IKEBUKURO: Ramen Ichiran for breakfast! Oh man... the sun is up :(

Monja... Drinks at a tiny Mama-san bar... Karaoke... and we close out a very very long night out at 24hr Ramen Ichiran in Ikebukuro.  

Ramen starts at 790yen

You can customize your ramen with a whole list of options~.  Practice your Hiragana!

The shop is U shaped and within the "U" is the kitchen...

Peeking thru my window to see the opposite side... notice the little window thats open... there's a customer sitting in there.

And so my ramen arrives thru the little window.

There it is!  Unfortunately I don't really remember how good or bad this ramen was.

Just an FYI post if you are in need of a 24hr ramen spot. Ramen score is a very reasonable 3.37pts on Tabelog.  There are shops all over Japan.  

Shop: Ramen Inchiran - Ikebukuro East Branch

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ramen.ichiran

Ichiran Website: http://www.ichiran.co.jp/index_hp.html

Foodie Website: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1305/A130501/13019994/

Address J: 東京都豊島区東池袋1-39-11 サニーサイドビル

Address E: Tokyo, Toshima-ku, Higashi Ikebukuro 1-39-11
MAP:

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IKEBUKURO: Menya Musashi... Late evening Tsukemen! FREE Noodle Upgrades!!

Once again I follow my ramen connoisseur friend into the Ramen battle grounds of Ikebukuro... this night we hit up Menya Musashi.

All three of us went for Tsukemen... and the greatest thing about tsukemen is that upgrades in noodles are normally always free vs ramen.  Regular, Medium, Large and Extra Large portion of tsukemen noodles were all the same price.  I went for the Medium "Chu-Mori"

All counter seating

The noodles had a nice shine to it... Unless you ask for it the noodles will come out cold to hold its texture but if you prefer hot just ask for atsu-mori.

Only if I could remember what the soup tasted like... from vague memory (had a few too many beers prior to this at Koike Izakaya) it was a medium slightly light broth.

There were very small chunks of tender pork in the soup.

And of course always great to have a little red pepper to spice up the flavor... less boring.

After you are done with your noodles don't drink all your soup!  Ask for soba-yu (hope its the correct word)... they'll add hot soba ramen water to the soup so the flavor isn't as intense.  Great stuff.

Overall how can you go wrong with paying the same price for huge upgrades in noodles~.  Great atmosphere and nice and clean... I'm sure I'll be back.  There are locations all over Tokyo http://www.menya634.co.jp/

Shop: Menya Musashi Ikebukuro Branch

Ikebukuro Branch: http://www.menya634.co.jp/niten.html

Musashi Website: http://www.menya634.co.jp/

Foodie Website: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1305/A130501/13005593/

Address J: 東京都豊島区東池袋1-2-4

Address E: Tokyo, Toshima-ku, Higashi Ikebukuro 1-2-4

MAP:

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IKEBUKURO: (REVISTED) Nan-Tai-San Yakitori friendly counter seating and view of the chef!

This is just a great spot that's been around for years and has a steady following of regulars.

Seasoned Carrots are one of the specialties here... never had it anywhere else.  And raw liver with sesame seed oil was tasty.

My previous entry: 

http://tokyobelly.blogspot.jp/2012/11/ikebukuro-nantai-san-for-some-old-skool.html

I think this was one of the original founders that passed away.

This older gentleman with the hat sat next to us and we all started talking... he was first talking with the guy to his left but preferred chatting with us and later he'd invite us out to his favorite little mama-san bar.

Yakitori Garlic... very soft.

Another friendly customer to my right.

Its almost impossible not to meet friendly customers from a different era at these old skool Japanese yakitori spots with counter seating.  Afterward we all went to our new friends favorite watering hole that he's been going to for over 30 years.

A little Karaoke and whiskey... another great unexpected ending long day in Ikebukuro.

Tsukemono by Mama-san.

The tiny foods at a mama-san "snack" bar... just something.

Goodnite!

Shop: NanTaiSan Yakitori

Foodie Website: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1305/A130501/13021282/

Address J: 東京都豊島区東池袋1-41-14

Address E: Tokyo, Toshima-ku, Higashi Ikebukuro 1-41-14
MAP:

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