Ichiran is one of the most popular ramen shops in Tokyo and it recently open a location in Brooklyn, New York. It also has locations in Hong Kong and other cities around the world.
Ichiran is probably the most anti-social and introverted dining experience in the world. The isolated dining tables resembles certification testing centers where it’s just you and a computer screen. However, instead of a computer screen, there’s a hatch that opens up once your ramen bowl is ready.
It really drives the feeling of isolation in a country with the most Michelin starred restaurants in the world. The chain restaurant provides a quick dining experience once you are seated to the time you leave the table. The whole process took less than 15 minutes for me, which excludes the line to buy your ticket and waiting to be seated.
Ichiran serves only one time of ramen broth, which is tonkotsu. Tonkotsu is a pork bone based broth and it’s heavenly. It’s so heavenly that I had it twice when I was in Japan and I never eat at the same restaurant twice on a trip. Now, the ramen.
Ichiran’s ramen is easily the best ramen bowl I’ve ever had in my life. Trust me. I’ve eaten many ramen bowls in my life and Ichiran sits comfortably at the top of the mountain. The rich and oily flavor broth with the strong daishi makes the bowl comforting like your favorite pajamas in the winter. In addition, the garlic adds a very pungent taste with the Hiden no Tare (i.e., spicy sauce) providing a life to the broth. Furthermore, the tender morsels of chashu with the firm texture of the noodles rounds out the perfect ramen bowl.
Overall, Ichiran is my favorite bowl of ramen in the world. It’s a perfect and efficient meal while in Tokyo especially when you have a long list of things to do and see. There’s multiple locations in Japan and you can stop by the Shinjuku branch after visiting Yoyogi park. I highly recommend eating Ichiran in Tokyo cause it’s a lot cheaper than the locations in New York and Hong Kong.
Check out our other Tokyo articles here.
- Service - 5/105/10
- Presentation - 6/106/10
- Flavors - 9.5/109.5/10
- Decor - 6/106/10
- Ambiance - 6/106/10
Summary
Ichiran is probably the most anti-social and introverted dining experience in the world. It’s a perfect and efficient meal while in Tokyo especially when you have a long list of things to do and see. Ichiran’s ramen is easily the best ramen bowl I’ve ever had in my life.
