Housemade noodles, crafted daily.

A ramen house that makes its own noodles.

Sam Morikizono took over a small restaurant on Convoy Street in 2001. It was already called Tajima. Twenty-five years later the noodles are cut in our own room in Crown Point, and the broth is simmered there every morning before service.

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Traditional Tonkotsu, sliced pork chashu, shredded scallion, seasoned wood ear mushroom and a spoon of red chili paste on pale tonkotsu broth with ramen noodles, in a red bowl

Three things we don't buy in.

The noodles

Cut daily in the Noodle Room on a machine brought over from Japan. Two kinds so far, including the spinach noodle for the vegan bowl.

The broth

Tonkotsu simmered in our Crown Point kitchen, then driven to every San Diego location before service.

The bowl

Tajima Red, Black, and White. Spicy Sesame. Chicken, Miso, Vegan. Built the same way in all six rooms.

A row of stainless steel broth tanks inside the Tajima commissary, with pressure gauges, red valve handles, and steam drifting across the frame.

Better noodles weren't for sale. So we made them.

Two years building the room. A lifetime building the bowl.

Inside the Noodle Room

The house trio.

One tonkotsu base, three finishes. Red for heat, Black for garlic, White for the broth itself.

Tajima Red, a slab of pork chashu under sesame seeds and fried garlic, half a seasoned egg, baby bok choy, sweetcorn and shredded scallion on chili-red broth with ramen noodles Tajima Red Tajima Black, two slices of pork chashu with minced garlic and sesame, half a seasoned egg, baby bok choy, sweetcorn and shredded scallion on dark black garlic broth, in a red bowl Tajima Black Tajima White, pork chashu under minced garlic and sesame, half a seasoned egg, baby bok choy, sweetcorn and shredded scallion on pale tonkotsu broth with wavy ramen noodles, in a red bowl Tajima White

Six rooms in San Diego. Walk in.

No reservations. Same noodles in every bowl, cut that morning in Crown Point.

Convoy The original · Kearny Mesa Mercury Izakaya and bar · Kearny Mesa East Village Walk to Petco · Downtown College Heights Ramen bar · College Area Crown Point The Noodle Room Plaza Bonita South Bay · National City
All locations and hours

Beyond San Diego: Maui, in Kihei. Tijuana is run separately, at tajimamx.com.

Housemade noodles, crafted daily.