Golden Tiger / ゴールデンタイガー - Kumagaya

Golden Tiger is a tsukemen ramen specialty shop near Kumagaya station in Saitama. Opened in 2018, they have gained a widespread reputation for their incredible noodles, which draws people from all around.

*Large menu at Golden Tiger in Kumagaya with 4 main ramen dishes.*

Their noodles are so good that people even skip on the soup and go for their famous “TKM” Tamagokakemen, which is a simple bowl with noodles, some seasoning and a raw egg on top. But whatever you personally like, the extensive menu at Golden Tiger will most likely have something in store for you that makes it worth to travel all the way to Saitama.

*Super rich and fatty tonkotsu tsukemen with lots of seabura pork back fat.*

In the video you can see three different menu items, which all have their fans. The first, and arguably their main item, is a heavy tonkotsu based tsukemen, which is offered in a light and rich version. The main difference is the addition of lots of pork back fat to the rich version.

*The “TKM” Tamagokakemen at Golden Tiger. The noodles sit on top of a tare seasoning sauce.*

The next item is the aforementioned tamagokakemen, which is a version of the famous “TKG” tamagokakegohan, a simple dish that can be as trivial as rice, some soy sauce and a raw egg on top.

*The Tomato Tsukemen at Golden Tiger, tonkotsu meets gazpacho.*

Next up is their tomato tsukemen, which lands flavor wise somewhere between a rich tonkotsu and a gazpacho. Super interesting and probably the best tomato ramen I have ever tried. If you’re a big fan of tomato flavored stuff, don’t hesitate to give this one a try.

*Long waiting times are to be expected at Golden Tiger in Saitama.*

Even though you wouldn’t expect long lines at ramen shops in Saitama, be warned that your visit to Golden Tiger will most likely include a 1 to 2 hour waiting time, until you get your hands on your bowl or bowls or ramen. Personally, it’s probably one of the most interesting bowls I had in 2022 and I can easily recommend giving this one a try.

Thanks to Cody from Ramenguidejapan.com for introducing me to this great shop.