Thick, chewy noodles paired with a rich tonkotsu shoyu broth, topped with spinach—when it comes to that irresistible Iekei-style ramen, Paimen is the one that comes to mind.
Tapped my order into the ticket machine and went with the standard thick noodles. The portion is just right.
As always, the place was packed—I barely managed to grab a seat.
Iekei spots used to have that rough, hungry-guy vibe, but these days you’ll notice a lot more women in the crowd too.
I asked for the noodles on the firmer side.
After a short wait…
“Firm, thick noodles!”
And then, thud, the bowl lands in front of me.
Thick noodles.
That irresistible look, can’t help but swallow.
Plenty of spinach, sheets of nori that stay crisp even dipped in the broth, and beautifully pink-roasted chashu.
The classic Iekei lineup, absolutely hard to resist.
Compared to the original Iekei ramen, the pork bone flavor here is a bit lighter, with less of that strong, funky edge.
It’s the kind of broth that doesn’t leave you feeling overly thirsty, keeping a nice balance all the way to the last sip.
Feels like Iekei ramen is having a bit of a comeback lately.
Good meal.
Pai Men Nakameguro
1-30-6 Aobadai, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Castle Mansion Aobadai, 1F
Hours: 11:30 AM – 2:00 AM
https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1317/A131701/13003459