威風堂々 (Ifûdôdô）

Ifûdôdô is just on the opposite side of Shigeru from RYOMA, and, being so close to my house, was close to the top of the hit list. Apparently, the name Ifûdôdô means "majestic" or "kingly," and is also the translation of "Pomp and Circumstances" in Japanese. So, perhaps the name was chosen as a references to the student population, since this shop is one of the closest to the Waseda campus, though I'm not sure if that march is a standard at Japanese graduation ceremonies the way it is in the U.S.

Unfortunately, Ifûdôdô served up what was the most forgettable bowl of noodles that I've eaten so far. This is not to say it was bad. In fact, it was a pretty tasty lunch, just completely lacking in unique characteristics to set it apart. I remember thinking that the noodles were nearly perfectly cooked, but beyond that I can't recall a single thing about this bowl of ramen. I also remember thinking that if I ever wanted a totally plain bowl of ramen with no muss, no fuss, this would be the place to go. All told, I would probably go back here if there weren't so many other good places around. One strange thing about the shop is the fact that the counter is lined up against the wall with just a space for a waiter to take and bring orders in between, with the kitchen in a different part of the room. It was crowded and seemed to be doing good business, but I can't be the only one who found the ramen here forgettable, because a google image search only yielded an image of the storefront...