Tabelog ratingShisen Tantanmen Aun Yushima honten (四川担担麺 阿吽 湯島本店) has built a formidable reputation for its carefully crafted, Sichuan-style tantanmen. What sets it apart is the hands-on customization: you choose the level of both spice (辣油, chili oil) and numbing (花椒, Sichuan pepper) on a scale from 0 to 6, allowing you to tailor the bowl to your exact taste. The house recommendation is a balanced 3 for spice and 2 for numbing.
Guests consistently praise the tsuyu-nashi, or dry-style tantanmen. The white sesame version is particularly singled out for its intensely creamy sesame sauce, which clings perfectly to the noodles, accented by savory hits of ground meat and toasted dried shrimp. The black sesame bowl is another popular choice. Many diners finish the rich sauce left in their bowl by adding a half-portion of rice and an onsen tamago (soft-cooked egg), a combination reviewers highly recommend.
While the food quality receives high marks, a few diners note that the heat and numbing levels can sometimes vary from their order, depending on the cook. Service can occasionally be brusque, and a small minority of guests find the bowls a bit too rich or oily for their liking.
Most visitors consider it excellent value. Reviewers in 2024–2026 paid around ¥1,100–¥1,200 for a main bowl of white or black sesame tantanmen, and about ¥1,250 for the tsukemen version. The popular half-rice and onsen tamago set costs around ¥130. The typical spend for a meal is between ¥1,000 and ¥1,999.
- Getting a table: Reservations are not accepted. Expect to queue, especially at peak lunch and dinner hours. Arriving at opening or during off-peak times is recommended.
- The Order: You order and pay via a ticket machine at the entrance. Staff are reportedly helpful to non-Japanese speakers. Paper aprons are available.
- Payment: Cash only. Credit cards, electronic money, and QR code payments are not accepted.
- Seating: The small shop has 9 counter seats, where you can watch the cooks at work, and four 2-person tables.
- Children: Children are welcome and high chairs are available.
- Smoking: The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
- Getting there: The shop is a 2-minute walk from Yushima Station (Exit 5) on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line. It is also a 5-minute walk from Ueno-Hirokoji and Ueno Okachimachi stations.
- Parking: No parking is available on-site, but there are paid parking lots nearby.