women, which personally makes me quite happy.

Finally, one disappointing note for big-eating guys. Take a look at the image below…

Surprisingly, at Ramen Jiro Kameido Branch, toppings cannot be ordered extra (the timing for requesting them is the same as other branches). This is a significant blow. This means you can’t order the kind of ramen piled high with vegetables, like the ones big eaters show in their YouTube videos, at this location. Given the current high cost of living and the need to prevent food waste, it’s understandable. Still, considering how thoroughly they explain the ordering process – which many find intimidating – this shop seems very beginner-friendly for those new to Jiro-style ramen. If you’re thinking, “It’s my first time, I’m nervous…”, don’t hesitate. Just dive right in with confidence!

Although toppings can’t be piled extra high, it’s still on the larger side for a Jiro-style ramen… How was the ramen at Ramen Jiro Kameido Branch?

So, let me introduce the ramen I ordered that day at Ramen Jiro Kameido Branch (with one slice of pork, priced at 1000 yen including tax). You can add up to four extra slices of pork (chashu) as an option (100 yen per slice), bringing the total bill to 1400 yen…

After waiting about 10 minutes after ordering, the ramen with 4 extra slices of pork arrived looking like this. I also went with my usual call of “garlic and extra veggies.” But seeing it arrive was a shock. A dome-shaped mountain of vegetables piled high over the rim of the bowl… It had the kind of volume you’d get with “extra extra veggies” at other Jiro shops.

Now, facing this incredibly voluminous bowl of ramen, I pondered where to start… After a moment’s thought, I decided to tackle one pork slice first. Just looking at it, you instantly think, “This is Jiro pork!” It has that signature Jiro look. The pork has less fat and a dense, packed texture. If I could eat all five slices, the 400 yen extra fee wouldn’t feel like a waste at all.

After eating one slice of pork and pulling out some noodles from the space it created, I slurped them up. Among all the Jiro-inspired places I’ve visited, these noodles had the softest texture I’ve encountered. They weren’t quite as soft as the completely mushy noodles you find at Osaka’s Jiro-inspired spots Ramen Kudo, but they had a nice chewy texture. This provided a pleasant contrast to the crisp bite of the vegetables. I didn’t request a specific noodle amount this time, but it felt like a slightly larger portion. While the shop doesn’t publicly state the noodle weight, it’s said to be 300-350g by default. If you get full easily with standard portions at other Jiro or Jiro-inspired shops, I recommend ordering “less noodles” or “half noodles”.

he soup was non-emulsified like this. The pork flavor was subdued, but the soy sauce was incredibly sharp and clean. For a Jiro-style soup, it feels quite stylish. That said, there’s a thick layer of oil on the surface, so I imagine the calorie count is still insane. It’s a soup you can slurp down easily, but be careful not to drink too much.

Photography is prohibited except for the ramen itself, so I didn’t take pictures, but on the table were black pepper, ichimi chili pepper, and ground sansho pepper for adjusting the soup’s flavor. This was also my first time seeing ground sansho at a Jiro shop. I never imagined I’d see ground sansho pepper at a Ramen Jiro in Tokyo. And wow, this ground sansho goes incredibly well with this soup. If it works with Jiro’s soup, personally, I feel like the combination of ground sansho and ramen has infinite potential. If you’re not averse to sansho, definitely give it a try at Ramen Jiro Kameido Branch!

The store offers its signature dry noodles with a unique flavor… Access to Ramen Jiro Kameido Branch is an 8-minute walk from Kameido Station on the JR Sobu Line.

At Ramen Jiro Kameido Branch, you can enjoy their dry noodles, highly regarded even among Jiro enthusiasts (price: ramen cost + ¥150). Since the owner originally trained at Yokohama Kannai Branch, the originator of Jiro-style dry noodles, offering them here feels like a natural progression. However, it seems you can enjoy a clam broth soup dilution at the end here. When I previously had the dry noodles at Ramen Jiro Yokohama Kannai Branch, I don’t recall a soup dilution being offered… So, this dry noodle dish, promising an original flavor, is definitely worth checking out!

Now, here are the shop details…

P.S. If you are looking for delicious ramens in Tokyo, please stop by this article below…