Ichikabachika

Pledging to save you the trouble of travelling all the way down to Fukuoka, this self-described 'Hakata-style' izakaya looks set to bring a little Kyushu heat to the streets of Ebisu. Opened in August and partially operated by world-conquering ramen champions Ippudo, Ichikabachika nonetheless does not deal in tonkotsu ramen: instead, the speciality here is udon, served in a rich but clear seafood-based broth, and pork belly on a stick (butabara kushiyaki), both staples of Hakata's famed night-time yatai stalls. Visit between 8pm and 1am for a chance to see an 'izakaya show' – what that entails in practice hasn't been revealed yet.