Menya Nakagawa

MENYA NAKAGAWA, a chicken soup ramen specialty restaurant located in Ikebukuro 2-chome, just a 7-minute walk from Ikebukuro Station, is proudly listed among Tabelog's TOP 5000 restaurants. The menu centers on three main pillars: Chicken Shio (salt) Ramen, Chicken Shoyu (soy sauce) Ramen, and Chicken Seafood Tsukemen (dipping noodles), each meticulously prepared to highlight the finest ingredients and deliver a profoundly satisfying bowl. The signature Special Chicken Shio Ramen is an elegant creation, featuring a transparent soup that blends chicken broth with a 'kaeshi' (tare/seasoning base) derived from hamaguri clams and Setouchi-produced seaweed salt. This clear soup is light yet boasts a deep, complex richness, so perfectly crafted that you'll want to savor every last drop. For the Special Chicken Shoyu Ramen, the soup extracts umami from minced parent chicken meat, combined with a 'kaeshi' (tare/seasoning base) made from several carefully selected raw soy sauces that have been heated. This creates a multi-layered flavor profile with the sharp tang of soy sauce and the sweet richness of chicken oil (chiyu). The noodles are thin and straight, with low hydration, providing a firm, springy texture that effectively carries the soup. The Special Chicken Seafood Tsukemen (dipping noodles) features a distinctive double soup that condenses the rich flavors of Kyushu-produced chicken and pork bones with the umami of Kujukuri-produced dried sardines (niboshi). The noodles are medium-thick, made with Hokkaido-produced whole wheat flour, offering a smooth and chewy texture. Following the shop's recipe, you can enjoy gradual flavor changes: first by savoring the noodles as they are, then by squeezing lemon, and finally by sprinkling a touch of kuro shichimi (black seven-spice blend). For a unique finish, the 120 yen cheese risotto (exclusive to tsukemen) can be added to the remaining dipping soup, where cheese is melted with 'wari-supu' (soup dilution/dashi) to create a delightful final course. The restaurant offers two types of chashu (braised pork/chicken): pork shoulder roast, slowly cooked in a hanging oven to preserve its natural flavors, and moist chicken breast prepared using vacuum low-temperature (sous-vide) cooking. Both are meticulously crafted. All toppings, including the crisp nori (seaweed) and the rich yolk of the ajitama (seasoned egg), are perfected to enhance the overall experience. With English menus readily available and thoughtful amenities such as paper aprons, luggage racks, and disinfectant spray, MENYA NAKAGAWA ensures a welcoming and comfortable experience for international and female guests alike.