A note on the words: karashibi is the shop’s own coinage — kara, chilli heat, plus shibi, the tongue-numbing buzz of Sichuan pepper — and both are ordered to taste, with oni-mashi (“demon extra”) the level above extra; sansho is the Japanese pepper that produces that numbness; chashu is the braised pork laid on the bowl. Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto, mentioned in passing, is a Tokyo ramen chain built on chilli heat. Prices are as of this writing (August 2026).
Karashibi Miso Ramen Kikanbou, Ikebukuro branch, on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
I want to eat something good today as well. This is Hangover Meshi. Kikanbou! It has been in Ikebukuro a good while now.
I went to the original shop in Kanda years ago. Because it is extremely good.
As someone who likes hot food I am full of the wish to go regularly —
— but the Ikebukuro branch is enormously popular. There is always a fierce queue, and more often than not I give up.
“It will be queued out, no doubt,” I thought, and went to take a look…
A line of about eight people.
Eight — is that not remarkably few? Twenty or more is far more usual.
The feeling that I might not mind queuing rose up, and queue I did.
Karashibi miso ramen, 1,080 yen
Meaty karashibi miso ramen, 2,320 yen
Karashibi miso ramen with seasoned egg, 1,280 yen
Karashibi miso ramen with coriander, 1,370 yen
I do not think I had seen the meaty karashibi miso ramen before, though the coriander and the deluxe versions may well have been there all along.
First buy a meal ticket, hand it to the staff, then join the queue.
Kikanbou means the system where you choose kara, the heat, and shibi, the numbing, anywhere from none to extra.
There is an oni-mashi option beyond that, which costs extra.
It had been a while, so I went a little strong: kara at extra, shibi at oni-mashi.
(I asked whether a smaller portion of noodles was possible; it was, so I took that too.)
One way and another I queued about fifteen minutes.
My turn at last, and inside. It is all counter seats. A little after sitting down, the ramen arrives.
There!
Karashibi miso ramen, extra kara, oni-mashi shibi, small noodles.
Look at all that sansho powder. The kara is at extra as well, but there is not so much chilli on it.
One mouthful and, yes, this is good.
The sansho is working, but is oni-mashi really only this? The extra kara does not feel hot at all, either.
My memory of the first visit is of something hotter and sharper, but perhaps I have eaten so much Nakamoto that I have grown used to it.
Whatever the degree, the kara and the shibi come through clearly from the first mouthful. On a base of dense miso broth, the sharp heat of chilli and the buzzing numbness of Sichuan pepper are layered, and it is not merely stimulating — there is a firm savour to it as well.
A thoroughly addictive bowl, I think.
The thick-cut chashu, more like braised pork belly, falls apart tenderly and does good work absorbing the sting of the broth.
The thick, firm noodles are not overwhelmed by the heavy broth, and the presence of the wheat spreads as you chew.
One thing and another and the spoon would not stop; I drank a good deal of the broth.
Karashibi miso ramen after a long gap. Very good indeed. Anyone who likes it hot must go. Nakamoto is good in its own way, but karashibi miso expresses “hot” by a different approach. Related, but a different thing. I like both of these bowls a great deal. If I had one wish, it would be that Kikanbou opened more shops so that getting in were easier.
I will certainly go again — and try to pick a quiet moment.
Karashibi Miso Ramen Kikanbou, Ikebukuro branch (Ramen / Ikebukuro Station, Higashi-Ikebukuro Station, Toden Zoshigaya Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
