Mutekiya

Googled for late night ramen and this turned up. Closes at 4am in the morning, so this is as late as it gets. There were 4 couples before us when we arrived, and we waited about 15 mins for our turn. English menu was provided for foreigners. Order is taken while you are at the Q then you are whisked inside to counter seats where you can order beer or Coke. You can also order fresh garlic which will be served with a garlic press for you to crush it yourself and into the soup. It seems there are 3 main soup flavours, the regular soup, the thicker fatter version and the crab miso version. There is also some dry ramen version which looks really interesting with raw yolk. The soup was savoury and not as salty as it looks, i ordered the thicker soup while my wife order the regular. The thicker soup was fattier and much more savoury without being saltier. Noodles are the thick type, and the pork is thick and tender. What i especially liked were the bamboo shoots. It tasted slightly sweet with a soft crunch, unlike in other ramen shops. It is also one of the rare ramen shops that serve green leafy vegetables in the soup. And of course their famous printed nori. Shop is small and space is tight, with many dinning etiquettes displayed in English at the entrance. Service was fast and efficient but staff looked tired and unsmiling. Toilet is very small but clean.

The Chashu at Menya Mutekiya isn't sliced, it's served in thick chunks—and the seaweed even has printing on it, so cool! The broth is super rich with a hint of crab flavor, while the noodles are soft yet chewy. The Chashu is well-marinated; the lean parts are a bit firm, similar to the braised pork at Taiwanese banquets, but the fatty bits are where the real magic is. The shop is small, but they’ve maximized every inch without feeling cramped. Everyone just eats in peace. They have every seasoning you could want. The line never ends—it’s so popular! To see the "finish" message at the bottom of the bowl, I pushed through to the last drop. It felt like a manly pact between the chef and the diner: just big bites of meat and hearty gulps of soup.

Small ramen but delicious ramen shop. Ramen broth is thick and flavorful. Ask for garlic or onions for additional topping to enhance the flavor. A bit of queueing is expected due to small dining space (roughly 15-20 pax). Thus, it's widely expected that people would leave the table once done eating. Otherwise, others would have to wait outside until enough empty seats are allocated.

Was here 2023, and come back 2026, Jan. Never fail. Worth of queue. We were waiting for 1 hrs, came 9PM eat 10.10PM, but their ramen is the best

I went on a solo trip to Japan in April 2026 and a friend recommended that I try this ramen shop, saying that it was the best he had ever had. I visited on 19/4 and had a really good experience. The shop is located not far from Ikebukuro Station, so it was quite easy to find. Although the queue was long, it moved at a reasonable pace and the process was well organized. The ramen was very tasty and enjoyable. The price was also reasonable for the quality. I would happily visit again on my next trip to Japan.