Kojiro Ikebukuro

Diners who come for the fried rice have praised its balance: fluffy and separate, yet still moist. Another visitor enjoyed the fried rice with its mix of ingredients, and said they chose it instead of plain rice when ordering the ramen and gyoza set. Fried rice is listed at ¥1,080, while the omu-tama fried rice, wrapped in a soft omelette, costs ¥1,180. Choose the fried rice on its own, or go for the egg-covered version when you want a rice dish to take the lead.

One diner paired fried rice with twice-cooked pork and noted its robust seasoning, along with the crunch of the cabbage and green pepper. The menu also offers a twice-cooked pork set meal, making it easy to combine a main dish with rice, as other diners have done with the fried rice. For noodles, a set of old-fashioned soy-sauce ramen and half a portion of fried rice costs ¥1,020. There are options for a lighter combination built around ramen, or a more substantial meal with the twice-cooked pork set.

Kojiro Ikebukuro is open for 24 hours a day, which can be useful when mealtimes are hard to pin down. It is also presented as suitable for solo dining, with choices ranging from fried rice as the focus to a set with noodles.