Men-ya Sanda

I had high hopes for this place based on the positive reviews, but it was a massive disappointment. First, the service was incredibly rude—the lady working was dismissive and completely ignored my request on the seating especially when the seats were all empty. To make matters worse, I found a piece of hair on my ramen bowl. It was completely unacceptable and instantly ruined my appetite. I won't be returning.

Menya Sanda is a small tsukemen shop in Kyoto’s Saiin area, a neighborhood that feels very local and not touristy. I ordered the tsukemen, and the broth was rich but well-balanced. It coats the noodles nicely without being too heavy. The noodles themselves were excellent—firm, chewy, and full of wheat flavor. One of the best parts was the soup split (wari) at the end. Adding hot broth transforms the dipping sauce into a lighter soup, and I could taste a subtle bonito flavor that added depth. The shop is small (counter seating only), so it can get busy during peak hours. Cash only, and English is limited, but ordering is simple. If you enjoy tsukemen and want a more local Kyoto experience, this place is definitely worth visiting.

This place is a religious experience. From me, this ramen shop was the highlight during my Kyoto stop. My brother got their their unique chicken tsukemen. While I got their cold tantan tsukemen. Each slurp was divine. In my Top Five Favorite Ramen Shops of All Time.

This chicken broth tsukemen (house signature dish) was spectacular; rich, creamy and full of flavour! Perfectly cooked soba noodles and egg. Worth getting on the bus to go there, you won’t regret it!

Curry tsukemen is really tough to find, so I went for it. Then I saw everybody ordering the tantanmen, so I decided to come back a second time. The tsukemen was good. The tantan mazesoba was 🤯🤯🤯. I got the "spicy" version (not that spicy tbh) that is topped with a fistful of magic that includes cumin, sansho flakes, and dried shrimp.