好餃子 東武池袋店 at Ikebukuro, Tokyo

A gyoza specialist in Tobu Ikebukuro's basement, frying chewy-skinned dumplings with a crisp, golden base.

Haochaozu holds its place on the B2F food floor of Tobu Department Store Ikebukuro, where it specialises in gyoza with a soft, chewy skin and a crisp, fragrant base. The counter fries each batch to order, and the signature HAO gyoza combines domestic pork and domestic cabbage with Aomori garlic and Kochi ginger for a clean, savoury bite. The line-up stretches well beyond the classic, with shiso gyoza wrapping a whole leaf of green perilla inside, nira gyoza packed with fragrant Chinese chives, and a richer black-pig gyoza made with Kagoshima pork. Everything is available to take away, and the brand's online shop ships frozen gyoza nationwide for those who want to restock at home. It suits shoppers after a quick, satisfying supper or a freezer fill-up. Honest, consistent and unmistakably gyoza-focused, Haochaozu does one thing across its branches and does it with steady craft. The counter staff keep the line moving even at busy times, and the dumplings travel home with their crunch intact. It is a dependable stop for anyone who believes a good gyoza is worth its own dedicated shop.