Taishoken - San Mateo

I wanted to give dipping ramen another shot and this place was nearby so here I am.I ordered the tokusei tsukemen and the karaage. The broth for the dipping noodles was rich and flavorful. It went well with the noodles. The kaarage was also pretty solid. The service here was decent and the food came out in a timely manner. Try it out if you like. :)

Came on a Wednesday during lunch time after visiting Top Golf. I thought it would be packed, but I was sweated right away. I had specifically chosen this restaurant because I've always wanted to try dipping ramen.I'm typically not a fan of normal ramen (not a huge fan of eggy noodles) and prefer udon for the thicker, chewier noodles. That said, the dipping ramen totally hit the spot. The noodles had the perfect amount of chew and the dipping broth was very rich and flavorful. It's a little more work to eat than normal ramen, but totally worth it. Each kind of ramen comes with the option to get just noodles or have all the toppings - I recommend getting all the toppings to have the full experience. We also got the spicy ramen and calamari. The calamari was yummy and came with delicious sauces. I would not mind coming back for my yearly ramen meal.

I came here on a friend's recommendation, and wow--this place did not disappoint! While their entire ramen selection looked great, I had to try their tsukemen (dipping ramen), and it was easily one of the best I've ever had.The noodles were thick, chewy, and perfectly cooked, holding up beautifully even after multiple dips into the rich, umami-packed broth. Speaking of the broth--it was incredible. Deep, flavorful, and just the right level of thickness to cling to the noodles without being overwhelming.Service was quick and friendly, and the atmosphere was cozy yet lively. If you're a ramen fan, do yourself a favor and try their tsukemen. You won't regret it!

i'm a really big fan of tsukemen, so i was really excited to try taishoken! it's a very popular restaurant, and the wait can get up to an hour at dinnertime. it's in a prime location though, and there's lots to see while you walk around and wait. parking can be difficult since the area is so busy, but there's a lot of street parking. service was very quick and efficient.hiyayakko (4/5): cold tofu with a tasty ponzu and chili oil sauce and dried fish on top, although parts of the tofu tasted a little bland. i liked the texture of the dish, with the soft tofu and the crunch of the fish. it was pre-cut, which made it easier to split and eatkaraage (5/5): crunchy and juicy with a standard mayo sauce, and the breading itself was seasoned well. although it wasn't special, it was cooked perfectly and i was most impressed by this dishniku spicy ramen (2/5): it had a slight kick but wasn't too spicy - it was just SUPER salty! the broth itself was thick and oily, and the noodles were thin and firm. the soft-boiled egg was cooked perfectly, but the chashu was overcooked and toughtokusei tsukemen (3/5): the broth was thick, rich, and meaty, but i could only dip part of the noodles in it because it was so salty. the chashu was tough, but the berkshire pork was really tender. i did like the soft-boiled egg and the chewy thick noodlesmy friends and i agreed that the the appetizers were the best part of our meal, just because our entrees were SO salty! i did enjoy the tsukemen better because i could control the amount of broth i dipped the noodles in, which made it less salty, and the berkshire pork that came with it was cooked better than the chashu. overall though, i was disappointed with our experience, and i don't think i would come back.

Been here a few times already and each time I get their soup-less ramen! I got the mazesoba and it was delicious! I love adding vinegar and extra spice.My bf got the dipping noodle, tokusei tsukemen. I preferred the one I got more as it was more flavorful.The takoyaki was good! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I also enjoyed the egg tartar they top it with.Service was quick and friendly and the place was nice and clean.Street or garage parking

Taishoken was one of the first places I had tsukemen when it first got popular in the bay years ago. And despite a rise in more locations serving tsukemen, I am glad to report that Taishoken has still remained one of my top places for tsukemen (the other being Shugetsu).Their tsukemen noodles are on the thicker side but has excellent texture and mouthfeel. The soup is on point and you can even add the soup broth to it if you want to drink it. If anyone wants to try a traditional tsukemen, would highly recommend this place!

The food is still good, and I think I like the ramen more than their signature dipping noodles. But I'm downgrading to 3 stars (which for me are good spots but not places I want to go to every month) because the price to tastiness and healthiness ratio is a little weaker than nearby offerings. No issues with service. Good vibes and pretty much always busy. Well lit.

Always a fantastic experience at Taishoken. Stopped by at 8:30PM on Saturday and it was still so lively. Quick wait of 15 min or so and we were quickly seated. We always order dipping noodles, ramen, and karaage to try a bit of everything. As usual food was pipping hot and super flavorful. Karaage was crunchy and juicy as always.Service was very nice, our waiter stopped by multiple times and asked what we thought. He gave great recommendations for our next visits as well. He also reminded us that our dipping noodles come with dashi at the end. It's a nice warm bowl of soup to close out a hearty meal.

Really yummy ramen for a great price! The inside is typical of many restaurants in the area, and it's very clean and modern, giving similar vibes to Marufuku. Service was quick and friendly. This wasn't the best ramen I've ever had but it was still very good.

The service is really good. The broth is not for me. Its creamy but too salty. Karage is OK.