Recently, Tenjin Street in Kameido has started to feel like a ramen street! Among the many shops there, one that really stood out to me was Duramentei. Today, I’d like to introduce it to you. Duramentei is a small ramen shop with just a counter of about 8 seats, run by a chef who trained at Yakumo (八雲) in Ikejiri-Ohashi—a place I’ve always wanted to go but haven’t made it to yet.
The name “Duramentei” sounded familiar to me, and it turns out it’s inspired by the racehorse Duramente.
From the north exit of JR Kameido Station, walk straight down the main street and cross the pedestrian crosswalk at Tenjin Street. Turn left and keep walking straight. It’s located just before Sandaime Zenpei. Please check their social media for the latest business hours and holidays.
Here’s a look at the menu. The two main items are soy sauce-based ramen—one made with white soy sauce and the other with dark (black) soy sauce. There are also limited edition items. On the ticket machine, there were also buttons for niboshi (dried sardine) ramen and rich seafood ramen, though they were sold out at the time. It seems these are offered as limited specials, so I’d like to check out their X (Twitter) for updates and try them next time (I heard they had them from March 12–14). By the way, the ticket machine accepts the new Japanese yen bills!
This is the Pork Wonton Ramen (White). Both the white and black versions are priced at ¥1,150. It comes with four pork wontons, two slices of grilled roast pork, green onions, and bamboo shoots. First of all, it’s visually stunning—beautiful presentation. The soup is made with white soy sauce, giving it a clean and refreshing flavor.
And the wontons are silky smooth and full of meaty flavor—so good.
The noodles are thin and made with whole wheat flour. They have a great aroma and chewiness, pairing perfectly with the soup.
This one is the Pork & Shrimp Wonton Ramen (Black). Both white and black versions are ¥1,200. The shrimp wonton seems to be a bit more expensive, as the shrimp-only version is ¥1,250. Toppings and noodles are the same as the white version, except for the soup. At first, I wondered how different the white and black soups could be, but they turned out to be completely distinct. The black one uses barrel-aged dark soy sauce from Shodoshima, giving it a richer color and a deep, strong soy sauce flavor.
The shrimp wonton is plump and juicy. That said, I actually preferred the pork wonton—it might be their signature item. If I go again, I’d go with all pork wontons.
The black version tastes more like the typical soy sauce ramen most people imagine. The white one, made with white soy sauce, is closer to a shio ramen (salt-based) that you might find at other shops. If you’re planning to try both, I recommend eating the white one first, then the black.
This bottled beer is a small bottle, which is perfect for someone with a light appetite like me. It’s always served nicely chilled, and I really enjoy it every time. It pairs especially well with the Black ramen.
If you’ve got room in your stomach—or someone to share with—the otsumami chashu is also a great match with beer. Since it’s made from trimmings, it’s sometimes sold out, but just look at it. That meaty texture! Perfect with beer. It feels a bit different from the meat they use in the ramen, so I wonder what kind of trimmings they’re using… Maybe from the full Chashu Moriawase (chashu platter, ¥500)?
About
Name Duramentei
Open Lunch, Dinner
Reservation Unavailable
Credit card Unavailable
URL X (Twitter), Instagram
Google Map
