TKG to TKM: Top 3 Tamago Kake Men Trends

If TKG is rice with egg, TKM is noodles with egg!　The menu, which started in Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, has become a nationwide boom. In the fall of 2011, the national tsukemen chain “Tsukemen Specialty Shop Mita Seimenjo” adopted it as their grand menu item.

There is a wide variety, from a kamatama udon-like approach to a junky oil-soba version, but all share the same simple goodness. Let us introduce three “TKM” ramen dishes that are attracting attention as a new ramen trend.

Golden Tiger (Kumagaya): The original TKM!

First, let’s visit Kumagaya, the birthplace of TKM!　Kumagaya City is located in northern Saitama Prefecture and is one of the top wheat producing areas in the Kanto region. It is a place where the culture of flour products such as manju and udon has taken root. Tsukemen,” a type of ramen in which the deliciousness of the flour is tasted directly, is also gaining popularity.

Golden Tiger” has a strong presence in Kumagaya, the wheat noodle kingdom. With its two mainstays, thick tsukemen and TKM, young people, including junior high and high school students, line up every day for the restaurant.

This is the original “TKM” invented and named by Yosuke Kanazawa, who trained at a Tsukemen restaurant when he opened his first restaurant in 2006. Looking at the bowl placed on the counter, one can see that it is composed of only a whole egg on the center, noodles, and lemon as a topping. The owner’s message seems to be that he wants his customers to simply eat the eggs, noodles, and sauce.

First, let’s pull out only the noodles and bite into them plain. The noodles are firm, tightly packed in cold water, and have a wild crunchy texture. The noodles are made in house with a special twist, so you can enjoy the flavor of the wheat and the comfort of slurping. The noodles are stirred vigorously to blend in the egg yolk.

The sauce is based on dashi soy sauce. As I stirred, the sauce slowly spread over the entire bowl. The egg yolk and egg white acted as a lubricant.

The noodles are smooth and the whole egg boosts the richness of the noodles, and also supports the richness of the broth and soy sauce. The lemon flavor enhancer also enhances the flavor of the noodles themselves. The simple composition of the egg, sauce, and noodles is what makes the individual flavors come together so powerfully. The owner, Mr. Kanazawa, explains, “TKM is a menu where you can taste the deliciousness of the noodles! It is no wonder that the owner, Mr. Kanazawa, insists, “TKM is a menu where you can taste the deliciousness of the noodles!