Chabuton, Ikebukuro ちゃぶとん、池袋

Chabuton lurks on the east side of Ikebukuro station. Hit the street via the Seibu/ East exit, and cross Meiji Dōri more or less in front of Parco, head straight and you’ll find it. Not that it’s worth seeking out.

It’s part of a chain of tonkotsu rāmen shops, with tentacles in various Asia-Pacific pies, and it shows. My dining partner and I were lured in – which is to say fooled – by the counter full of what we mistakenly took for discerning rāmen eaters.

Clean, quiet – no boisterous “irasshai” as we entered – and staffed by a lone freeter. In other words, dull. The food too was note worthy only for being so humdrum. Ordering from the top end of menu (¥1,000) I went for the Chabuton-chāshūmen, while my dining partner had the smaller (¥700) Chabuton-rāmen. 

Both were very small; as soon as it was set before me I felt compelled to demand my kaedama (refill of extra noodles), which added another ¥30 of salt to the wound. Even the bowls in which they were served were small. The noodles thin, and under cooked, the chāshu pork thin, fatty and flavourless. The soup too wasn’t worth finishing off.

Chain or not, this was disappointing. Especially after Menya Tenhō.

03-3980-9272

www.chabuton.com