Viento Ikebukuro

The food looks great, the aroma whets the appetite, the flavour captivates: this ramen sets all five senses tingling. The word ‘Japanese’ in the shop’s name indicates that this is authentic Japan-made ramen; the name is written in Latin script to proclaim Japan’s comfort food to the world. Flavours of each region come together in a single bowl: salt ramen with shijimi and hamaguri clams; soy-sauce ramen with free-range chicken and kombu. Ceramic bowls handmade by a potter are used instead of porcelain. From ingredients to dining ware, the shop revisits the bounty and wonder of Japanese food cu

Unagi are dressed, skewered and grilled over high-grade charcoal. From the counter seats, the whole series of cooking scenes can be observed. The unagi are kept alive in purifying tanks until they are dressed, then dipped three times in sauce and grilled Edo-style. Sauce is used sparingly, letting the flavour of the fish speak for itself. Rice cooked somewhat firm, and freshly ground sansho pepper deliver a distinctive touch. Skilful restraint shows in the short steaming time and sparing use of sauce.

From the north, butter chicken; from the west, pork vindaloo; shrimp curry from the south – such a lineup of flavours from every region of India adds breadth to the joy that is Indian cooking. Tandoori chicken and vegetables are cooked using the radiant heat of a tandoor. For spices, the basic triad is cumin, coriander and turmeric. To keep the flavours of meats and vegetables at the fore, the number of spices is kept to a minimum.

With close cooperation with food producers as his creed, the chef devotes himself to his 100% buckwheat juwari soba. He only uses ingredients native to Japan, to convey the charm of old-school soba. Depending where his ingredients come from, his soba may be served on a wickerwork tray, and may be either coarse-ground or ground with husks included. His inquiring mind drives him to check each day’s soba, adjusting thickness and serving temperature according to its nature. His diligent application is raising soba to new levels, as his many regulars would agree.

‘Nakiryu’ means ‘roaring dragon’. The name is rich with meaning: it’s a reference to the dragon of Yakushido Hall in the Nikko Toshogu Shrine, to hopes for business growth, and to the couple who craft bowls of ramen together in perfect sync, both born in the Year of the Dragon. Dandan noodles create a synergy of flavours—layering meat miso, Chinese sesame paste, and chilli oil for a deep, amplified umami. Soy-sauce ramen owes its elegant flavour to its soup, drawn from whole chicken and oysters. À la carte items such as steamed chicken with spicy sauce and shrimp wontons exemplify experience w

Tonkatsu Hinata sources pork from two prestigious brands with different flavour profiles. Both are selected for the sweetness of their fat, tender meat, pleasantly firm texture, and abundant flavour. The shop buys pig carcasses whole, so it can offer a wide variety of cuts, including not only loin and tenderloin but also prime rib and rump. Order the evening prix fixe meal and you’ll enjoy the privilege of tasting rarer cuts— rump cap, pork jowl and eye-of-round— fried one after another.

Negima-nabe, a tuna and spring onion stew, is a tradition handed down since the days of the shoguns. At a time when lean meat was treasured, this stew was contrived as a way of lightening the texture of toro, the fatty cut of tuna. Enchanted with Edo-era cooking, the proprietress of Negima revived it. True to original recipes, the dish uses neither kombu nor mirin. The meal ends with ‘pepper rice’, a dish of fresh-cooked rice seasoned with broth from the pot and pepper. Sample the pure cooking that true Edo-ites have always loved.