The restaurant boasts delicious tantanmen noodles. I wonder if the difference in taste from day to day is just my imagination. I have been back three times. I hope they put more effort into making sure the miso in the tantanmen doesn't clump together. I like the cold tantanmen menu. The photo is of the black sesame tantanmen. After going three days in a row, I got a bit tired of it... but I will still go back.

I continued with lunch in Itabashi Honcho the other day. I decided to try a restaurant that specializes in tantanmen, located a short walk from the station. Initially, I was thinking of getting a set meal, but I ended up ordering the tantanmen set recommended by the staff. Tantanmen + half fried rice for 1100 yen. I couldn't resist getting extra noodles for free. The tantanmen had thick noodles in a soup with floating chili oil and plenty of minced meat on top. The soup had a strong sesame flavor with mild spiciness. The minced meat paired well with the soup and noodles, making it easy to slurp up. The half fried rice was dark in color, possibly due to Chinese soy sauce. The taste was slightly different from Japanese fried rice, but it was moist and easy to eat. Overall, it was a satisfying set meal with good flavor and portion size.

I had been here many times before, but the menu is always so extensive that I end up being indecisive each time. Last night, I suddenly had a craving for ramen, so I decided to try the tantanmen here for the first time. The soup was sesame-based and had a rich flavor, while the noodles were thin and normal. The spiciness can be adjusted according to your preference, so even if you're not a fan of spicy food, it's okay. I wonder what I should try next, haha.

Date: 2018.10.28 (Sun) Weather: Sunny First visit Time: 14:03 Customers before: 0 Customers after: 3 Ordered dish: Soupless Black Vinegar Dan Dan Noodles - 850 yen I visited this restaurant for the first time and there were 3 customers already seated. I ordered the Soupless Black Vinegar Dan Dan Noodles as the noodle shop I initially planned to visit was sold out of soupless noodles. The menu had a wide variety of options, making it difficult to choose. I decided on the warm version of the dish. The noodles were thick and curly, with a chewy texture and a good amount of sauce coating them. The dish came out quickly, in about 4 minutes. The toppings included ground meat, cucumber, chopped green onions, and black sesame seeds. The ground meat had a slightly sweet miso flavor, while the cucumber was fresh and crunchy. The chopped green onions softened when mixed in. The sauce was a rich sesame-based dan dan sauce with a strong black vinegar flavor. It had a good level of spiciness without being too overwhelming. The portion size was generous, but I found myself wishing for some extra rice to balance out the amount of sauce. Overall, the dish had a nice balance of black vinegar and sesame flavors, with the black vinegar being the dominant taste. The menu was extensive, so it might take some time to decide on what to order. A satisfying meal indeed.

I had a great meal at this restaurant. Thank you!

The seasoning is authentic with a slight spiciness, not too strong, and quite delicious. The bean sprouts still have their roots, but they were cooked well.

This is my second time, but it's consistently delicious. There is no pork smell. It also contains bamboo shoots, eggs, and onions. It's probably just a coincidence that they all start with "Ta".

Mr. Yamasan Information - Dandan noodles without soup, available for takeout.

On September 1, 2016 (Thursday), there are three main routes from Ikebukuro to Akabane Station. The first route is to follow the Saikyo Line as straight as possible, passing through stations like Kita-Ikebukuro, Itabashi, Shimo-Itabashi, Jujo, and finally Akabane. The second route is to head north near Itabashi City Hall and follow the Metropolitan Expressway Route 5 near Ikebukuro. The third route is to take a longer route from Oyama Station when you have more time, especially on Saturdays. I discovered the second route early on and found a restaurant called "Shukoen" with a wide variety of menu items. I finally got to try it out on a Thursday night at 10:24 PM. There were 4 customers before me and 2 couples. I ordered the "Super Spicy Lettuce Fried Rice" for 780 yen after carefully considering the menu. The owner, who is from Fujian Province, China, was very friendly. Before making the dish, he asked me about the level of spiciness I wanted, and I requested it to be spicy but not too extreme. Honestly, I wished the portion was a bit larger and the taste could have been more refined. I might need to visit a few more times to fully appreciate the place. Overall, as long as the food is enjoyable, that's what matters! Thank you for the meal. 3.00 stars out of 6 reviews.

The restaurant is very eye-catching with menus posted both outside and inside. Upon entering, you are greeted by a friendly owner and the atmosphere is cozy with regular customers chatting, eating, drinking beer, watching TV, and just relaxing. I ordered the "Number 1 popular with women" dish, which was the tomato tantan noodles. Although the photo showed ramen, I opted for the cold version. The tantan noodles that arrived were surprising with a lot of tomato in it. The broth had a nutty flavor and when asked if I liked spicy, the owner sprinkled some mysterious red powder that added a nice kick to the taste. This restaurant has a wide variety of menu options, with new dishes being added regularly. I can't help but think about going back again soon. Thank you for the delicious meal!

In March 2016, I revisited this Little China restaurant located along the old Nakasendo road, three years after my initial visit. The menu had significantly expanded, making it difficult to choose from the wide variety of options. I decided to try the Tuesday set meal, which consisted of pork and mushroom stir-fry for 600 yen (tax included). The main dish, made with pork belly, wood ear mushrooms, onions, bamboo shoots, and egg, had a refined flavor. I sprinkled plenty of pepper on top and enjoyed it thoroughly. The silky smooth egg drop soup and pickled vegetables on the side were also delicious. The salad with shredded cabbage that came with the meal made the 600 yen price tag very reasonable. It was a delicious meal, and I look forward to visiting again. Goodbye for now! During my first visit in February 2013, I had lunch at this Chinese restaurant that had opened the previous summer. The small establishment had a cozy atmosphere, with only 14 seats arranged in four tables in a narrow space. The Chinese couple running the restaurant made it a truly "Little China." I ordered the Thursday special set meal, priced at 550 yen, which included a vegetable and pork stir-fry. The dish, made with cabbage, Chinese cabbage, bean sprouts, leeks, and a small amount of thinly sliced pork, had a unique flavor and punch that made it very appetizing. The leftover sauce from the stir-fry, with plenty of minced garlic and ginger floating in it, was a nice touch. The miso soup served with the meal had plenty of tofu, and it seemed that the Chinese patrons enjoyed miso soup as well. The rice quality was just passable, but the pickled vegetables served as a palate cleanser were a small delight. When I asked the lady, who I assumed was the wife, about their hometown in China, she mentioned they were from Fujian Province. This reminded me of the authentic "Fujian fried rice" I had tried at a 5-star hotel in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province. I look forward to trying the green pepper pork or sweet and sour pork set meal on my next visit. It was a delicious meal, and I bid farewell for now.

A Chinese restaurant near the Echigiri Enoki tree on the old Nakasendo road. The countless menu items displayed outside the shop leave a strong impression on passersby. Inside, the menu is also filled with options, making it hard to decide what to order. The friendly owner is well-known in the Itabashi Honcho area and has many regular customers. Their special spicy chili oil, packed in a steel container labeled "extremely spicy," is a hit with spice lovers. With a variety of affordable set meals and a flexible approach, it's easy to end up lingering at this restaurant. It's a place where you'll want to try out all the menu items while enjoying a drink.

It is located near the famous "Enkirienoki" on the Old Nakasendo, starting from Itabashi-Honcho Station on the Toei Subway Mita Line. I was looking for a late lunch and happened to come across this place while walking from Itabashi-Honcho towards Nakajuku on the Old Nakasendo. This area is known as the Upper Juku of the Itabashi 3 Jukus, with Nakajuku being the closest to the ward office and well-known, and the area closer to Shimo-Itabashi Station being called Shimojuku. Itabashi-juku is one of the Edo 4 Jukus, with the Honjin located in Nakajuku, and the other 3 jukus being Shinagawa-juku, Naito Shinjuku (Koshu Kaido), and Senju-juku (Oshu Kaido), where there were also inns with government-approved female servers. I won't touch on the topic of female servers here, but it's something that adults would understand. I wasn't sure how to pronounce the name of the restaurant, but the variety of menus displayed outside caught my attention, so I decided to go in. There were so many options on the menu... Among them, what stood out to me was the "Chinese-style sandwich," with choices of chicken, pork belly, and pork shoulder loin sandwiched between toasted bread. After much deliberation, and due to the heat, I opted for the Cold Tan Tan Men without black vinegar soup for 850 yen. The Chinese owner was friendly and we had a nice chat. I wish I could have a beer if the situation allowed it. The "Cold Tan Tan Men without black vinegar soup" arrived, and since black vinegar was used, the visual was dark (of course...). The toppings were thinly sliced cucumber and minced meat only. The cold sauce had a slight sesame flavor extended with black vinegar, but the spiciness was not very strong. There was a hint of Sichuan pepper as well. Despite that, the overall balance was good, and when I mentioned that I wanted a bit more spice, they brought me some extremely spicy chili oil, which added a punch of spiciness and enhanced the flavor. However, the noodles were too cold as they had been rinsed too much in cold water, so even though it was a cold dish, it felt too cold... The noodles had a slightly rough texture. It was a hot day, so I had the Cold Tan Tan Men without black vinegar soup, but based on the content, I think the version with warm soup would have been more delicious... I realized that there is an optimal temperature for noodles!! Besides noodles, there were various other menu options, and I thought it would be great to enjoy a variety of dishes with some drinks.

When I was wandering around killing time, I stumbled upon this shop!! And it was during service time!! I asked the owner, "Is it okay if I just have a light drink?" and then I was drawn into the shop like a magnet... (^^;; Draft beer for 300 yen *with appetizers First, I quenched my thirst while looking around the shop... The menu was quite extensive and, moreover, the prices were cheap! I was undecided on what to order, but since I had plans afterwards, I decided to go light. Menma for 200 yen, Zasai for 150 yen. It was too light, wasn't it? (^^;; The owner mentioned that the Zasai is prepared by further seasoning the sourced ingredients, making it mild and easy to eat. The owner is from a country where they say "Ni hao," but they are quite proficient in Japanese! Sometimes they use strange expressions, so I go "???" but the regular customers around me help interpret them (^^;; With a diverse menu, a talkative owner, and friendly regulars, I thought, "If there's a shop like this nearby, I would probably hang out there a lot!!" I recommend it to those who are nearby ＼(^o^)／ Thank you for the meal m(_ _)m

It's a shop I happened to stop by. I tried the recommended tomato tantan noodles by the owner. The sweetness of the tomato and the spiciness of the tantan noodles were just right and very delicious! The seasoning seemed to be popular among female customers. I also ordered the Ban Ban Ji as a side menu, and the sesame flavor was delicious. If I have the opportunity to go to Nakajuku again, I would definitely like to go back. They also have wine available, so it seems like a place where you can have a drinking party. Thank you for the meal!

There was nothing particularly delicious about the Thursday dish. It felt like something I could easily make myself. To be honest, I think it would be better to change to a different menu. It seems like they tried too hard to cater to Japanese tastes because it was a lunch menu. I think a dish that is more like Fujian cuisine would be tastier and also help the restaurant stand out. With so many options on the menu, there's no need to just serve this meat and vegetable stir-fry.