IKEBUKURO: Growth Ramen operated by a young Pro-Boxer...Great Tsukemen!

I have a ramen friend who has tried nearly every spot in Ikebukuro so when he asked me what kind of Ramen i'd like to check out for lunch I was a bit lost... the variety is just too great.  

So we decided to check out a suggestion on Ramen Adventures:

http://www.ramenadventures.com/2013/04/growth-in-ikebukuro.html

Tsukemen is a must here but here is where the value/cost-performance comes into play if you are a heavy eater.  Tsukemen with 200grams of noodles (called Nami) 730yen... +40yen for 300grams (Chu-Mori) and +80yen for a whopping 400grams (Oo-mori).  So for an additional 80yen you can get double that of the normal "Nami" size. 

L shaped counter seating for 7-8.

I went with the 200gram "Nami" but should have ventured into the 300gram "Chu-Mori"

Music was all hard core hip-hop... DMX, Fifty...etc.  The Pro-Boxer chef had a NY Black Cap, black shirt and his ears were like mushrooms from all the hits. 

I went with the "Atsumori" noodles (hot noodles)... if you don't ask for this Tsukemen noodles are normally cold.

Noodles had a nice chewiness to it.

Broth was a nice balance... it didn't quite cling to the noodles but for the afternoon I think I prefer this to the heavy Ramen Tetsu.  Small chunks of pork and bamboo shoots inside.

Spicy paste...  Oh don't drink all your soup... after you eat the noodles pass the soup bowl to the boxer and ask for "soba-yu or men-wari (forgot the word)" and he'll add clear noodle soup to the bowl. 

Overall you can't go wrong here.  Great service, a solid ramen and very clean.... oh nearly all university crowd (Rikkyo University is nearby).  CLOSED Sundays and also when the soup runs out but u can check on the status here https://twitter.com/XXXGROWTHXXX

OPEN From 11:30 - 3:30pm only.

Shop: Men-Dokoro Growth Ramen

Growth Twitter: https://twitter.com/XXXGROWTHXXX

Growth Blog: http://ameblo.jp/xxxgrowthxxx/

Foodie Website: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1305/A130501/13119520/

Address J: 東京都豊島区西池袋3-4-2

Address E: Tokyo, Toshima-ku, Nishi Ikebukuro 3-4-2

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