Keika Ramen Ikebukuro East at Ikebukuro, Tokyo

Kumamoto-style tonkotsu ramen on Ikebukuro East Side, from a brand founded in 1955.

Keika Ramen Ikebukuro East is a branch of the Keika ramen brand, which traces its roots back to 1955 and is credited with sparking Tokyo's tonkotsu ramen boom when it arrived from Kumamoto in 1968. The Ikebukuro East shop opened on 30 March 2022 on the ground floor of the Stack Ikebukuro building. Its signature bowl pairs medium-thick, firm straight noodles with a pork bone and chicken paitan broth, finished with a drizzle of garlic oil known as maayu. The menu centres on the classic Keika ramen and the popular "tainiku men", which tops the noodles with tender braised pork belly. Seasoning relies on Akou salt, and toppings include homemade chashu, seasoned egg, menma, stem wakame and spring onion. Hours run from 11am to 10:30pm, making it a convenient option for both lunch and dinner. For a taste of Kumamoto's ramen heritage in the centre of Ikebukuro, Keika delivers decades of broth-making know-how in every bowl. Slip into a seat, slurp the rich, aromatic soup and see why this brand became a Tokyo tonkotsu pioneer.