Ramen Benkei Asakusa
らーめん弁慶 浅草本店
Overview
"Ramen Benkei Asakusa Honten" is an established restaurant specializing in the "seabura chatcha-kei" (a style of ramen with pork back fat sprinkled into the soup) located a 6-7 minute walk from Asakusa Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, behind Kaminarimon Gate. Its most distinguishing feature is its nearly 24-hour operation, divided into two shifts: 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 10:00 AM to 4:00 AM the next day, making it a rare and popular spot that caters to late-night, early-morning, and "shime ramen" (finishing ramen after drinks) needs in the Asakusa area. The signature dishes are three types of ramen (soy sauce, salt, and miso) generously coated with pork back fat, priced around 1000 yen for a regular size. The soup combines an animal-based broth with rich soy sauce, salt, or miso, resulting in a hearty preparation with the sweetness and richness of the pork back fat (seabura) covering the surface. The amount of pork back fat (seabura) can be adjusted for free, choosing between "normal" and "Gita" (extra). Opting for "Gita" means additional pork back fat is sprinkled right before serving, visually characterized by the soup surface turning completely white. The medium-thick, wavy noodles have a firm texture that stands up well to the rich pork back fat soup, absorbing the soup and becoming even more substantial over time. Standard toppings include chashu (braised pork), green onions, and menma (bamboo shoots), with a generous "mountain" of bean sprouts (normally a 150 yen topping) available as a classic free addition. The chashu is thinly sliced, so tender it crumbles easily when picked up with chopsticks, and is well-seasoned. It's customary to customize the flavor by adding table condiments like spicy miso, grated garlic, doubanjiang (chili bean paste), and layu (chili oil). Set menus, such as half fried rice and half gyoza, are also available. Its flashy exterior, predominantly red and yellow, typical of a tourist area, serves as a landmark, and the interior is split across two floors. As an established shop specializing in the seabura chatcha-kei style, it continues to satisfy ramen fans seeking a robust and satisfying flavor (a "junk" punch) and those looking for a late-night "shime" ramen.
How to Order
1Before entering
A long-established chashu-style back fat ramen shop located 6-7 minutes walk from Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Asakusa Station, behind Kaminarimon. It operates in two shifts: 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 10:00 AM to 4:00 AM the next day, making it almost a 24-hour operation. It's a rare establishment that caters to late-night, early morning, and post-drinking ramen cravings. Weekday late nights and early mornings around 7 AM are times when you can enter without waiting outside. On the other hand, during weekday lunch hours (around noon) and weekend peaks, queues may extend outside. The interior is divided into two floors, 1F and 2F. The flashy red and yellow store facade is a landmark, typical of a tourist area.
2Purchasing meal tickets and ordering
There are ticket vending machines at both the 1F entrance and on the 2F. The system is to purchase a meal ticket from the vending machine before heading to your seat. During times when the 1F vending machine is crowded, staff may guide customers to the 2F vending machine. Adjustments such as requesting "gita (more back fat)", extra condiments, or bean sprout topping (150 yen) are communicated verbally to the staff when handing over your meal ticket. Payment is cash only; cards, electronic money, and QR code payments are not accepted.
3Seating and receiving
Seats are distributed across 1F and 2F, primarily around counters, and staff will guide you to an empty seat. Service takes about 5-10 minutes. When "gita (more back fat)" is requested, back fat is sprinkled again just before serving, creating a visually distinctive finish where the soup surface becomes completely white.
4Other
The main ramen types are Shoyu (soy sauce), Shio (salt), and Miso, with regular size ramen costing around 1000 yen. Chashu ramen is 1350-1400 yen, mini ramen (about 100 yen cheaper than regular), and sides like half fried rice and half gyoza are also available. The amount of back fat can be adjusted for free between normal and "gita (more back fat)". The bean sprout topping (150 yen) is served in a large mound. The tables are equipped with spicy miso, grated garlic, tobanjan (chili bean paste), and rayu (chili oil), making it common to enjoy flavor changes by dissolving them into the soup. While it's a "junk food" bowl combining rich back fat and strong soy sauce, it's not as heavy as it looks, and eating a large amount of bean sprouts soaked in the soup is a classic style.
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Seating
Tables seat up to ~4 people. Groups of 5+ will need multiple tables and may wait longer than usual.
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Voices
らーめん弁慶 浅草本店@浅草
— ラーだい (@ramen_daichiyan) October 25, 2025
らーめん ギタギタ
脂ギタギタな層にかなり覆われてるスープは、その脂の甘味が先行しつつ、出汁を多くすくうとカエシのパンチも楽しめる🥰
麺は、ポクポクっとした食感🎶
後半は、"ラーメンを食べる"で店主さんがオススメしていた卓上の自家製辣油をかけて…😋 pic.twitter.com/RhQLXCejMV
🍜117
— マルタイ🍜 (@ramen_moriya) May 25, 2024
堀切菖蒲園 らーめん弁慶 堀切店
らーめん
小ライス（ランチサービス）
仕事の休憩中に訪問☺️
老舗で1973年今から51年前オープン！
麺は浅草開化楼のもので中太麺でなかなか美味しい😊
スープはデフォでも背脂の量がさすがすぎる。
チャーシューは柔らかくうまー♪
ネギは良いアクセント😌 pic.twitter.com/kjYL3NJiRz
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Business Hours
Crowd Calendar
| Lunch | Afternoon | Dinner | Late night | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday | - | - | - | No waitRef. |
| Weekend | No waitRef. | - | - | Up to 15 minRef. |
* Dashed cells = reference data from past visit examples (replaced once enough reviews arrive)
Dietary Notes
No dietary data yet
This information is based on user reports and is not official information from the shop. Cross-contamination in the cooking environment cannot be guaranteed. If you have severe allergies, please confirm directly with the shop.
Animal-free menu available
Reports received (1)
No MSG
Reports received (1)
Gluten-free menu available
Reports received (1)
Halal options available
Reports received (1)
Dietary information is verified through blind consensus. Reports become public when 3 or more independent users agree.
Ingredients & Allergens
Allergen info coming soon
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