ATXReview
photo credit: Mackenzie Smith Kelley
Ramen Tatsu-Ya East Austin
Included In
At the time of this writing, there are a little over one million people living in Austin. And when the temperatures drop below 75 degrees or the faintest hint of precipitation finds its way into the air, roughly 85% of that population finds its way to one of the four Ramen Tatsu-Ya locations in town. The inevitable line snaking around the building, plus a soundtrack that could only have been put together by a DJ-turned-ramen chef (true story), give it the feel of Austin’s most exclusive club, which really isn’t that much of a stretch. And while their continued expansion into different concepts and cities means they might not be able to show as much love to every bowl as they used to, they still hold a place in our hearts as one of the best and most iconic ramen shops in Austin.
photo credit: Mackenzie Smith Kelley
Look around and you’ll see exposed air ducts jutting out from layers of wood and hanging rope, with partially painted walls and unfinished particle board accents. The tables are long and shared, with stools that feel like lego blocks designed by a carpenter. And the walls are decorated with giant murals of people slurping on noodles, dragons, and kanji characters. It feels a little like a restored Brooklyn warehouse that studied abroad in Tokyo.
The specialty here is a tonkotsu broth—with OG (salt), shoyu (soy sauce), miso, and spicy miso variations—that’s been slow cooked to bring out all the rich, fatty flavors from the pork bones, resulting in an incredibly rich and silky bowl of ramen. The toppings on each bowl differ a bit, but all of them come with one of the best ajitama we’ve had. Fabergé egg owners, take note—these are with their weight in gold. And if you do want a lighter bowl of ramen, they also make a great chicken-based broth, as well as a couple of vegan options.
photo credit: Mackenzie Smith Kelley
There was a time when the Tatsu-Ya name was synonymous with ramen in Austin. Because prior to 2012, there really wasn’t anywhere else to get it, unless you were painstakingly making it yourself, or trying to convince yourself that the little plastic package of crunchy noodles in your pantry was “basically the same thing.” And while there’s absolutely a maruchan-shaped pocket in our hearts for the instant stuff, anyone who’s knocked back a bowl of piping hot ramen—particularly when it’s cold and rainy out—knows it’s no substitute. The team behind Ramen Tatsu-Ya has since expanded their empire to include places like Kemuri Tatsu-Ya, DipDipDip Tatsu-Ya, Tiki Tatsu-Ya, and more, but it all started with ramen. And even all these years later, we still get a warm, happy feeling in our stomachs when we step into that line.
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photo credit: Mackenzie Smith Kelley
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photo credit: Mackenzie Smith Kelley
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photo credit: Mackenzie Smith Kelley
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photo credit: Mackenzie Smith Kelley
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photo credit: Mackenzie Smith Kelley