Mendokoro Hanada Ikebukuro

Menya Hanada Ikebukuro is a Tabelog Top 100 Shops miso ramen specialty restaurant, located on the 1st floor of Higashi-Ikebukuro ISK Building, a 6-minute walk from Ikebukuro Station East Exit. While its main branch is also in Tokyo, the Ikebukuro store is particularly popular, constantly drawing long queues even among other fiercely competitive ramen establishments. The soup is a rich blend of white and red miso, uniquely prepared by stir-frying vegetables such as bean sprouts, cabbage, and chives at high speed in a wok before simmering them. This distinct process creates a smooth finish with the sweetness and richness of vegetables, akin to a "vegipota" (vegetable potage), different from lard-rich (kotteri-kei) styles. The balance of pork back fat (seabura) and animal-based broth (dashi) is also meticulously crafted. The noodles are 160g of Mikawaya Seimen's medium-thick wavy (chijire-men) type, which strongly carries the soup and integrates with it with every chew. The chashu (pork slices) are thick yet tender, easily falling apart (horohoro) for a satisfying and easy-to-eat experience. Toppings include a classic combination of bean sprouts, cabbage, chives, seasoned egg (ajitama), bamboo shoots (menma), and green onions. Spicy miso ramen and spicy miso tsukemen (dipping noodles) are also popular menu items; their modest spice level is praised for enhancing the miso's richness. Opting for the "Tokusei" (Special) adds a seasoned egg and two thick chashu slices, making for a substantial meal. The biggest draw is the free extra vegetables (yasai oomori), extra garlic (ninniku mashi), and complimentary rice during weekday lunch hours (11:00-15:00). A popular and great value way to finish is to add rice to the leftover soup, transforming it into a delicious rice porridge (ojiya).