I pass by this restaurant almost every day, but I have only visited once before. I didn't feel like it quite matched my taste. There used to be a slightly chubby woman doing the advertising outside, and I absolutely loved her voice - it was so clear and captivating. I was intrigued to see that the restaurant was offering black sesame tantanmen, so I decided to give it a try. You can choose the level of spiciness, and I opted for the normal level. The dish was quite authentic and the spiciness was noticeable. However, the sauce was way too salty, to the point where it felt like it needed to be eaten with rice as a side dish. It wasn't about the spiciness or numbing sensation, but the overwhelming saltiness of the sauce. I almost finished the dish before informing the staff about it, but I should have raised the issue earlier and asked for a remake. There was almost half the amount of sauce left in the bowl after I finished eating. When I first saw the dish, it was labeled as soupless, but it seemed to have a small amount of soup - little did I know it was actually an abundant amount of sauce. I've had a similar experience with a Taiwanese mixed noodles dish at a company cafeteria before, where I complained and received a second bowl. I suspect that the problem lies in inadequate instructions on how to make the sauce, and the lack of thorough taste testing of the final product. Perhaps the cook dislikes spicy food and didn't check thoroughly after making it. I will check back soon to see if there have been any improvements. If not, I will offer to have it remade.

The place was not too crowded, so I quickly purchased my menu with a meal ticket and handed it to the staff. The restaurant was lively with a mix of people dining solo or in groups of up to five. I ordered the evening ramen with spicy green onions as a topping for around 1400 yen. The taste was good, with tender and tasty chashu, but not outstanding enough to make a special trip for. The cut of the green onions was a bit sloppy, which was disappointing. It was quite spicy, so it may be too much for some people. There were garlic, pickled ginger, and sesame seeds on the table for self-service, which could be good for those who like to use a lot. The interior of the restaurant was relatively clean and inviting, and with the meal ticket system, it is recommended for individuals as well as large groups like friends or families.

I went to the Ikebukuro Sunshine Street store and tried the Ajitama Ban Kara for 1,080 yen on my first day at the office in Ikebukuro Sunshine. I love Ban Kara, and I have been to several locations such as the main store, Shinjuku, Akihabara, and Meidaimae, but this store is the most delicious. The sweet and rich Tokyo Tonkotsu with the umami of back fat. It's addictive. Since I had work in the afternoon, I didn't add garlic. #BanKara #IkebukuroSunshineStreetStore #BanKaraRamen #TokyoTonkotsu #PersonalGourmetMemo #FoodMemo.

First visit. I missed out on trying the Hikaru Collab Misoru last time, but decided to go this time since the Shin Misoru was available. Ordered the Shin Misoru with ajitama topping and extra noodles. I wasn't expecting much, but it was really delicious. The addition of back fat is a personal preference, and the flavor is on the stronger side. It may be a hit or miss for some, but personally, it ranks in the top 3 of the miso ramen I've had recently.

Since the ramen shop I wanted to visit was closed, I looked around and found many ramen shops in this area. I decided to try this one because they had a menu collaboration with a popular YouTuber, which seemed interesting. It seems to be a chain called Bankara, and this was my first time trying it. I ordered the Braised Pork Belly Miso Ramen. It was priced at 1600 yen, which may be due to the collaboration. The pork belly was large and there was plenty of bean sprouts, so I left feeling full. The taste was average.

I arrived around 7:30 PM on a regular weekday and it wasn't very crowded, so I was seated right away. I bought a meal ticket, sat down, and the staff came to collect the ticket stub. The ramen arrived in about 10 minutes. The price of a ramen with a boiled egg was 1030 yen, which is typical for Tokyo. The flavor was a bit strong for my liking, but it was delicious.

I went to a ramen shop in Ikebukuro's east exit (Sunshine Street) for the first time in a while. I ordered the popular "Kakuni Bankara," which is known for its rich tonkotsu soy sauce broth with plenty of pork fat and a large piece of simmered pork belly. The soup is thick and sweet with a generous amount of pork fat, and the large, tender simmered pork belly is absolutely delicious. This ramen is something I crave every now and then.

This is the Ikebukuro Higashi-guchi branch of the popular ramen chain "Tokyo Tonkotsu Ramen Bankara," which was born in Ikebukuro in February 1998 and now has 30 stores in the Kanto region and 9 stores overseas. The location is about a 6-minute walk from JR Ikebukuro Station East Exit. It is located on a side street off Sunshine Street, surrounded by famous ramen shops in a fiercely competitive ramen district. It is rare to find a ramen shop in this area that is open until the next morning. I visited for the first time in a few years after a drinking party around 11 pm on a weekday. There was no line outside. The store was about 30% full. I was guided by a foreign staff member who was calling out outside to the ticket machine right inside the store. Even before looking at the menu on the ticket machine, I selected the popular Braised Pork Bankara for ¥1,150 and sat at an available counter seat. The store has 20 counter seats, 1 table with 9 seats, and 3 tables with 4 seats each, with a relatively large capacity. At this time, most of the customers were young people or office workers returning from drinking parties. The ramen was served in about 10 minutes. First, I tried the soup. It was a rich tonkotsu soy sauce soup with plenty of lard. The soy sauce flavor was quite strong. However, I didn't feel much richness in the soup. I crushed the garlic on the table and added it in. Yes, this is definitely a must! However, this garlic crusher, which I occasionally see, is frankly troublesome. It gets clogged up just by adding one piece... The noodles were medium-thick curly noodles cooked soft. The compatibility with the soup was decent, but there was nothing particularly noteworthy about them. The braised pork I was looking forward to was disappointing. It was tough and lacked the juiciness of the meat. Despite being advertised as a specialty prepared at each store, the price was high, the meatiness was lacking, and it was disappointing. Perhaps because the company has grown too big, the cost performance has worsened, and the excitement from over a decade ago was not there. As mentioned in other reviews, I also felt that the level of customer service from the staff had dropped significantly. Thank you for the meal. 🚶‍♂️

I revitalized my exhausted body with a rich pork bone broth soup. I could freely add garlic on top of it, allowing me to enjoy changing flavors until the end. However, I was slightly bothered by the employees chatting in front of the counter the whole time.

I tried the collaboration ramen by YouTuber Hikaru and Bankara, with miso and rice (including tax, 1,200 yen). The flavor was rich and paired perfectly with the rice, so I finished it all in no time. It was a limited-time menu for one month, so I'm glad I got to try it. Thank you for the meal! 🍜🍚

The shop is clean and I think it's nice✨ I visited for the first time to try the collaboration ramen with Hikaru, and it only took 5 minutes to be served. But wait, there is a strange smell of old vegetables. Well, maybe it's just my imagination, so I decided to eat it... The broth smells like shrimp, but it's very light. And because it's so light, is it really miso flavor? I'm not sure. Rice was served with it, but I don't need it because the flavor is too light. I feel like something was forgotten to be added. I'm really sorry, but it didn't taste like miso ramen at all. I'm truly sorry.

I wanted to try a ramen that is typical of the Kanto region, so I searched on Tabelog and visited this place. I arrived around 1:30 pm and there were about 7 people in line. However, the turnover was fast and I only had to wait for about 5 minutes. The ramen that was served to me had a thick, opaque soup as expected, which got me excited (lol). The noodles were medium thickness and slightly firm, and the flavor matched the appearance with soy sauce tonkotsu that clung to the noodles. I couldn't stop eating and finished it easily. Since I had just finished my health check-up, I also ordered a mini braised pork rice bowl, and the soft-boiled egg complemented the dish well, making it surprisingly light and a perfect match with the ramen! Thank you for the meal!

I went to a ramen shop late at night because I was craving it. The location is a bit sketchy, but it's not too far from the station so it's accessible. The floor was a bit sticky and the customers seemed a little intimidating, but there were also women there so I felt somewhat safe. I had their recommended braised pork ramen, which was rich and topped with plenty of pork belly. It was sinful but delicious. The pork belly was so filling that I left with a full stomach, but I enjoyed it until the end. Thank you for the meal!

The shop is located one street off Sunshine Street. I had the Ban Kara ramen. The sweetness of the back fat balanced out the spiciness of the soy sauce in the soup, which paired well with the curly noodles. The shop itself is quite small, giving a cozy atmosphere while eating.

I visited a ramen restaurant in Ikebukuro during the day, located a little off Sunshine Street. I don't usually go to such places, but I decided to try it since I was short on time. I bought a ticket for the "Chashu Banban" for 1,170 yen. The chashu was surprisingly delicious. The soup seemed a bit greasy, but overall, it wasn't bad. Thank you for the meal.

I went to Ikebukuro for work and was invited by a colleague to try Tokyo-style tonkotsu ramen at a place called "Tokyo Tonkotsu". I bought a ticket from the machine for the recommended "sankoiichi" ramen, which had seaweed and thick slices of meat on top. It cost 1,370 yen, which seemed a bit expensive for tonkotsu ramen in Tokyo. The ramen had a rich and creamy broth with plenty of green onions, and the thin noodles had a nice chewy texture. Despite the initial hesitation, the meat was tender and easy to chew. The aroma and flavor of the soup were quite refined, giving off a true Tokyo tonkotsu vibe. I thought about getting an extra serving of noodles, but the staff was not easily accessible, so I didn't bother. Overall, it was a tonkotsu ramen place that would appeal to a wide range of people in the city.

The pork belly ramen is 1,150 yen. The pork bone soup is creamy with a strong sweetness, and there is no unpleasant smell. The pork belly is soft and tender with a strong sweetness. I have been a customer since the opening in 2005, even though I only visit once a year. Please continue to provide enjoyable experiences for a long time to come.

The other day, on my way back from drinking in Ikebukuro, I suddenly felt like eating miso ramen and looked it up, and found that Bankara was the closest one. This place has many branches in different locations and is a popular restaurant. The miso flavor, noodles, and soup were amazing! I will definitely visit again!

I visited around 19:00. The restaurant was about half full. I bought tonkotsu ramen and mini negi pork rice at the ticket machine near the entrance. I sat at the counter, handed in a free ajitama ticket that was being distributed on Sunshine Street, and requested firm noodles with extra noodles. After a few minutes of waiting, my bowl of ramen arrived. The noodles were thin and curly, similar to Hakata noodles. They had a firm texture at first, but became quite soft towards the end. The soup was a tonkotsu-based shirataki with a smooth texture. It had no unpleasant smell and was relatively light. However, it was quite salty. The broth became increasingly salty towards the end. The toppings included tender chashu, green onions, seaweed, wood ear mushrooms, and a sweet-flavored ajitama from the free topping coupon. The mini negi pork rice had green onions, seaweed, and a minced meat-like topping instead of chashu, with a sweet flavor. Overall, this was perhaps the first time I had a white tonkotsu-based ramen with floating fat. However, it was too salty for my taste. The noodles also softened relatively quickly, possibly due to my sensitive tongue. Therefore, I would recommend the evening shift for those interested.

From Tokyo Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen Bankara: - Flavored egg Bankara ¥950 - Seaweed ¥100 - Small white rice ¥120 Returning home from my parents' house. The final stop of the highway bus is Ikebukuro. Bankara is always the go-to choice! Even though the main store is closer from the exit, I always forget and end up going to the east exit store (laughs). The ticket machine is high-tech! It even supports cashless payments and barcode payments! I wish all ramen shops had this! My wallet is basically just for ramen shops! (laughs) There is a lot of soup and the ingredients are hardly visible (even the flavored egg was sunk, but I managed to lift it with lotus root (laughs)). The sweet tonkotsu shoyu soup has a lot of pork fat. I changed the taste halfway through with garlic sesame and sweet pickled ginger. It goes well with white rice. I'll come back again on my next return trip home! #IkebukuroGourmet #TokyoTonkotsuShoyuBankara #Bankara #IkebukuroEastExitStore #BankaraRamenIkebukuroEastExitStore #PersonalGourmetMemo #FoodDiary

Ramen battleground! Ikebukuro! I've been a fan of Bankara Ramen since my twenties. Their ramen is perfect for finishing off a meal, curing a hangover, or enjoying after a night of drinking. The hearty ramen is always delicious, especially the one at Sunshine Street. Despite the long lines at Kikanbo and Hanada, I always end up choosing Bankara. My go-to order is always the same. This time, I ordered the Spicy Negi Bankara for 1,030 yen, and my husband got the Braised Pork Bankara with extra spicy negi and seaweed topping for 1,430 yen. We both love garlic, so we grate a few cloves onto the ramen, sprinkle some sesame seeds, and then enjoy the perfect combination of garlic, sesame, and spicy negi with the soup. Even though I know the soup has a bit of sweetness, I always end up slurping it all up. We came to Ikebukuro craving ramen, but after hesitating at the long lines of Kikanbo and Hanada, we ended up at a seafood izakaya chain for drinks and filled our stomachs. However, we couldn't resist the ramen craving and ended up having Bankara as our closing meal, which was satisfying.