◆Ikebukuro is not an area unknown for its outstanding dishes, but I had no idea that a restaurant like this existed. It turns out that it has been in business for 44 years. The most popular menu item during this season is the anglerfish hot pot. It is served consistently from October to March. On this day, a magnificent 9kg anglerfish from Hokkaido was hanging, looking impressive with its meat and plenty of liver. This restaurant's anglerfish hot pot is not the typical miso-based "dobu-nabe," but a style where the fish is cooked in water and served with homemade ponzu sauce. The firm texture of the meat, the gelatinous skin, and the flavorful liver, all with a subtle seasoning, allow the natural taste of the ingredients to shine through in a light and elegant way. The egg rice porridge soaked in the rich anglerfish broth was deeply delicious, and the refreshing Mitsuba leaves added a nice touch. ◆Menu for this visit: - Appetizer - Sliced horse mackerel - Anglerfish liver - Shirako (milt) with ponzu sauce and grated daikon radish - Oysters with butter - Stir-fried scallops with leeks - Anglerfish hot pot (for 3 people) - Egg rice porridge - 4 bottles of beer, 6 cups of sake (for 4 people) - Total cost per person: 6900 yen (dinner) ◆How to enjoy this restaurant: <Profile> A long-established Japanese restaurant with over 40 years of history. While the specialty is the anglerfish hot pot, they also offer a variety of other seafood dishes. <Ordering> You can order dishes individually. The signature anglerfish hot pot is 3000 yen per person for one serving, cheaper for two servings. The hot pot menu changes with the seasons, and they also offer leek and chicken hot pot and chicken hot pot. <Atmosphere> The restaurant has a reserved appearance that may seem intimidating at first. However, once inside, the friendly Taiwanese female owner will warmly welcome you. ◆Source of information: Found on Instagram, and it was a delightful meal - Thank you!

Ikebukuro is located towards the east exit, behind P'Parco, and is a shop with a hanging banner of Sado's famous sake, Kitayuki. I had passed by it many times before, but my first visit was last year towards the end of the year. I heard rumors about being able to eat anglerfish hot pot in Ikebukuro, so I decided to check it out. It was nice to see the anglerfish hanging in the kitchen. The anglerfish hot pot here is different from the styles in Oarai or Mito, more like a tetchiri style where you dip it in ponzu sauce. It was said to be easy to eat, and when I tried it, I was surprised by this eating style. It may not be the thick soup you expect, but it was delicious in its own way. The negima hot pot seems to be available all year round. There are other types of hot pots as well, so it's great for the cold winter with some Kitayuki. Besides hot pots, they also have sashimi and other dishes. The owner, who is from Taiwan, mentioned that they also serve Chinese cuisine. They even gave me a souvenir to take home, and I was happy to discover a unique small restaurant in Ikebukuro that is not easy to come by!

Three days ago, I made a reservation over the phone and visited with one other person. We were seated at the counter seats, with a counter in front of us and two seats in the back. The restroom is located nearby. The menu is handwritten, and it seems they don't have a menu for each seat, so new customers are given the menu to share. The drink options are not listed on the menu, so you have to ask the owner. We were served a small appetizer before ordering a few dishes. The monkfish liver and chicken karaage were delicious, and the horse mackerel sashimi with plenty of green onions was also tasty. They provided separate chopsticks for each dish. They had three types of sake available, including Sado's Kitayuki, but they only served it warm, not chilled. Many people ordered the monkfish hot pot, and it was interesting to watch them prepare it at the table. The staff was friendly and attentive, engaging in conversation and even offering to take photos for us. The monkfish hot pot came with a simple dashi broth, and you dip the monkfish in ponzu sauce before eating. The portion of monkfish and vegetables before cooking was generous, but the meat was a bit hard to eat due to the bones and the way it was cut. We also ordered the extra option of turning the remaining broth into a porridge, which was very filling. Even when monkfish is not available, they offer other types of hot pot. The total cost for two people was around 18,000 yen, which was a bit on the expensive side considering the amount we ate and drank.

When it comes to delicious anglerfish hot pot, Tanabe-san's restaurant is the best! The anglerfish is freshly cut by the owner, and the salt hot pot is prepared by the chef. The anglerfish meat is firm and tasty, full of collagen! Cooked in kelp broth, it is served with homemade ponzu sauce for a refreshing taste. It is so delicious! For the finishing touch, add an egg to make a porridge. The rich flavor of the anglerfish broth makes it gentle and delicious! We also ordered eggplant miso, and red snapper head stew, both of which were incredibly tasty. Perfect for pairing with drinks! The eggplant miso is made with homemade miso sauce, deep-fried to perfection, and incredibly juicy and delicious. The red snapper head stew is full of flavor and absolutely delicious! As a souvenir, we received Inari sushi, which we enjoyed at home. It was also delicious, with salmon roe and herring roe inside. This was a first for me! The fried tofu was also very tasty. Thank you for the wonderful meal! We left feeling warm and satisfied. Anglerfish hot pot is only available in winter and usually fully booked, but due to shortened hours this year, there are hardly any customers. So, for those who have never been, now is a great time to go and I highly recommend it.

The sashimi platter with two fresh oysters (900 yen) and the miso-grilled beef (1000 yen) were delicious. The oysters here are really good value for money. I also tried the sashimi platter that I was curious about last time. It was luxurious and fresh. On the way home, the owner gave me a gift of red rice. I was so happy.

Harasu (700), homemade shiokara (300), 2 rock oysters (900), horse mackerel sashimi (800), crab miso (300), medium fatty tuna (1200). The smoked harasu is so flavorful and goes perfectly with sake. The shiokara is rich in flavor and pairs well with alcohol. The medium fatty tuna is top quality and worth the price. The rock oysters are huge and creamy, with no bitterness. The horse mackerel sashimi is generous in portion and delicious with alcohol. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, with friendly regular customers. The regular customers even paid for our meal, which was incredibly kind. I will definitely come back to try the monkfish and homemade ankimo in October.

Today, I went to a restaurant with a friend. It was a place recommended by my friend, and since it's winter, we decided to try anglerfish hot pot in advance. As we sat at the counter, we saw large anglerfish from Hokkaido hanging there, which was quite impressive. We ordered the following dishes: - Crab miso for 300 yen: Pure crab miso without any mix-ins, perfect with sake! - Amberjack sashimi for 700 yen: Rich in fat and satisfyingly thick slices. - Mackerel for 800 yen: Perfectly marinated, delicious even half raw. - Monkfish liver for 800 yen: Homemade and melts in your mouth without any unpleasant smell. A must-order dish! - Oyster butter for 800 yen: Large juicy oysters sautéed in butter. The milky and juicy oysters with the buttery flavor were irresistible. - Horse mackerel sashimi for 800 yen: Fresh horse mackerel without any fishy smell. Refreshing with green onions and ginger, no complaints here. - Fried anglerfish for 1,500 yen: Deep-fried anglerfish that you can eat all the way to the bone. The chewy meat and collagen were the real deal. - Anglerfish hot pot for 3,000 yen: Unlike the miso-based hot pot I've had before, this one was made with kombu dashi and served with homemade ponzu. The clear umami of the anglerfish was exceptional. The melt-in-your-mouth meat, jelly-like collagen, and the enhanced flavor of monkfish liver when cooked further were amazing. To finish, we had porridge, which was irresistible with its collagen-infused broth and egg topping. It was a feast! The anglerfish hot pot made me question all the ones I've had before. As we left, we received pickled vegetables and inari sushi as souvenirs. What a treat! It seems this restaurant hasn't been updated on Tabelog for a while, but I can't believe such a hidden gem exists. This place is a must-visit for enjoying anglerfish to the fullest.

Ankou hot pot. The standard is miso, but this one is in sukiyaki style. The appetizers are delicious too. You can also see the ankou being cut, which adds to the fun and excitement. The owner's personality is also lovely.

The couple running the restaurant are still getting along well and the atmosphere is nice. The place is relaxing like being at home. We enjoyed a delicious meal with fresh tuna from Oma.

The cost performance was bad.

The quality is high for the price.

I felt like having some sake impulsively, so I entered a restaurant called "Daisuke Kappo Tanabe," run by the chef and the female owner in Sado. The restaurant has counter seats and a raised seating area in the back, with customers at both places. The aged wooden menu board adds a nostalgic touch, while the fresh menu items are listed separately in a handwritten style. I started with a bottle of beer while considering the menu, and ended up ordering the fried whale and the mackerel sashimi. The whale had a slight fishy smell but was delicious, while the mackerel was elegantly flavored with a strong wasabi kick. It definitely paired better with sake than beer. I added a hot sake (one cup) and requested it to be served hot. The sake, "Hokketsu" from Saga, had a slightly sticky texture when served lukewarm, but was perfect when served hot. The chef had a 9kg monkfish hanging behind the counter, and when I asked if it was for ankimo, he confirmed it with a smile. The homemade ankimo was steamed and seasoned, and it was unbelievably tender and creamy, with a rich flavor that was balanced by the grated radish. It paired excellently with the hot sake. It was a career-best dish for me, and I couldn't resist ordering another round of sake. I'm already looking forward to coming back with friends to try the monkfish hot pot. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

In May 2013, I visited Tanabe-san in Higashi-Ikebukuro. Exiting Ikebukuro Station East Exit, turning left onto Meiji Street, before the Bic Camera main store, in front of the Sumitomo Bank building, turning left into the alley, walking along the railway tracks, passing by the mountain climbing equipment store Hidesan, and taking the middle road at the three-way intersection, you will find it on the right side. At the entrance, there is a sign for Sado sake and a Nokisudare curtain for Kitayuki. Upon opening the sliding door and entering, there is a straight counter, and the back is a tatami room. During my visit, there were 2 people at the counter and 3 people in the tatami room. The owners, a husband and wife perhaps, served me a bottle of Super Dry beer, with a Skytree label on the medium-sized bottle. The appetizers were marinated seaweed with mayonnaise and potato salad, which was a creamy type with onions, very delicious. The homemade pickled mackerel was just right and tasty. When it comes to pickled mackerel, you must have sake, and the owner is from Sado. I enjoyed the Sado sake, Kitayuki, at room temperature, which had a smooth and easy-to-drink taste. For snacks, we also had fried whale meat, which was well-seasoned and delicious even when eaten as is. I haven't had fried whale meat in a while, so it was a treat. I had another refill of Kitayuki sake. The owner quietly prepared the dishes, while the mother chatted cheerfully with the customers. Tanabe, a quaint pub with a lot of character, is a great place. Thank you for the meal.

~Revisit on October 11, 2011~ 8.6kg Anko Hot Pot Dinner The last time I introduced the anko hot pot dinner at "Tanabe" in Ikebukuro, it was my father's favorite restaurant. This time, the master approached my father saying, "We got a 8.6kg anko, how about it?" which led to my father inviting me to go together. It was not just an anko hot pot, but the first hot pot of the season. From the appetizer of ankimo to the anko feast, Tanabe offers a variety of delicious dishes. The glistening anko liver was surprisingly large in size. In addition to the anko hot pot, you must try the "anko tempura" when you visit Tanabe. Coated in homemade ponzu sauce, it is light and delicious, and you can eat as much as you want. It was so good that my father even gave some as a souvenir. The anko hot pot was satisfyingly delicious, and the anko was tender and succulent. The hot pot was perfect for warming up in the winter, and the meal ended with a delicious ochazuke. Tanabe is the place to thoroughly enjoy anko. Don't forget to say hi to my father when you visit for the hanging cut of anko. ~Initial Visit~ "We got some good anko, how about an anko hot pot?" My father was approached by the owner of his favorite restaurant near Ikebukuro station. With my father's call to "let's go eat an anko hot pot," we gathered in Ikebukuro and suddenly found ourselves at my father's favorite restaurant, "Tanabe." Tanabe is a small izakaya located along the tracks near Ikebukuro East Exit, run by a husband and wife who serve dishes made with seasonal ingredients. The sashimi platter (for 2 people) is filled with fresh fish from Tsukiji, such as tuna, mackerel, yellowtail, etc. The hanging cut of anko and anko hot pot were ordered, and the hanging cut of anko began right in front of us. It was the first time I had seen it in person, and it was quite a sight. The anko liver was impressive in size and weight. The anko tempura, made from the freshly cut anko, was delicious with its original sweet vinegar sauce. The anko hot pot was generously filled with anko meat and liver, along with fresh vegetables. The soup, made with kelp stock, was filled with plenty of anko. The gentle explanation by the wife made the dining experience even more enjoyable.

A quiet shop tucked away on a back street. When considering the food and cost performance, this might be the best Japanese restaurant in Ikebukuro in my opinion. "Tanabe" is the name of the place. It's an old, weathered shop with the word "kappo" on the curtain, which might make younger people hesitate to enter, but it's actually very affordable. Sashimi starts from around 700 yen, and there are dishes for as low as 300 yen. The shop is run by a quiet master and a talkative hostess, with a small counter and one tatami room. The customers are mostly older, calm individuals. The counter seat in this cozy shop is perfect for enjoying a drink alone. It's my hidden gem. And during the winter, there's a spectacular performance! They perform a hanging cut of a 10-kilogram anglerfish (the image shows a 6-kilogram one) right in front of the counter. The anglerfish hot pot costs 3,000 yen per person (more expensive than the 2-person portion). After enjoying sashimi and other dishes, I plan to go there soon. The anglerfish hot pot here is finished with porridge, so it's a different taste experience from miso flavor or dobu-jiru. I want to try the sashimi as well, so I'm planning to invite someone to go with me. Actually, there are many good restaurants in Ikebukuro.