Ikebukuro is spacious. On the other side of Theater Street (from the station's perspective), there are plenty of restaurants. I haven't visited this side much, so I'll check it out soon! Starting with this place. It's easy to find parking meters here. The Beef Belly Daikon Set Meal: This was the weekly special menu at the time. The ingredients have a Japanese feel, but the Chinese spices give it a unique flavor from the first bite! It's like the Silk Road theme playing in your head! The harmony of the beef fat adds a perfect touch to it. Even those who don't like star anise might enjoy this. It's a limited menu as it changes weekly, but being able to enjoy this for lunch is quite clever. Besides the taste, seeing the generous portions of fried chicken and fried rice that other customers ordered makes me wonder if this place is known for its generous servings. I'll come back to confirm it!

Let's have Chinese food for dinner, my wife and I decided as we headed to a restaurant called Ikko Shan. I thought the name of the restaurant had no relation to Nagasaki sweets, Ikko Koh, but I didn't confirm it. I checked the signboard in front of the restaurant to see today's recommended menu. I imagined "Fried eggplant with sansho pepper salt" and thought it would go well with beer! First, of course, a draft beer! The brand was Ichiban Shibori. The recommended dish on the signboard in front of the restaurant was "Fried eggplant with sansho pepper salt." It was a bit salty, but very delicious! I was unsure if the topping was fried garlic or onion, so I asked the staff. "Is this your first time at our restaurant? That's onion! It goes well with alcohol or on rice!" they replied with a smile. The fried eggplant was freshly made, with a crispy texture that made it easy to eat. We also ordered dumplings. Originally there were 6, but I ate one before taking a picture! The skin was chewy and delicious. There were two types of dumplings, and we chose the smaller ones. And the main dish of the day, mapo tofu! When asked about the spiciness level, I opted for "medium" as I didn't want it too spicy. It had a good level of numbing sensation and spiciness, quite delicious. I ended up getting another beer! My wife doesn't drink, so she ordered the five-flavor soup noodles. I had a taste from her plate, and the broth was flavorful with chewy noodles and succulent shrimp. It was really delicious. As a woman came in alone after we finished eating, it seemed like a regular customer as she started drinking her reserved bottle of shochu. It's nice to have a restaurant that is close to the local community! Thank you for the meal!

Today, I had a late dinner at Ikebukuro Station during my business trip to Tokyo. I randomly chose a restaurant called "Ikko Shan" while walking around. Seeing some delicious looking tantanmen dishes in everyone's posts today, I decided to order the "White Sesame Tantanmen" for 880 yen. I also got two grilled lamb skewers for 180 yen each and a beer. The ramen had a sweet soup base and made me sweat a lot. It seemed like their specialty was a noodle dish with wontons, so I'll try that next time.

I found a parking spot on Theater Street and decided to try a nearby lunchtime restaurant. Unfortunately, Flur was full, so I went to the Chinese restaurant across the street for the first time. I ordered the weekly special set meal which included fried pork and eggplant stir-fried in soy sauce. The dish was delicious with a strong garlic flavor in the soy sauce. It came with egg drop soup, pickles, and almond jelly for dessert. I enjoyed it all and finished every last bite. Thank you for the meal.

I felt like something had changed a bit. This restaurant is only a 3-4 minute walk from my home. With more people opting for home-cooked meals like bento and bread, I've been craving freshly made dishes. It seems like people have gotten used to the pandemic, with a lot of people out and about. The increasing number of cases, now over 100, even over 1,000, doesn't seem to create much tension. I don't intend to belittle the situation, but rather feel like it's a "now or never" moment. I haven't been able to visit this restaurant for dinner, only for lunch. It seems like they've gone back to having two chefs. I had the "Liver and Garlic Chive Stir-Fry Set Meal" (880 yen) - as shown in the photo. The cooking process seemed more dynamic than other places, with high heat and plenty of oil. The liver was fried quickly, and the overall cooking process was fast-paced. The stir-fry seemed oilier than before, with a stronger flavor. It was hot, hearty, and delicious - perfect for a satisfying meal. The portion of liver was generous, and the garlic chives and bean sprouts were fresh. It felt like a dish meant for hearty eating. It was tasty. Thank you for the meal. (By Kyonatsushuukuu, 2021.8.12)

I wanted to eat something light but also have some drinks, so I thought of Chinese food and decided to drop by this place. The atmosphere inside was mainly men in their 40s and 50s. They have counter seats where you can watch the skilled chefs cooking with the Chinese wok, which I highly recommend. The staff was kind and one of them was making fried rice. The fried eggplant dish (forgot the name) was delicious, with plenty of oil-soaked eggplants and a hint of Sichuan pepper. The dumplings were large but had a light taste, so I didn't feel too guilty eating them. I thought it would be nice to stop by again when passing by.

This shop, a little away from Ikebukuro Nishiguchi, is sometimes used for lunch. Everything I eat here is delicious!! The mapo dishes are full of Sichuan pepper, doubanjiang, etc., bright red, but easy to eat. They offer mapo tofu in either very spicy or normal. The shop's grilled dumplings are very large, as indicated by "big dumplings", but they are full of juicy meat and vegetables. They also have spicy lamb noodles and weekly changing menus. Lately, it has become so popular during lunchtime that it's hard to get in. All-you-can-eat rice is a nice touch. You'll leave feeling full!

When it comes to Ikebukuro, it's all about Chinese food! I visited this place near my workplace because I was intrigued by the big picture of gyoza on Tabelog, but ended up ordering the Mapo Tofu in extra spicy, with less rice. The extra spicy was really hot and delicious! The almond jelly helped to ease the spiciness. The numbing kind of spiciness is addictive, isn't it? Thank you for the meal!

Chuka is a restaurant that gives off the vibe of being run by a skilled chef. It is located in Ikebukuro 2-chome, near the popular Hulu-lu. It used to be a place called "Wenzhou Bao" before becoming Chuka about three years ago. I have visited for lunch multiple times and tried dishes like Kung Pao Chicken set, Liver and Leek set, and Moo Shu Pork set. This time, I tried their noodle dish for the first time, along with some pan-fried dumplings. The noodle dish was a Five-Ingredient Soup Noodle, which had a thick sauce with pork, shrimp, and plenty of vegetables. The noodles were thin and slightly curly, with a coating that gave them a good texture. The soup had a base of chicken, pork bone, and vegetable broth with a soy sauce flavor. It was served piping hot with the toppings, maintaining its temperature. The pan-fried dumplings were crispy on the outside and filled with a mix of chives and cabbage. They were delicious and came with pickles and almond jelly. The restaurant is run by a Chinese chef who works efficiently in the kitchen. The dishes are well-prepared with a good balance of heat and oil. The chef's skill in using heat and oil is evident in the flavorful dishes. I have a good impression of this local Chinese restaurant. I hope to visit for dinner sometime soon to try more of their dishes.

The mapo tofu set meal was very delicious. The numbing sensation was more intense than the spiciness. People who love super spicy food might find normal spiciness not enough.

Ikebukuro Nishiguchi. It's been a while since I went to "Hitokuchi Kaori"✨ The fried rice set with fried chicken is so juicy and the fried chicken has a strong flavor. The fried rice is irresistible✨.

Ordered fried rice. It came out super fast like magic - Jar, Kankan, Don! It was like a comedy skit. It was delicious!

Beef and glass noodle stir-fry with spiciness - the chewy glass noodles provide a satisfying texture. Spicy Sichuan-style wonton noodles - the numbing sensation of the Sichuan pepper adds a great flavor.

I often go to this restaurant. Their mapo tofu is super spicy.

The perfect balance between authentic Sichuan flavors and home-cooked taste. Not too spicy, with a hint of sweetness, and a strong kick of spiciness that hits you later. By the time you finish eating, you'll be sweating. My previous favorite mapo tofu was from the Tokai Restaurant in Hamamatsucho, but I recently discovered a mapo tofu here that might surpass it. I am truly impressed. Despite the busy lunch hour, the staff were cheerful and friendly. I would love to try other dishes on the menu as well. The mapo tofu here is incredibly delicious, but it may not be satisfying for those who prefer the Chen Mapo style in Gotanda. Thank you for the meal. I will definitely visit again.

This is a very authentic Chinese restaurant!!!