Title: "Ecstasy at a long-awaited authentic Jiro-style ramen shop" On October 1st, Tokyo Citizen's Day, my wrestler friend and I decided to explore various facilities in Tokyo that were offering free admission. We started our day by visiting the former Iwasaki Residence garden and Ueno Zoo, and for lunch, we searched for a Jiro-style ramen shop in the Ueno area and came across this one. Located along Chuo Street, it was easy to find, and since my friend is a fan of Butayama, we decided to give it a try. We arrived at the shop at 11:42 am on a Saturday and found it to be full, with a waiting list of 4 people. The staff, two young men who appeared to be of Southeast Asian descent, were able to communicate in Japanese without any issues and provided good service. We purchased our meal tickets from the ticket machine. Our order was: Small Ramen (250g noodles, 2 slices of chashu): 830 yen With free topping of the day, which was white sesame. Our food arrived in just 14 minutes after entering the shop, which was quite fast for a Jiro-style ramen shop. I would give it a rating of 10 out of 10. Soup: 9 points The soup was quite aggressive with a strong umami flavor. The broth was rich and flavorful, and the back fat was a thick, liquid-like mass that was generously added. The seasoning was on the salty side, but it had a truly authentic taste typical of Jiro-style ramen. It was delicious. Noodles: 9 points The small ramen came with 250g of noodles, which were thick, flat noodles with a chewy texture. The noodles were strong enough to hold up to the boldness of the soup, and they were also delicious. Toppings: 10 points The toppings included bean sprouts, cabbage, minced garlic, back fat, white sesame (the topping of the day), and 2 slices of chashu. The vegetables were cooked to a soft texture, with a high ratio of cabbage. The minced garlic was plentiful and had a large, chunky texture. The white sesame added a nice crunchy texture and a flavorful touch. The chashu slices were incredibly thick, about 3cm, yet they were juicy and tender without any dryness. One slice of chashu was equivalent to the amount of chashu in a regular ramen shop's chashu ramen. It was almost like having double chashu ramen. Overall rating: 9.5 points This Jiro-style ramen shop had a destructive power that could rival the original. The strength of the seasoning, the richness of the fat, the thick and gooey mouthfeel all reached the level of the original shop. It was a challenge to finish the whole bowl, and I couldn't drink all the soup. I would definitely like to visit this shop again. (2022.10.1)

Celebrating a holiday at 12:30 with 3 friends, we tried Jiro-style ramen for the first time. We ordered the Mini Ramen with extra Chashu, Ajitama, black oolong tea with garlic, light on vegetables and light on oil. The first bite was delicious - the Chashu was flavorful and satisfying. The soy sauce soup and garlic created a tasty harmony. However, halfway through, a heavy atmosphere set in, making us crave more vegetables even though we had ordered fewer. Upon investigation, we realized that the noodles were too salty, hence the desire for more vegetables to balance it out. The Ajitama was also salty. Next time, we'll try ordering a regular amount of vegetables. Maybe in about a year (laughs). But overall, it was delicious.

Tonkotsu-yama can be found in various places, but this shop is known for their meticulous work. Whether it's the char siu or the arrangement of vegetables, everything is done with care. The customer service is also polite. The taste is delicious. They even provide paper aprons. The interior of the shop is well-maintained and gives a good impression. Today's magic words are extra vegetables and garlic.

I arrived at the store at the opening time of 11 o'clock. There were 9 people in line, and I was right in the middle as the 5th person. I ordered a small ramen and took the 5th seat at the counter. Last time, I felt a little discomfort and extremely full with the strong flavor and vegetables, so this time I asked for extra garlic and oil. I got carried away with the extra garlic, so it was a bit tough towards the end. However, I enjoyed the meal, finished it faster than anyone else, and left the store quickly. I often surprise people by eating ramen quickly anywhere, but I guess I'm getting used to eating Jiro-style ramen quickly. Next time, I plan to order with extra garlic and oil again. I will visit again. Thank you for the meal~

To Mr. Butayama, whom I have visited many times. I usually order the "Small Buta Soupless Ramen" for 1,150 yen. It's a mild and easy-to-eat Jiro-style ramen with a consistent taste. This time, the female staff member was particularly beautiful, which added to the enjoyment of the meal. I enjoyed it very much. Oink.

When I go to this restaurant, I usually go with people who have been transferred to Kansai. This time, I decided to go in between a day trip to Tokyo. Despite others saying there are tastier Jiro-style ramen places, I stick to this restaurant. On Monday at 1 PM, there were 4 people waiting inside the restaurant. Ueno has too many foreign visitors. As expected, there were 8 foreign customers in the restaurant who seemed to have come without knowing anything about it. There seemed to be a manager who was very friendly and energetic, which was nice. Even though I had overeaten Genghis Khan yesterday and my stomach was full, I ended up ordering a double pork ramen. My stomach was quite tight. It was delicious, but not mind-blowing. I feel like the chilled ramen at other branches is more distinctive. I can't quite explain the difference. My senior colleague seemed satisfied as he finished his ramen in this hot weather.

It had been a while since my last visit, and I was lucky to get a seat during lunchtime, although it quickly became full. I ordered a small ramen with extra vegetables, mainly bean sprouts, for that extra crunch. The flavor of the broth soaked into the flat noodles as I slurped them up eagerly. Even though I had to skip the garlic this time due to other plans, I couldn't help but crave it. The pork was especially delicious today, and the staff were friendly and provided excellent service. They were accommodating and helpful, making it a welcoming experience even for beginners. Overall, it was very delicious.

I entered the restaurant at 11:50 am on a Thursday, towards the end of the Obon holiday season. The counter was full, but there were only two people ahead of me, so I was able to sit down quickly. I ordered a small ramen with garlic, vegetables, and extra pork fat. I had done some research on Jiro-style ramen beforehand, and was recommended the Butayama for beginners. The staff's polite service made me feel at ease. The ramen had generous portions of tender roasted pork and thick noodles, exceeding my expectations. I look forward to trying it with extra fat next time. I will definitely visit again.

I was feeling exhausted from the excessive heat every day, so I decided to visit Tonkoyama, a place I don't usually go to, to boost my energy. They have a mini ramen with 150g of noodles, which is perfect for me. I ordered the mini ramen with extra vegetables! There were so many vegetables that it took a while to reach the noodles. The chashu here is softer and more delicious than before! The fewer noodles are also flat and chewy, making them tasty! Since it looks like the hot days will continue, I will definitely come back again.

Lunchtime visit. Arrived around 11:30 and it was already full! Ordered the garlic and oil small pork ramen. Surprisingly, it wasn't too heavy and was easy to eat. The meat was tender and really delicious. The portion was said to be on the smaller side for a Jiro-inspired ramen.

First visit. Visited around 1 pm on Sunday, had to wait for 7 people ahead. Paid 1,100 yen for a small pork ramen. The noodles were thick and matched well with the soup, which was delicious. I tried the popular chashu and it was indeed tasty with a generous portion. There were a lot of vegetables too, and I ended up feeling full and had to leave some. Maybe I'll ask for fewer vegetables next time. I found a place that I want to visit again.

On my 8th visit to Butayama-san, I tried their limited-time cold noodles and curry pork dishes. The cold noodles can be substituted for an extra 150 yen. I chose the garlic oil broth, and it was delicious with plenty of garlic mayo and cabbage on top of bean sprouts. The curry pork dish available only on the 29th was a steal at just 100 yen, with tender pork and well-seasoned curry. It was a satisfying meal!

Visited Tonkayama Ueno store. Waited outside and was the third in line. Soon after, entered the store. Purchased a ramen large size (1000 yen) with a tsukemen exchange ticket (100 yen) at the ticket machine. It seems that even at Tonkayama, the price for a large ramen has increased to 1000 yen. I wonder if the wave of price increases will ever stop. While thinking about that, it was time for my order. Asked for vegetables, garlic oil, and red pickled ginger. First, had the vegetables. They were well-boiled and tender, with a good flavor from the soup. Very delicious. Then, had the pork. It was soft, flavorful, and delicious. I saved the red pickled ginger for the noodles. Next, had the noodles. I could taste the wheat and they were slightly flat, allowing the soup to cling to them. Still delicious. Among Tonkayama's menu, I like the tsukemen the most. I wish they would offer it year-round. Finished everything. It would be nice if they offered soup refills. Thank you for the meal!!

The large ramen (950 yen) was changed to tsukemen (+100 yen) with garlic, less vegetables, and extra fat. The soup was too salty (；＿；) I was expecting it to be good because the regular ramen is delicious, but it was just too salty and I couldn't taste anything else. It felt like something was too salty... Maybe it's because it's tsukemen?? Or was it just this time?? The staff were very nice! They kindly explained to a customer who didn't understand the menu.

I went to Ramen Butsuyama in Okachimachi and ordered a large ramen with chilled Chinese noodles. I had planned to go when they started serving chilled Chinese noodles in June, so I finally made it. I selected the large ramen and chilled Chinese noodles on the ticket machine. For the chilled noodles, I requested ginger mayonnaise, garlic, vegetables, oil, and spicy sesame topping when I handed in the ticket. Instead of boiled cabbage, they serve shredded cabbage with the chilled noodles, so you actually get to eat some vegetables. The ginger mayonnaise makes it taste like a mayo-based dressing, which goes well with the shredded cabbage and chilled boiled bean sprouts, as well as the ice-cold noodles. During the period when they serve chilled noodles, Ramen Butsuyama is definitely the go-to choice.

Arrived around 7:50 PM on a rainy weekday. There were 3 groups ahead of me. Waited outside for about 5 minutes before being seated inside. Purchased a ticket from the ticket machine and those who had the app downloaded scanned their stamp here. Then waited for about 5 more minutes before being seated. The staff handed me the ticket before seating. If you want to change the firmness of the noodles, you can do so at this point! I also ordered mine firm. Just before sitting down, I got water from the water dispenser and then was seated. After waiting for a while, the food arrived. Just before the food arrived, the staff asked, "Would you like garlic?" So I followed the seating guide for free toppings (garlic, vegetables, and extra oil) and requested the flavor intensity. I ordered the Double Pork Ramen for 1200 yen (firm noodles, no garlic, with extra garlic, vegetables, and oil, extra flavor). First, I mixed the generous amount of bean sprouts and vegetables with the top oil and the table seasoning sauce to enjoy! The crunchy vegetables softened nicely when mixed with the sauce, making it easy to eat. As expected from a place called "Pork Mountain," the flavored oil was rich and added a nice accent, and before I knew it, the noodles were visible. The noodles were slightly curly thick noodles that were easy to slurp even for a Jiro beginner. I think firm noodles go well with Jiro-style ramen, so ordering them firm was a great choice for me! The soup was flavorful enough to be drinkable even though it was a soy sauce base, but for those used to the original Jiro, it might seem a bit light. The taste was very delicious, with the same pork umami-infused soy sauce base as the original Jiro. I mixed the rice, raw egg, and seasoning sauce and left it aside, then added it into the soup with the pork. The combination of the soy sauce-based soup and rice was still amazing! The restaurant's pride, the pork, was not the typical small-sized uninspiring kind, but a large, tender, and fatty pork which I, as a fan of fatty pork, found to be heavenly. By the time I finished eating and the rice had absorbed the soup nicely, I had finished the whole bowl! I placed the empty bowl on the counter, wiped the table with a duster, thanked the staff, and left. The taste was mild, the portion was smaller, and the noodles were easy to slurp. The staff's service was polite and cheerful. Overall, it was a recommended Jiro-inspired restaurant for Jiro beginners!

I ordered a small ramen for 850 yen at a touch panel ticket machine around 11:30 on a regular day. I asked for garlic to be light, with extra vegetables, fatty oil, and thick soy sauce. The machine provides detailed instructions on how to order, making it easy for customers unfamiliar with Jiro-style ramen to place their order. The vegetables are crunchy and have no seasoning, so I used the flavored oil and table seasoning to enhance the taste. The pork slices are large, so they go well with the vegetables. The noodles are thin and flat, more on the softer side, with a strong wheat smell. The soup is a type where the seasoning is more prominent than the pork bone broth.

Whenever I come to this restaurant, it's a tradition to come with my senior who was transferred to Kansai and has now returned. I always mention that there are other delicious Jiro-style ramen places, but it seems like this one is their favorite. This restaurant apparently started serving chilled noodles from June, which can be changed for an extra 150 yen. They also have garlic mayonnaise. I ordered with garlic, extra fat, and caramel. The noodles were cold and delicious, but the garlic was unexpectedly spicy. Maybe just the garlic mayo would have been better. My senior seemed very satisfied with their ramen.

Garlic is used sparingly, with plenty of oil and chewy curly egg noodles, seasoned well for those looking for a hearty meal (similar to the original Jiro). The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is welcoming, making it a good choice for beginners to the Jiro style.

Visited with my wife. Arrived after 7 pm on a weekday and the place was packed. About 4 people in line. Waited for about 15 minutes before being seated. Tried a Jiro-style ramen place that I don't usually go to. Ordered a small ramen. Asked if I wanted garlic, nervously said yes. The soup was creamy and flavorful, with thick noodles. And the chashu was amazing. Surprisingly light and easy to eat. My wife ordered a mini ramen and finished it quickly.

For those who are not used to it, ordering at Jiro-style ramen can be difficult. But don't worry, there are instructions on the wall to help you out. First, buy a meal ticket and hand it to the staff. Then, specify the firmness of the noodles. Remember, you can't order extra vegetables or toppings at this point. After you sit down and wait for the noodles to cook, you can order extras like extra vegetables. When asked about garlic, choose from options like no garlic, a little garlic, regular garlic, or extra garlic. Be careful not to say "none" instead of "no garlic." Then, you can customize your order with options like extra vegetables, extra lard, or adjusting the flavor. I was tempted to go for extra garlic, but I played it safe and chose extra vegetables. The ramen was salty, but adding extra vegetables balanced out the flavors nicely. Despite some reviews mentioning a strong bean sprout smell, I didn't notice it. I left feeling satisfied, mainly thanks to the bean sprouts. The restaurant was busy when I arrived, so it's definitely popular.