New menu items and more make for the perfect place to grab a kawaii bite after shopping in a major Tokyo department store.

Chiikawa, the adorable yet unidentifiable animal-like character that first rose to fame in a web manga by Japanese illustrator Nagano, is having a big year. From an ongoing anime adaptation to the opening of Chiikawa Park in Tokyo’s Sunshine City and giant statues inside of the nearby Ikebukuro Station, it seems that Chiikawa’s popularity continues to ride an ever-growing wave of momentum.

On September 19, a Chiikawa-themed dining space reopened due to popular demand in the basement floor level of the Shibuya Parco department store in Tokyo. Inspired by the ramen restaurant pictured in the manga, Chiikawa Ramen Buta (Pork) follows a successful earlier Tokyo run from last August through May of this year. This newly reopened Tokyo location joins four other locations within Japan, plus one in Hong Kong, and will remain open for a currently undetermined length of time.

Diners will be delighted when they arrive at the restaurant and catch sight of its exterior and interior, which are decorated with pictures of ramen staff characters Ramen Yoroi-san and Shisa (you can even hear their welcoming calls as you walk in!) along with Chiikawa and pals.

▼ Chiikawa Ramen Buta is back in Shibuya Parco!

The menu is simple but solid, consisting of Ramen Buta (pork ramen). The dish comes in three sizes that each pay homage to a main character of the series:

● Mini–Chiikawa: 130 grams of noodles (4.59 ounces) / 1,540 yen (US$10.39)
● Small–Hachiware: 200 grams of noodles / 1,760 yen
● Large–Usagi: 300 grams of noodles / 1,980 yen

▼ Sizes pictured from right to left (mini, small, large)

Each size is served in a bowl with an illustration of its respective character on one side, along with a special hanpen fishcake topping in the shape of the character’s face. Other toppings include bean sprouts, agedama (bits of deep-fried tempura batter), and chashu pork. Diners can also customize the amount of garlic, vegetables, and fatty pork in their dishes for free.

Between October 3 through January 12 of next year, there’s also a bonus menu item: Ramen Buta Tonkotsu (pork bone broth ramen). This dish comes in one size–200 grams of noodles for 1,870 yen–and includes vegetables, chashu pork, mentaiko (spicy pollack roe), takana (leaf mustard), kikurage (wood ear mushrooms), and a hanpen fishcake with character Rakko‘s face on it.

In terms of drinks, Shisa’s Mikan Soda (770 yen) and Furuhonya‘s Peach & La France Pear Juice (715 yen) are exciting new additions to the other longtime staples.

▼ Mikan Soda

▼ Peach & La France Pear Juice

Finally, special perks for diners include a Chiikawa Ramen Buta apron to wear while eating, a sticker with the corresponding character’s face for those who order ramen, and a randomly selected clear card for those who order drinks (one per drink). There are also plenty of original goods for sale for paying customers only, ranging from the collaborative tableware used in the restaurant to T-shirts.

▼ Clear card freebies with drink orders

Making advance reservations through the restaurant’s website is strongly encouraged.

This new Tokyo location of Chiikawa Ramen Buta will make it easy for visitors to stock up on virtually all of their character goods, since Shibuya Parco also houses Nintendo Tokyo, Pokémon Center Shibuya, and Capcom Store Tokyo, among even more exciting stores.

Restaurant information
Chiikawa Ramen Pork / ちいかわラーメン 豚
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Udagawa-cho 15-1 Shibuya Parco, Basement 1 floor
東京都渋⾕区宇⽥川町 15-1 渋⾕PARCO B1F
Open: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (last entry at 9:20 p.m.)
Website

Source: Shibuya Keizai Shimbun
Images: PR Times
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