Ikebukuro, one of Tokyo’s top entertainment districts, boasts numerous commercial facilities such as department stores and electronics retailers, alongside Shinjuku and Shibuya. It’s renowned as a ramen battleground, with a carefully selected list of recommended ramen spots in Ikebukuro, one of Tokyo’s prime ramen destinations.
The Ikebukuro area in Tokyo is known for its abundance of ramen shops, and the quality of ramen here is exceptionally high. It’s a fiercely competitive ramen battleground where numerous ramen establishments coexist, and it’s not uncommon to see long lines forming daily. In this article, we’ll introduce you to a selection of 10 must-try ramen shops located in the Ikebukuro station vicinity that you definitely shouldn’t miss!
10.Tori No Ana 鶏の穴
Best Chicken broth Ramen in Ikebukuro
This restaurant specializes in chicken-based ramen, exclusively using chicken without any pork or beef ingredients. Their milky white chicken broth is rich and flavorful, infused with the essence of chicken.
The toppings are all chicken-centric, packed with collagen, making it a hit among chicken broth enthusiasts and female diners. They use medium-thick straight noodles that have a pleasantly chewy texture.
The toppings include versatile green onions, menma (fermented bamboo shoots), chicken soboro (minced chicken), and chicken chashu, allowing you to savor the full flavor of chicken. The creamy and rich chicken broth, with its velvety texture, pairs perfectly with the noodles, creating a blissful bowl of ramen.
Their signature dish is the White Chicken Ramen, but they also offer a spicy Red Chicken Ramen and a tsukemen (dipping noodles) option where the soup and noodles are served separately. Additionally, they introduce monthly limited-time menu items to keep their customers engaged.
Their side dish, Chicken Rice, is also highly popular and complements the ramen perfectly. Another unique feature is that if you bring your own chopsticks (disposable chopsticks not allowed), you can get free seasoned egg (tamago) or an upsized portion, adding an extra touch of uniqueness to their service.
Tori No Ana Details
Address
Japan, 〒170-0013 Tokyo, Toshima City, Higashiikebukuro, 1 Chome−39−20 慶太ビル １階
Opening Hours
11am-10pm (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat)
11am-4pm (Sunday)
Closed on Wednesday
9. NOODLE VOICE
Best Seafood Ramen in Ikebukuro
Noodle Voice is a rather unique and interesting ramen restaurant located just outside the west side of Ikebukuro Station. In the competitive ramen scene of Ikebukuro, there are plenty of unconventional ramen places, and Noodle Voice is one of them.
The standout item on Noodle Voice’s menu is their rich ramen featuring plenty of scallops. The soup, thickened like a stew or chowder, boasts the vivid flavor of scallops, which is incredibly impressive and irresistible for scallop enthusiasts. To complement this flavorful soup, Noodle Voice uses thick noodles that offer a satisfying bite. Even the regular portion is quite generous, which is a delightful bonus.
Furthermore, during lunch hours, Noodle Voice offers a complimentary noodle refill service, making it a great choice if you’re looking to enjoy a hearty bowl of ramen near Ikebukuro Station. Be sure to consider Noodle Voice as a candidate for your ramen indulgence in the vicinity.
Noodle Voice Details
Address
Japan, 〒171-0021 Tokyo, Toshima City, Nishiikebukuro, 1 Chome−3−5 後藤ビル 1f
Opening Hours
11am-10pm (Mon-Friday),
11am-8pm (Saturday,Sunday)
8.Kizunaya 皇綱家
Best IE-kei(Yokohama-style) Rame in Ikebukuro
Even in the highly competitive ramen scene around Ikebukuro Station, one of the recently popular spots is Kizunaya. Surprisingly, there aren’t many authentic Yokohama-style ramen places in the Ikebukuro area, and Kizunaya has essentially monopolized that popularity.
Their soup is a rich and flavorful blend with a pronounced soy sauce base, filled with the essence of pork and chicken. The smoked-style chashu (pork slices) offers a fragrant and substantial texture with a hearty taste.
You have the option to customize your choice of noodles, flavor intensity, and level of oil. Due to the already robust flavor of the soup, normal or lighter flavors are recommended.
On the table, you’ll find a variety of condiments, including endless garlic, chopped ginger, grated ginger, vinegar, chili bean sauce, and mayonnaise, allowing for diverse flavor variations.
For a mere 100 yen, you can enjoy unlimited servings of rice as a side dish. They also offer a “Women’s Limited Ramen Set” which includes half the usual noodle portion, a soft-boiled egg, and black oolong tea – a thoughtful gesture that caters to both men and women, showcasing their dedication to providing a family-style ramen experience that everyone can enjoy.
Kizunaya Details
Address
Japan, 〒171-0021 Tokyo, Toshima City, Nishiikebukuro, 1 Chome−18−1 五光ビル １Ｆ
Opening Hours
11am-10pm (Monday-Thursday),
11am-3:45pm | 5pm-11:45pm(Fri-Sunday)
7.Rokubo tantanmen 六坊担担面
If you’re looking for Tan tan men (Dan dan noodles) without soup near Ikebukuro Station, I highly recommend Rokubou Tantanmen. This restaurant is part of the famous Watadanabe Group, known for their main store in Takadanobaba. In Ikebukuro, which is a hotbed for ramen, it’s relatively rare to find places serving dan dan noodles without soup.
At Rokubou Tantanmen, they offer two types of dan dan noodles: a Japanese-style version tailored to Japanese tastes and an authentic Chengdu-style dan dan noodles without soup. To start, you might want to try the Japanese-style dan dan noodles, which are typically preferred by locals. It features a creamy sauce with plenty of sesame, spiced up with chili oil and accompanied by chewy thick noodles. If you’re a fan of dan dan noodles without soup, you’re sure to love it.
The addition of a hot spring egg as an extra topping pairs wonderfully, so be sure to give it a try. You can also customize the flavor with tableside condiments, and towards the end, consider adding rice to enjoy it in your preferred style.
Rokubo tantanmen Details
Address
Japan, 〒171-0022 Tokyo, Toshima City, Minamiikebukuro, 1 Chome−24−5 楽園タウン池袋 1F
Opening Hours
11am-9pm Daily (Monday-Sunday)
6. Shina Soba Tanaka 志奈そば 田なか
Located a bit away from Ikebukuro Station is Shina Soba Tanaka, where the soup is the star attraction, created by a former Italian chef. The delicately presented ramen, which doesn’t use any animal-based broths and relies exclusively on high-quality seafood ingredients, has become incredibly popular among women.
The soup, made entirely from seafood, offers a truly unique and distinctive flavor. As it contains only seafood ingredients, it imparts a Japanese-style flavor reminiscent of soba. The flat, ultra-thin noodles resemble fine pasta.
The bowl is adorned with white scallions, shiso leaves, mitsuba, mountain vegetables, and a hint of yuzu, creating a gentle and harmonious dish. Instead of regular menma (fermented bamboo shoots), they use mountain vegetables, embracing a thoroughly Japanese theme.
Shina Soba Tanaka Details
Address
Japan, 〒170-0013 Tokyo, Toshima City, Higashiikebukuro, 1 Chome−27−5 関口ビル
Opening Hours
11am-3pm | 5pm-9pm(Monday-Friday),
11am-3pm(Saturday),
Closed on Sunday
5. Kuwabara 桑ばら
This is a specialty shop for salt ramen, crafted by a chef with a strong dedication to the art of salt. The soup is so clear that you can see the noodles through it, and it’s a refreshing bowl of ramen that competes solely with the essence of salt, without relying on sauces.
The elegant and delicate soup of the salt ramen pairs beautifully with the satisfying texture of the noodles, which are infused with the chef’s special salt. It’s a memorable bowl of ramen where the saltiness takes center stage.
One distinctive feature is the pronounced saltiness, making it a recommended choice when you’re in the mood for a unique ramen experience. The noodles are inspired by Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen, cooked to a firm texture, and they complement the rich saltiness of the soup perfectly.
You can also enjoy flavor variations by using the yuzu pepper provided at the table. This shop exclusively serves salt ramen and offers a variety of salt-based options, including the popular “Shio egg soba,” “Shio tsukemen,” and “Shio abura soba.”
Kuwabara Details
Address
Japan, 〒170-0013 Tokyo, Toshima City, Higashiikebukuro, 1 Chome−27−5 関口ビル
Opening Hours
11am-8:30pm daily (Monday-Sunday).
4.Chisou Men Mamiana 馳走麺 狸穴
In the vicinity of Ikebukuro Station East Exit, there’s a popular ramen spot gaining a reputation for its rich tsukemen (dipping noodles) – Chisou Men Mamiana. Right next door, you’ll find Takinogawa Taishoken, and it seems that this area near Ikebukuro Station East Exit is particularly dense with high-quality ramen shops.
The specialty at Chisou Men Mamiana is their thick and flavorful tsukemen, a dish that has become somewhat rare nowadays. The soup, infused with seafood flavors, boasts a strong and bold seasoning that is sure to satisfy those who enjoy rich and intense flavors. The noodles are the classic thick type that you’d expect from a robust tsukemen, and the fact that they offer free upsizing is definitely a bonus at Chisou Men Mamiana.
Aside from their signature tsukemen, Chisou Men Mamiana offers several other menu items, including a unique dish called “nikumori-tsuke-soba” which incorporates soba flour into the noodles and includes a generous serving of meat. If you enjoy Chisou Men Mamiana’s tsukemen, I highly recommend giving the “nikumori-tsuke-soba” a try as well.
Gochisou Men Mamiana
Address
1 Chome-32-2 Higashiikebukuro, Toshima City, Tokyo 170-0013, Japan
Opening Hours
11am-9:30pm(Monday-Saturday) | 11am-8pm(Sunday),
Closed on Tuesday
3. Men Dokoro Hanada 麺処 花田
Located just a 5-minute walk from Ikebukuro East Exit, Men Dokoro Hanada consistently draws long lines in the fiercely competitive Ikebukuro area, known for its concentration of ramen shops.
One unique feature of this place is that the vegetables are stir-fried in a large wok every time you place an order. The soup, on the other hand, is a rich and flavorful concoction made by simmering chicken, pork trotter fat, and vegetables, with a special miso blend added to enhance its depth of flavor.
The sweetness of the vegetables, the umami of the chicken, and the richness of the miso all come together harmoniously in every sip of the soup. It’s a luxurious broth that clearly reflects the time and effort put into crafting it.
They have a system where you can add extra garlic and vegetables for free, offering the representative miso ramen of Ikebukuro. The vegetables stir-fried with miso maintain a delightful crunch, which pairs wonderfully with the rich broth.
The substantial slices of chashu pork are incredibly tender, with a melt-in-your-mouth fattiness. Adding garlic midway through your meal will intensify the flavors and take your dining experience to another level.
Men Dokoro Hanada Details
Address
Japan, 〒170-0013 Tokyo, Toshima City, Higashiikebukuro, 1 Chome−23−8 東池袋ＩＳＫビル １F
Opening Hours
11am-10:20pm daily (Monday-Sunday).
2. Mutekiya 無敵家
A prominent and top-notch establishment in Ikebukuro, renowned for its specialization in Tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen! This popular spot attracts not only locals but also travelers from abroad, drawing crowds both day and night, all in search of its rich, double-broth Tonkotsu soup.
Conveniently located just a 1-minute walk from the south exit of Ikebukuro Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, and about a 5-minute walk from the east exit of JR Ikebukuro Station, this eatery is constantly bustling with long queues throughout the day and night. It has a global appeal, with a diverse clientele from overseas.
Their menu offers a wide variety of options, ranging from the classic “Shoyu Tonkotsu” to the “Spicy Miso Ramen,” “Abura Soba” (oil-based ramen), and inventive ramen creations featuring crab miso. The menu has a distinctive flair reminiscent of a family-style ramen restaurant.
Mutekiya Details
Address
Japan, 〒171-0022 Tokyo, Toshima City, Minamiikebukuro, 1 Chome−17−1 崎本ビル1F.
Opening Hours
10:30am-8pm daily (Monday-Sunday).
1.Menya Hulu-lu 麺屋Hulu-lu
Hulu-lu is an immensely popular ramen shop that has maintained its top position in the fiercely competitive ramen battleground of Ikebukuro for many years. The owner of Hulu-lu, who has a deep love for Hawaii, has created a space with a distinct atmosphere that exudes a relaxed vibe, which is why it tends to attract a lot of female and couples patrons.
Among the various options on the menu, if you’re visiting Hulu-lu for the first time, be sure to try their Shoyu Ramen. It features a delicate flavor base with chicken broth and is characterized by the generous amount of ground meat. It strikes just the right balance between being light and satisfying, leaving you perfectly content. Hulu-lu’s in-house-made noodles are slender yet possess a firm texture, making them equally delightful. Personally, I highly recommend trying the duck wonton as a topping. Hulu-lu is also known for its diverse range of limited-time ramen offerings that vary by day of the week and season.
Menya Hulu-lu Details
Address
2 Chome-60-7 Ikebukuro, Toshima City, Tokyo 170-0014, Japan
Opening Hours
11:30am-3pm | 6-9pm(Wednesday-Monday),
Closed on Tuesday
Conclusion
Ikebukuro Station is particularly bustling within Tokyo, with a plethora of ramen shops scattered around. You should be able to find a restaurant that suits your taste depending on your mood at the time!
By all means, use this article as a reference and try to discover your favorite ramen shop.
