Kiri Tsukemen - Some of the Best Tsukemen Noodles and Broth in Bangkok
Kiri Tsukemen might just be my favorite place to get a big bowl of dipping ramen
Tsukemen recently made its way into Bangkok and one day my partner suggested we try the newly opened Kiri Tsukemen, little did I know it might be one of, if not, the best Tsukemen I’ve had in Bangkok. Coincidentally, the restaurant with the best Udon I’ve ever had, Tsuru Udon, is located literally right next door (I have a sneaking suspicion they have the same owner).
Tsukemen is not something I eat often, to be honest, I prefer normal Ramen or Udon or even Mazesoba. Despite that, if you put a bowl of Tsukemen in front of me, I wouldn’t mind and I’ll happily finish the whole bowl.
What is Tsukemen Exactly?
Look at that glistening bamboo shoot and the marble on that pork!
Tsukemen is a Japanese dish that translates to “dipping noodles” and that’s exactly what they are, a bowl of thick and chewy noodles with toppings like sliced chashu pork (Japanese simmered pork belly), pickled bamboo shoots, and an oozy soy sauce marinated egg (ajitama). The noodles are first boiled and blanched in water, then served in a separate bowl with the toppings. The noodles are also different to your regular ramen noodles, these are thicker and chewier, but not as thick as an udon noodle. The noodles and toppings are served chilled.
You can’t have dipping noodles without something to dip them into, the Tsukemen broth is similar to regular ramen broth only in this case it is more intense in flavor and richness to accommodate the noodles. In fact, the broth is more like a gravy or sauce rather than soup. The soup is served hot.
Related: Zhang La Mian - Spicy Tender Stewed Beef Noodle Soup
Another similar dish you might have heard of is Soba, the difference here is that Soba is all about the buckwheat soba noodles which is different from ramen noodles made from wheat, flour, and salt. In soba the dipping soup is more like a sauce rather than a soup, and it is served cold or chilled.
How to Eat
Generally you just follow intuition and dip the noodles and toppings into your soup and then slurp it all down. However some restaurants do it differently, adding in additional steps to make the dining experience more enjoyable.
Kiri Tsukemen have their own methodology on how to tackle their bowl of noodles. You order will come with a side of clear broth and a lime wedge. The steps to eating goes like this:
Dip your noodles into your soup and eat
If the soup is too strong add some clear broth to dilute the flavor to your liking
You can eat the toppings by themselves or dipped into the broth
When you are halfway through our noodles, squeeze some lime onto your noodles to brighten the flavor and add a refreshingly citrusy kick.
Enjoy the rest of your meal.
Kiri Tsukemen Menu
The menu might be small but it is focused
The menu at Kiri’s is small but concise with a type of tsukemen for every taste bud. The dishes only differ in broth, you will get the same bowl of noodles and toppings with each order, in addtion you’ll get the choice of a firm or chewy noodle.
The Tsukemen items are:
Kiri - Their signature broth
Kara - A spicy broth for spice lovers
Seabura - A fattier broth made with pork fat
Toripaitan - A thick and creamy chicken broth
Yuzu Shio - A light citrusy yuzu and salt broth
There are items other than Tsukemen as well:
White Rice - A bowl of rice to add to your broth when you finish your noodles
Hanpen Ebi Harumaki - A creamy fish and shrimp fried spring roll
Hiyashichuka - Ramen served in a light cold broth
You can even order extra noodles.
Pricing
The price is a bit high but not too expensive coming in at 350 THB (or 10.00 USD) per bowl, this is slightly more expensive compared to other places that serve the same dish but I’d say this is worth it
Seabura Tsukemen
The portions are big, but if you are still hungry you can also order more noodles
I ordered the Seabura, the fatty pork broth. When the tray first came out I was surprised that the soup was sitting in a sizzling hot bowl. It was literally bubbling!
The accompanying bowl of noodles was also a great size, it comes with a big handful, ok maybe more than just a handful, of thick and chewy noodles, 2 slices of pork, a few pickled bamboo shoots, an Ajitama egg, and a few sheets of seaweed.
Some extras that this order comes with is a little plate of crushed garlic to add to your broth, a lime wedge, and the plain broth that I mentioned previously.
The Strong Rich Broth
Nothing says “I’m fat and rich” than having pieces of tender pork belly stewing away in the broth
The broth, oh my, the broth.
The broth was thick, rich, and felt a little creamy in texture due to all of the pork fat that has rendered and melted into the broth. and It’s not just plain broth either, there are slices of green onion and pork belly. The pork belly pieces was so tender and falls apart once your start to chew.
Related: Yuzu Ramen - Siam Square’s Tonkotsu Broth With A Citrusy Twist
The flavor of the broth was intense, a thin film of decadent pork oil floats atop a deep and enriching pork broth. It’s salty, umami, and full of porky deliciousness. And if you choose to add in the additional crushed garlic like I did, then you’re in for a full flavor explosion.
The Oozing Ajimata
The Ajimata egg was chilled and so the yolk inside was a sort of rich jam-like texture, putting that onto your spoon and dunking it into the soup, oh my, what a perfect bite. Absolutely delicious.
The Thick and Chewy Noodles
Despite being thick, the noodles do a good job of holding the soup
Tsukemen noodles aren’t the same as your typical ramen noodles, you probably get the idea by now, the noodles are thicker and chewier and that really adds a whole new dimension to the eating experience. Dipped into the broth it does well to hold all of the fatty goodness.
Halfway through your meal, you are suppose to squeeze a bit of lime juice onto your noodles to brighten it up, and that process really does help to cut through the oil and fat.
I think it might just be me and my bias, but I love thick and chewy noodles, that’s also the reason why I like Udon so much.
Pickled Bamboo Shoots
The pickled bamboo shoots helps to cut through the fat, the taste was mild by enjoyable, it also had this pleasant initial crunch that then turns into a softer chew. You can eat it on the side like pickles or you can dip it into your broth.
Kara Tsukemen
You get the same noodles and topping with every order
My partner ordered the Kara Tsukemen, the spicier version of the regular pork broth. This order comes with the same accoutrements that the Seabura had, crushed garlic, lime wedge, and plain broth.
The Smoked Fatty Ham that wasn’t Chashu
I forgot to mention that the pork that they give you is unlike chashu at all, it’s more like a smoked fatty ham which was really unique. It goes well with the dish as the ham tasted rich due to the marbling and you can also taste the smokeyness, it was also salty and very meaty, the ham adds a nice salty and savory touch to the dish.
The Flaming Hot Spicy Broth
Look at the spice just caked on top of that sizzling broth!
I only tasted a little bit of the broth but it was pretty spicy, not too spicy however. The broth comes with the same pieces of pork belly and green onions to add a bit more depth to the soup.
Hanpen Ebi Harumaki
So small and dainty
Being the only side dish on the menu (not counting the rice), I was intrigued and wanted to try the Hanpen Ebi Harumaki.
Honestly I was disappointed when the plate came out as the portion was really small, just one spring roll cut in half, and not even a big spring roll at that. It’s served with a shiso leaf, some salt, and this fruity jam that was quite strange but interesting.
The spring rolls themselves were crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside, which was a huge surprise as the menu listing didn’t mention anything about creaminess, I think the filling was a mixture of shrimp, fish, cream, and potatoes.
The taste was mild and a rich from the cream filling, dipped into the salt it added another dimension of flavor, dipped into the jam it made it sweet and almost dessert like. I prefer to dip it in the salt, as I’m not a huge fan of sweetness with my savory.
Conclusion
Pros
Rich and creamy broth with strong flavors and pieces of tender pork belly.
A large portion of noodles, with the choice to order extra.
The chashu or smoked ham was a pleasantly unique addition to the Tsukemen.
Staff was friendly and the service was relatively quick.
Cons
The Ebi Harumaki is too creamy and rich, you can’t really taste the shrimp or fish filling.
Price can be a bit too expensive
Overall I recommend you check out Kiri Tsukemen as they serve a damn good bowl of Tsukemen dipping noodles. You’ll find plenty to enjoy such as intensely flavorful and rich broth as well as the big portion of noodles. The pork is also something unique that you won’t find at any other place.
A downside for me is that there wasn’t a lot of side dishes and the one that was there was average and quite small for the price. The overall pricing is a bit high as well, this is not something you’ll want to eat everyday or every week if you are saving money.
Kiri Tsukemen | 8 / 10
Phone: +66 065 295 8989
Location: 64 Thong Lo Rd, Thonglor, Watthana, Bangkok 10110
Opening Hours: 11AM - 3PM and 5PM - 9PM || Mon - Sun
Pricing: 350 THB per bowl (or 10.00 USD) || $$
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