◆ Ramen shop registration number 6048th • 516th bowl in 2023 ◆ Akake Ekoda branch (Kotakecho, Nerima-ku, Tokyo) ◆ Soy sauce ramen ¥790 ● Instagram tsukasan's ramen tsukasan777 ● Twitter tsukasan2010

Today, I visited the newly opened Akake Eda Ikebukuro store in Nerima-ku, Tokyo around June 20th. It's a popular ramen shop known for its house-style ramen. The Ikebukuro area is surprisingly filled with house-style ramen shops. It's a challenging location to open a ramen shop, as the area is already saturated with ramen shops, making it difficult to stand out. Most shops don't last more than 3 years, and the residents are well aware of the tough competition. The exterior of the shop is decorated with congratulatory flowers, giving it a festive atmosphere. I knew a new shop had opened, but the online information hadn't been updated yet, so I decided to visit and share my experience. Upon entering, I purchased my meal ticket from the machine on the right side. The shop offers free rice and extra noodles. I handed my ticket to the staff and they asked about my noodle firmness and broth preference. The staff, who were all foreigners, provided excellent customer service. The table was equipped with garlic, onions, spicy miso, black pepper, vinegar, and other condiments for flavor customization. There were also feedback forms, showcasing the strong organizational structure of the establishment. After a short wait, my ramen arrived. The noodles, made by Murakami Asahi Seimen, had a good texture but lacked a distinct flavor. The chashu was tender but didn't have a standout taste. The broth was salty with little depth, which may not appeal to everyone. Many customers may be looking for a more unique and distinctive flavor profile. While the southern part of Ikebukuro is known for its strong ramen scene, the northern area, including Ikebukuro, may need to work harder to compete. I hope they continue to strive for improvement.

Visited a ramen shop near Nerima from Ekoda as part of my complete series. Recently, they seem to be unstable with opening and closing frequently. Arrived at 12:15. Went in and ordered a soy sauce ramen (790 yen) at the ticket machine on the left side of the entrance. The ticket was collected quickly. Was seated at the counter and asked for my preferences. Chose normal noodles, stronger flavor, and more oil. Noodles come in a large portion for free, but I opted for normal. Rice was also free, but I decided to have some. Received my bowl in just 5 minutes. The noodles were quite firm. I thought it was a tonkotsu style, but it turned out to be different (laughs). Nevertheless, the noodles were delicious, and I found out they were made by Murakami Asahi Seimen when I peeked into the kitchen. The soup had a noticeable separation of chicken oil and soy sauce. It was quite salty, maybe because I asked for a stronger flavor. Added some chopped onions and white sesame from the table. Hmm... the soup was so strong that it was hard to tell. The chashu was tender pork belly, very tasty ♡ Tried to soak the seaweed in the soup, but it was too hard to soak (laughs). Managed to soak it anyway. Also, I wanted to put the spinach on the rice, but it was too small to pick up (laughs). Finished everything. Overall... all the staff were foreigners, speaking broken Japanese. But they were all trying very hard, so I liked that. The restaurant is spacious but the counter was too crowded. There was a big guy next to me who was coughing and putting his used tissue on the counter, it was the worst. Ekoda is a tough area. By the way, Gogo Sanjyuuya offers ramen for 750 yen and half rice for 30 yen, so this place is 10 yen more expensive (but cheaper if you get extra noodles). Thank you for the meal.

There were table seats and counter seats, and since I went with my family, we sat at a table. It was lucky for families with children because they offer free extra noodles and rice. There were no chopsticks for children. There were bowls but no forks. I should have brought child-sized chopsticks... I regret that. My first grader used adult chopsticks to eat! I put the onion and garlic on the table in first and ate them, then added chili miso and vinegar halfway through, and it was amazingly delicious. I love vinegar so it was refreshing and tasty. The flavor was strong so it was a good choice to have it with rice.

There are many ramen shops in Ekoda, and recently there have been too many such assignments, so even I, the reviewer, have not been able to keep up. However, if I don't properly follow up on the town's information, my reputation as a food reviewer will suffer. With that excuse in mind, I started my foodie activities today. A new ramen shop has opened in Ekoda, right next to the recently opened Wagodo shop near the north exit of Ekoda station. The name of the new shop is Akaya, and it seems to be related to the shops in Nishi-Arai Yakushi and Ohanajaya. As soon as I entered, I was greeted warmly by what seemed to be a Chinese staff member. They asked about the firmness of the noodles, the amount of oil, and the richness of the flavor. They also mentioned that rice and noodle refills are free. I selected the chashu ramen, asked for firm noodles, and added rice. The ramen arrived promptly. The soup was a slightly creamy style of house ramen and quite delicious. It had a stable taste that I could always enjoy. The chashu was melty and just the way I like it. The noodles were of a normal thickness. The ramen came with plenty of spinach and seaweed, making it quite cost-effective. On the table, there were onions, gochujang, garlic, and plenty of toppings. I was able to enjoy the house ramen and rice to my heart's content, and I was quite satisfied. While they have a good grasp of the basics of house ramen, I didn't feel the delicacy and attention to detail that you might find at a more upscale shop in the city. However, as a cost-effective ramen shop in this town, it is truly wonderful, and I would definitely become a regular if it were nearby.

A new ramen shop, "Akaya Ekoda branch," has opened in the competitive ramen district of Ekoda. I tried the standard ramen with firm noodles, rich flavor, and extra fat. The noodles were not as firm as I expected, and the flavor was not as strong (but not weak either). It seems like they may still be working on perfecting their recipe. Overall, it has a gentle and easy-to-eat taste typical of a family-style ramen. I personally prefer a stronger flavor in family-style ramen, so I found it a bit lacking in that aspect, but it may be the restaurant's unique style. I followed their recommendation to add garlic, onions, spicy miso, and black pepper towards the end, which helped change the flavor and texture a bit and made it more enjoyable. They offer free extra noodles and rice, so it seems like a good choice when you're really hungry.

I visited here at the north exit of Ekoda Station. JPOP music was playing inside the store. I ordered "Shoyu Ramen" at the ticket machine inside the store. I chose normal for firmness, flavor, and oil, and half for the noodles. It was served in about 10 minutes. It's a tonkotsu style with thick curly noodles.

On the way back from the hospital, I was intrigued by a new family-owned ramen shop that had opened, so I invited my husband to visit. The shop is located right outside the north exit of the station. Since it had just opened, there were many flowers displayed outside. There was a ticket machine next to the entrance where we purchased our meal tickets. We were happy to see that rice was included and that we could get free extra noodles. We decided on regular ramen with one soy sauce and one salt flavor. Our seats had onions and spicy condiments, giving it a true family-owned feel. Our ramen arrived in about 5 minutes. - Salt Ramen (Large serving) 790 yen (tax included): We chose the regular flavor and it turned out to be a rich and hearty soup. The noodles were thick and short, making it easy to eat. It came with thin but tender chashu, spinach, quail egg, and three sheets of seaweed, with a generous amount of seaweed. - Soy Sauce Ramen (Large serving) 790 yen: This flavor was even richer than the salt ramen. The ingredients were the same, so the only difference was the soup. Adding onions made it refreshing, while adding spicy condiments gave it a punch, keeping us interested until the last bite. - Rice (Small): My husband wanted a little bit of rice, which turned out to be quite firm and not to my liking. The option to get a large serving or rice is great for when you want to eat a lot.

The food was average.