Ramen Butayama Ikebukuro Nishiguchi (West Exit) belongs to Ramen Butayama, a chain serving "Jiro-style" ramen — extra-thick noodles, chunky braised pork, and a mountain of vegetables — in a format built to be approachable. It is run by Gift Holdings, a Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime-listed company also behind the Yokohama-iekei chain Machida Shoten. One minute from Exits C1a/C1b of Ikebukuro Station (per the official site) and open until 2 a.m., it works both as a first Jiro-style bowl and as a late-night stop.

What kind of shop is it?

Butayama runs 55 stores nationwide across nine prefectures including Tokyo and Kanagawa (as of July 2026, per the official store list). The official site describes the soup as a sweet-salty aged broth made with large quantities of carefully selected pork and pork bones, its umami deepened by the yobimodoshi method of folding finished broth back into the next batch, and the thick "washi-washi" noodles as 100% Ōshon wheat flour with no additives other than kansui (the alkaline water used in ramen noodles). In a genre dominated by independent shops with unwritten ordering rules, Butayama publishes its sizes and free-topping portions on the official site — which makes it easy for first-timers to prepare, and is why we chose it for this guide.

The Ikebukuro Nishiguchi branch is a compact shop with 14 counter seats. It also offers takeout (brothless ramen, chashu pork, frozen ramen) and delivery via Butayama Delivery and Uber Eats (per the official store page).

What to order

Ordering uses Japan's meal-ticket (shokken) system: you buy a ticket for your order and hand it to the staff. The basic ramen comes in three sizes: Mini with 125g of noodles (¥950), Sho/small with 250g (¥1,000), and Dai/large with 375g (¥1,100). The official site notes the "small" is about as big as a large at an ordinary ramen shop, so mini or small is the safe first order. Other staples are "Buta" (5 slices of pork, ¥1,250 for small), "Buta Double" (8 slices), and "Shirunashi", a brothless bowl tossed in tare (from ¥1,050). All prices are brand-standard as of July 2026 and may vary by store.

Free toppings are requested via the "call": just before your bowl is served, staff ask for your preferences. The four options are garlic (none to mashimashi/extra), vegetables (from 150g up to a 600g mashimashi), back fat, and extra tare (karame) — each portion is spelled out on the official site. Answering with everything standard is perfectly fine. If you want firmer noodles, say so when handing over your ticket.

  • Mini Ramen ¥950 (125g noodles, 2 pork slices)
  • Sho (Small) Ramen ¥1,000 (250g noodles, 2 pork slices)
  • Dai (Large) Ramen ¥1,100 (375g noodles, 2 pork slices)
  • Sho Buta ¥1,250 (5 pork slices) / Shirunashi (brothless) from ¥1,050

Tips for visiting

Hours are 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily (official store page, as of July 2026). Since it runs straight through past 10 p.m., it suits a post-drinks or late-night bowl — but with only 14 counter seats, expect a possible wait at peak meal times. Payment is by cash or transit IC cards such as Suica (per the official store page).

Temporary closures or schedule changes may be announced on the official X and Instagram accounts, so check the official site/SNS before visiting. Also note that the vegetable "mashimashi" call means 600g of vegetables — start with standard or less on your first visit.