Opened in 2003 as a branch of "Takinogawa Daishoken," the "Higashi Ikebukuro Daishoken Minami Ikebukuro Store" (formerly known as "Minami Ikebukuro Daishoken") is now directly managed by the main store since the head of the Iino store became the second generation head of the main store in 2008. It is located a 3-4 minute walk from Ikebukuro Station East Exit in a bustling area. It is located next to the popular ramen shop "Ramen Jiro Ikebukuro Higashi Exit Store." The main menu consists of "Special Morisoba" and "Chuka Soba." There are also many toppings available, as well as appetizers and drinks. The interior is quite spacious with a counter seating for about ten people and one table for two. The staff consists of three members and the store operates continuously throughout the day. The "Chuka Soba" costs 950 yen and comes in a large bowl with thick slices of char siu, menma, seaweed, negi, and naruto. The appearance of the Chuka Soba at "Higashi Ikebukuro Daishoken" may vary, but this one has a classic and appealing look. The soup is light with a subtle seafood flavor. Initially, it may seem light, but surprisingly it complements the noodles well and becomes more flavorful as you eat. When asked, it was mentioned that the soup is transported from the main store. Compared to the Iidabashi store, which was a personal favorite, this one has a clear and less oily soup that is gentle and light. The homemade straight medium-thick noodles have a good chewy and springy texture. The thick slices of char siu are tender and satisfying. The menma has a crunchy texture, but it has a slightly noticeable sweetness. Personally, I enjoy the ramen at Daishoken, and even with the standard 320g serving of noodles, they go down smoothly. Adding white pepper and vinegar towards the end enhanced the flavors perfectly.

"The original tsukemen, special mori soba" button on the ticket machine. Not only at this Minami-Ikebukuro branch, but also at the main branch, I have always had a feeling that something doesn't quite sit right. Even during the recent family dispute and queue splitting incident, the master hardly said a word, so there must be some hidden feelings within him... "The original tsukemen, special mori soba" (950 yen) + "negi" (150 yen) - as shown in the photo. Some people say it's the same as the main branch now, but the taste of Daikokuya is constantly changing. Even that old Daikokuya and Mr. Y were changing. So I don't believe at all that it's the same taste as that shop. I can understand if they say the direction is the same taste. In fact, as someone who frequented the shop from the end of the Showa era to the beginning of the Heisei era. However, comparing the taste now, or rather the taste recently, I think it's clearly different. The shoyu sauce base is richer than the current main branch, and the acidity is significantly less. But if it falls within the realm of Daikokuya's taste, I can accept it. For me, an irreplaceable and delicious bowl. Thank you for the meal. Why do people speak so definitively? Is our common people's palate really that accurate? I think like this. Or felt like this. Then they assert it as if it were the word of God. I feel a sense of self-blame for the wording in my early posts when communicating with others, and I want to be more careful in the future. (By Kyoka Shuusora, 2023.9.25) (352 comments/3.26)

It was once one of the leaders of the ramen boom. I heard from an acquaintance that the taste has not changed since the old days, and the taste of the late Mr. Yamagishi remains. Despite living in Ikebukuro for many years, it was my first visit. It's a soy sauce ramen that is not too heavy. I think there are strong fans of this place.

Today I had a slightly late summer break. I decided to try the tsukemen at Osho, which I've been wanting to try for a while. Of course, I ordered it with a beer (^_^) Lately, I've been lacking in vegetables, so I ordered the vegetable tsukemen. I enjoyed plenty of vegetables while sipping on beer, and then I ate the noodles at the right timing. It's been a while since I've had it, but it's refreshing and delicious! The trendy tsukemen tends to be rich, but for me, this light option is just right. Thank you for the meal!

Visit on Saturday afternoon. The restaurant was about half full. Purchased the Vegetable Ramen for 1,250 yen and added a soft-boiled egg for 150 yen at the ticket machine. Food was served in just over 5 minutes. The cooked vegetables were crunchy and delicious. The soup had the familiar taste of Daishoken. The noodles were a bit soft, lacking firmness. Overall, it was reasonably satisfying. Thank you for the meal.

On a holiday afternoon, there was a long line of young men, which turned out to be for the neighboring Ramen Jiro shop. This shop was about 70% full, and the inside was comfortably cool with the air conditioning. The menu seemed to be similar to the shop in Higashi-Ikebukuro. The gentle aroma of seafood in the soup was appetizing. While it doesn't have the boldness of Jiro, it is very easy to eat. The slightly sweet seasoning allows for some flavor adjustment by adding chili bean paste and garlic from the table. The umami flavor becomes more pronounced and it gets even more delicious. Just like the Higashi-Ikebukuro shop, the amount of noodles is very generous, so next time, getting a small portion might be a good idea.

Daishoken Tour ➃ There is a delicious restaurant in the neighborhood run by former Daishoken staff. Even if it's a bit of a trek, there are delicious Daishoken options available. Daishoken can be hit or miss. For these reasons, I have been avoiding Daishoken, but I am thinking of trying various locations again. My rule is to order the Mori Soba, and see if a place with the Daishoken sign is actually good. A few years ago, when I went, I thought the soup was "thin" with no supporting dashi flavor. I decided not to go back! In my Daishoken tour, I visited this place twice in a short period of time, and it had changed to being "thin but salty." If it's a place I can easily visit, I make it a rule to go twice to low-rated places. The main store was the same. If it's unexpectedly good, I think "delicious!" is fine. If it's "bad..." maybe it's just a fluke? I make it a rule to go twice, but this place is completely out. Despite being supposedly directly managed by the main store, it has zero Daishoken charm. Even if you take away the Daishoken name, the rating remains the same. It's on the same level as the Daishoken places that were just using the name.

When I was in college, this was the shop I often visited for tsukemen, which was my go-to dish back then! I couldn't forget the taste from those days, so I decided to revisit after a long time. Of course, I ordered the regular soba with extra noodles to bring back those nostalgic memories. Before taking a picture, I couldn't resist and started eating the noodles... Hmm? Has the taste changed? It feels a bit different from back then... It's possible that my taste buds have changed, or maybe I was just remembering it differently.

I felt like eating the Mori Soba from the East Ikebukuro area that I used to eat over 10 years ago, so I visited the restaurant. The taste was nostalgic and pleasantly old-fashioned, and it was delicious. I remembered that in the past, they used to offer free extra noodles, but it seems that they have stopped due to the current price situation, which was a bit disappointing. However, I was satisfied with the meal. Thank you for the meal.

This was my first time here. It's quite close to both the hotel and the station. I had the Chinese noodles. The soup was light and delicious with just one sip, leaving a good impression. The noodles were smooth, straight, and thick. But then I realized halfway through, the noodles were quite a lot, aren't they? No, they are too much. If I wasn't feeling well, I wouldn't have been able to finish it. I noticed later that there was a small size option for the Chinese noodles on the ticket machine, that's what it was for. I should have gone with the small size. Well, I still enjoyed it until the end.

I love "Daishoken"! However, hmm... I have visited many shops with the name "Daishoken", but they were not what I expected. The customer service was not very good... The food is delicious, but when compared to others, it falls short. I hope this was just a one-time experience.

Walking around without a specific destination for lunch, I stumbled upon a shop called Daishoken. Without checking any reviews, I decided to enter and ordered the standard "ramen" using a food ticket. I didn't have any high expectations and just wanted a simple lunch, so I didn't even take any photos and waited for my order. What arrived in front of me was a very ordinary-looking "ramen". I felt a sense of nostalgia when I tried the soup first. "Ah, this taste is so familiar!" The simple soy sauce flavor without any frills reminded me of the "old-fashioned Chinese noodles" that I used to search for. The slightly thick straight noodles blended well with the soup and had a light texture. I could enjoy eating it without getting bored, it was a well-balanced ramen. What made me happiest was the combination with pepper. Sprinkling some pepper from a large canister onto the soup created a nostalgic "ramen aroma". I have mostly been eating miso or salt ramen, but recently I've been hooked on soy sauce. Maybe it's a return to the taste of the ramen I used to eat in the past (laughs). I haven't clearly defined my standard for deliciousness, perhaps because I haven't been choosing ramen when eating out. Among the many shops that put various efforts into their soup, noodles, and toppings, this ramen left a strong impression of "foundation and basics". Everyone has different preferences when it comes to ramen! The popularity of a shop doesn't always match my satisfaction, but at least this ramen falls into the category of wanting to revisit. I also feel like trying out and comparing the various Daishoken shops scattered around different areas.

On such a freezing cold day, I headed to Daikokuken aiming for the main store, but they were closed on Wednesdays... I ended up eating at the Minami Ikebukuro store closer to the Takanogawa River. It's been since August 2015 since I last visited (lol). I always thought that the richness of Daikokuken's soup comes from the combination of two things: a unique sweetness and a unique cloudiness. The sweetness came through well, but maybe the cloudiness was lacking a bit... With a Jiro right next door, it's a tough environment, but I hope they keep doing their best!

Today I went to Daishoken and had the Mori Soba (noodles with soup) in medium size. I bought it from the ticket machine, but for some reason, I was told that I was 50 yen short and had to add 50 yen! I'm not sure what went wrong. The noodles and soup were delicious when they arrived. As expected from Daishoken! It was delicious. Thank you for the meal!

This place is quite shocking in a way, although it doesn't hold a candle to the now non-existent Daiichifukken Toyotama branch. The flavor is lacking, and it's thin. Well, I should say it's weak rather than thin, as it's not lacking in saltiness. The noodles are just unnecessarily abundant. Even though I'm comparing it to the average Higashi-Ikebukuro Daiichifukken, it seems like it's going to have a tough time soon.

Today, I headed to Osaka on the Shinkansen. I wandered around Ikebukuro East Exit looking for lunch. I saw a line and approached, it was Jiro. Next to it was Daikokuya!? I didn't know they were here too... I must try it. - Mori Soba 850 yen [Noodles] A smooth, almost straight noodle that goes well with the refreshing dipping sauce. It has the classic Daikokuya taste. The noodles were a bit soft, not as firm as I prefer. The noodles at the bottom of the bowl seemed a bit soggy, maybe due to poor draining. [Dipping Sauce] A refreshing blend of sour, sweet, and spicy flavors that become addictive! It has the signature Daikokuya taste. However, the sweetness was overpowering and I couldn't fully enjoy it. Also, it wasn't served piping hot. [Chashu] Thick slices and large! I like this old-school style. It lacked fatty and tender parts, being a bit dry. Maybe it was just unlucky this time. [Bamboo Shoots] Very strongly seasoned. It's best to eat them with just the noodles, ignoring the dipping sauce. Comes in a generous portion. [Seaweed] Rescued from the sweet and salty soup. It goes best with the noodles. [Green Onions] Seeing white onions made me feel like I was in Kanto. A valuable accent. Surprisingly, there was no flavored egg included as default in Daikokuya. It's similar to the taste of the main Daikokuya branch in East Ikebukuro. For me, the Daikokuya in Tokorozawa is still the best. Thank you for the meal.

It's past 5 o'clock. I was planning to go to Jiro's, but unexpectedly there was a long line. So, I decided to go to the place next door instead. I usually go to the one near Taki-no-kawa, so it's been a while since I visited this one. This place has a spacious and calm interior. However, I prefer the taste of the one near Taki-no-kawa. The soup has a simple sour taste, and the noodles are boiled slightly softer. Both are not bad. It's just a matter of preference, and I personally like a stronger flavor.

It's been a year since my last visit. It's hot, but I decided to have ramen. It's comforting, the gentle taste hasn't changed. And the pork shoulder chashu still lacks flavor. I wonder why? Maybe because the soup is gentle, it makes the lack of taste more noticeable. This is always disappointing. The atmosphere remains the same as it was a year ago.

I felt like eating at a different Daishoken other than the one in Iidabashi, so I went to this place. I had a small ramen for 800 yen, a wonton for 150 yen, and a flavored egg for 100 yen. The soup was quite light, the wonton was small, but the chashu was delicious. The flavored egg was half-cooked, and the noodles were thin compared to Daishoken's usual noodles. I also had a gyoza for 450 yen, which was a bit expensive but it was big with plenty of meat filling, and the skin was chewy and tasty. I could feel the original roots of Daishoken in Ikebukuro, but I personally didn't find it to be my favorite.

I went to Ikebukuro and visited the famous restaurant Daikokuya. It had been a while since my last visit, so this time I decided to try the opposite side of the Takinogawa branch. It's considered part of the Higashi-Ikebukuro branch, so it's a different line, I guess. The restaurant is spacious inside. I ordered my ramen at the ticket machine by the entrance, then sat at the counter. The owner was busy running the place alone. After waiting for about 5 minutes, my ramen arrived. The visual presentation looked good. I took a sip of the soup - it had that typical Daikokuya flavor. The broth was a bit light but still delicious. Next, I tried the noodles - they were slightly softer, maybe influenced by the Yamagishi branch. They were not bad. The bamboo shoots were crunchy, and the chashu was well-prepared. Although it may not be as good as the original main store over 10 years ago, I think it's still well-made. I hope they continue to thrive amidst the fierce competition and maintain their traditional delicious taste. Thank you for the meal.

The decline of a famous restaurant. I had been going there for over ten years, but recently I had been relying on Takinogawa Daishoken in East Ikebukuro instead. When Takinogawa Daishoken was closed, I visited South Ikebukuro after a few years and was surprised by how much it had changed. I ordered the vegetable plate, but the vegetables were like the bean sprout packs you find in convenience stores or supermarkets, boiled without being stir-fried, with just a small amount of cabbage added. The noodles seemed a bit thinner, and the serving time seemed to have become much faster, but that might just be my misunderstanding. I visited around 7pm, and the empty restaurant seemed to suggest that the Yamagishi-ism may have disappeared. I don't think everything old is good, but it was a disappointing feeling.