Yakuzen Shokudo Chabuzen

An 8-minute walk from Shimokitazawa Station West Exit, this small diner suddenly appears in a purely residential area, marked by its flag (nobori). With over 10 years in business, it is well-known among international guests for catering to a wide range of dietary styles, including vegan, Oriental vegetarian, gluten-free, and gokun (five pungent vegetables)-free. Halal certification is also displayed on the wall. The core of their cuisine is a homemade brown rice yeast liquid (genmai kobo-eki), made by fermenting organic brown rice with brown sugar. Without using animal products or chemical seasonings, the umami and richness of this fermentation build each dish. The signature dark yeast ramen Dragon (koikuchi kobo ramen Dragon) is a rich, pork bone-style ramen created with layers of soy milk creaminess. The night-only Garlic Dragon (garlic dragon), featuring roasted garlic, is also popular. With ramen and curry as its two main pillars, the menu expands to include the spicy Curry Ramen Nirvana (curry ramen Nirvana) and medicinal soup curry (yakuzen soup curry) with customizable spice levels. A unique feature is that the scope of options varies by menu item, such as changing to gluten-free rice noodles or adding seafood broth for a 'relaxed vegetarian' (yuru-vege) ramen. They serve germinated enzyme brown rice (hatsuga koso genmai) aged for three days, and after-meal soy milk sweets or mandarin orange sherbet, showing their commitment to every detail. The low tables (chabudai) in the raised seating area (koagari) tell the story behind the restaurant's name.