Tsukemen is the ramen style served with noodles dipped into a concentrated soup rather than eaten in a single bowl of broth.
The name tsukemen means “dipping noodles” in Japanese. The noodles and dipping soup arrive separately, allowing diners to dip each portion just before eating. The noodles are commonly chilled or served at room temperature, while the soup is often hot and substantially richer and more intensely flavored than ordinary ramen broth.
The dish is closely associated with Kazuo Yamagishi, the owner of Tokyo’s Taishoken restaurant. In 1961, he introduced an early version called “special morisoba,” inspired by the idea of serving cold noodles with a dipping soup. Tsukemen later spread throughout Japan and internationally.
Tsukemen is sometimes confused with mazemen or abura soba, which are mixed noodle dishes with little or no separate soup. At the end of a meal, some restaurants add hot water to the remaining dipping soup so it can be enjoyed as a lighter broth.