Menya Santa

Opened in July 2017, this is a renowned chicken paitan (toripaitan) tsukemen (dipping noodles) shop in Saiin, Kyoto. The owner, trained at the famous Kyoto ramen shop "Ginjo Ramen Kubota," leads the rich tsukemen scene in Kyoto as a highly skilled establishment, selected for Tabelog Ramen WEST Hyakumeiten (Top 100 Shops) 2025. The signature dish is tsukemen (regular 200g 1,100 yen / large 1,200 yen). The soup is an ultra-rich chicken paitan base, simmered with only chicken and water until it reaches a viscosity so thick a spoon can stand in it. While reminiscent of Tenkaippin's dorodoro (thick and gooey) soup, its balance is superb, allowing you to slurp it down smoothly without any unpleasant heaviness, delivering a direct burst of chicken umami. The noodles are homemade, free of additives other than kansui, made with domestic wheat and whole wheat flour, resulting in a firm, medium-thick texture. Designed to perfectly hold the rich soup, you can enjoy the wheat aroma and elasticity of the noodles on their own. Standard toppings include rare chicken breast chashu, menma, and a seasoned soft-boiled egg, also available as a half assortment (350 yen). For a flavor change, add an aromatic kick with the original mayu (roasted garlic oil) available at the table. To finish, "oi-meshi" (last bite rice) is a regular choice for repeat customers: adding it to the remaining sauce allows it to soak up all the umami essence. Seasonal limited-time menus are also a big draw, frequently appearing. These include summer's cold tantan tsukemen (hiyashi tantan tsukemen) and cold tantan noodles (hiyashi tantanmen), hirauchi curry paitan mazesoba (flat noodle curry paitan mixed noodles) during the Kyoto Wheat Harvest Festival, Mao Zedong (juicy tantanmen with lots of spices), and tantan mazesoba (tantan mixed noodles), offering a new experience every time. The latest information is announced on the official X (@biri2everymen).