As Japanese ramen continues to take the world by storm, one shop stands out among the crowd as one of Japan’s most well-known chains and a unique ramen experience. Today, we’re diving into the Ichiran Ramen brand and talking all about this viral sensation that attracts locals and foreign tourists alike.
Today's guide is complete with a short history lesson, Ichiran's unique points and their spread to rest of the world. Last, we’ll give you our own hot take on the iconic ramen shop.
Ichiran’s History
Ichiran has a short but interesting history that starts way back in 1960. It started as a ramen stall called Futaba Ramen in Fukuoka, serving the usual Hakata ramen made in the area.
It actually became Ichiran after a name change in 1966. Overall, it remained a Hakata ramen staple for about 30 years, later popping off in 1993. That was the year when founder and CEO Manabu Yoshitomi opened Ichiran’s first concept store that became the standard for all the Ichirans that followed.
Now, the Ichiran Ramen HQ looks like this, with the main store being on the bottom floor! Image via Wikimedia Commons
This concept store, opened in Fukuoka City’s Minami Ward, was created with the now famous “solo dining” experience in mind. The concept itself came from Yoshitomi’s own research and experiences, creating a huge success. For example, the solo booths were inspired by a desire to limit overstimulation, reduce worker contact, provide peace to female solo diners and more.
Now, there are locations all across Japan as well as in Taiwan, Hong Kong and New York. They also have a few locations that carry special types of ramen including pork-less tonkotsu ramen and some location-specific ramen varieties, like their Kamadare Tonkotsu ramen.
By the way, if you're craving noodles at any point reading this, check out our Japanese Ramen selection to get your hands on a variety of regional ramen styles!
What Makes Ichiran Special
Their Spicy Red Sauce
Some people even get the 10x Spice Level, which is covered in their sauce. Would you give this a try? Because I would like to at least once! Image via Instagram
One of the big things that sticks out about Ichiran is their original spicy red sauce. It may not seem revolutionary, but they created a chili-based tare (a thicker sauce usually made with soy sauce) that they put right in the middle of the ramen.
This sauce adds an extra layer of kick and umami to each bowl it touches and people love it (us included). This special “Red Mystery Tare” (as they call it on their website) is a well-guarded secret as the exact recipe is only known to four people within the company. In fact, all of the red sauce for their locations, both in Japan and abroad, comes from one single facility in Fukuoka.
Consistent Flavor
Where do you think this photo was taken? If you said Japan (or anywhere in Japan), you'd be mistaken as this comes from Hong Kong! Image via Instagram
Ichiran is one of those shops that has documented how to make a perfect bowl no matter where it’s made. That means that each shop, whether it’s in Japan or overseas, knows how the bowl should be made.
When making the soup, the shop’s chefs have a guide on how dense and flavorful it should be, the scent it should have and how little time they have between pouring the soup and adding the noodles. They’re really dedicated to making sure that every bowl is the same from Fukuoka all the way to New York.
Solo-Friendly Environment
Ramen Focus Booths
This may look like heaven, but it's actually just a standard night in Ichiran's Ramen Focus Booth! Image via Instagram
This probably isn’t a big deal to those who prefer to travel and eat with friends, but Ichiran is really a great option for folks who want a quieter solo experience. Of course, their most famous thing is the solo booths, or rather, their “Ramen Focus Booths.”
While we think of it as a creation for solo diners, it’s actually more about relaxation and calm as to reduce stimulation and fully focus on the ramen experience.
Fun Fact: The booths were also initially implemented so that people’s ramen experience wouldn’t be affected by the person serving or cooking the ramen. A long time ago, the creator of Ichiran worked at a ramen shop where the master had an alleged gambling problem, so Yoshitomi was frequently left alone in the shop.
People came to like Yoshitomi more than the master, and eventually, some customers were pretty open about not liking the master’s ramen as much even though the recipe was the same. The booths now help people to appreciate each bowl no matter who it comes from.
Written Order Sytem
Want a bowl perfectly suited to you? All you need is one slip of paper. Image via Instagram
The written order system, complete with plenty of free options, is also great for diners who want to create a bowl that matches their tastes. They also allow for customization without having to speak to any staff, and with sheets available with English, Korean and Chinese, it makes it easy to order regardless of language.
The Kae-Dama Plate
While they didn't invent the kaedama system, they did provide a silent way to order an extra serving of noodles. Image via Instagram
Lastly, they also have a unique kaedama system. Kaedama is a creation of the Hakata ramen style. The noodles are much thinner and the soup is piping hot, so instead of offering a large helping of noodles that will go soggy, people order new noodles to add to the soup as they eat.
However, instead of ordering from the staff or getting up to go to a machine, you can simply place a “Kae-Dama Plate” (and 200 yen) over the call button. When you do, a runner, or “charumera”, will come with new noodles.
According to the Ichiran website, this option is especially popular among their female diners, who overall prefer a quiet meal and tend to be shy when both eating alone and eating in front of others.
Related Fun Fact: It was a well-documented phenomenon among Japanese women, where they would often feel shy when eating in public or around others. Things like burgers were notoriously embarrasing as young women had to open their mouths big for a bite. That's why Freshness Burger's "Liberation Wrapper" went viral in Japan in 2013 as it covered the mouth while eating the burger.
How did Ichiran Take Over the World?
Unique Concept
The solo experience is a pretty unique concept for a ramen shop. However, some locations allow for some casual ramen chat with movable dividers! Image via Unsplash
One of the reasons this shop first attracted foreigners and became popular on social media was the unique “solo-friendly” concept. Word-of-mouth did a great job of promoting the chain as an introvert’s dream, and instead of being a gimmick, it became a feature alongside the quality of the ramen. This popularity among foreign tourists also provided an opportunity to spread to other countries.
Unique Flavor
The unique flavor also extends to their popular Kamadare Tonkotsu, which is only available at a smaller number of the Japanese locations. Image via Instagram
Tonkotsu tends to be a very popular flavor both in Japan and worldwide. It’s amazingly flavorful and creamy as a base and can be combined with other bases for even more complex flavors. Hakata ramen is the most famous for tonkotsu in Japan, and Ichiran just did a great job of getting Hakata ramen recognized outside of Japan early while also adding their own touch with the spicy sauce.
Standards Across Branches
We mentioned it before, but whether you’re in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong or New York, you’re going to get the exact same bowl of ramen. Ichiran maintains a very strict standard as to how each bowl is made, so you’re getting authentic ramen wherever you are. They also keep super high standards for cleanliness, employee hygiene and even air quality across their shops.
Our Thoughts on Ichiran
We pride our blog on honesty, so we want to give you our honest opinion on Ichiran, both the restaurant experience and the take-home, instant experience.
Ichiran, The Ramen Shop
Is Ichiran Ramen overrated? Absolutely not. Is it the best ramen Japan has to offer? Not really, but a lot of people love it. Image via Wikimedia Commons
As self-proclaimed “ramen heads”, we think that Ichiran… is just a standard good ramen shop. It’s popular for a reason with tasty soup, great noodles and a variety of customization options. It’s a great starter bowl for those who maybe aren’t used to authentic Japanese ramen, being full of flavor so newbies can see what a bowl of ramen really tastes like in Japan.
However, we’ve heard from some of our first-time Japanese ramen friends that it’s a bit heavy in both flavor and oil. In that case, a more subtle bowl, like Jinrui Mina Menrui’s Ramen Macro (a flavorful soy sauce and clam-based ramen), might be a good alternative.
Ichiran is also perfect for introverts who maybe want a more private ramen moment.
If you're looking for a quick in-and-out meal, avoid the major touristy branches, like the Osaka Dotonbori branch or the Harajuku branch. Image via Unsplash
However, for many of us living in Japan and who love ramen, Ichiran is just a standard bowl. It's like what Shake Shack is to burgers. Shake Shack is really good, but the best burgers we've ever had come from more local burger shops. It's the same with Ichiran. We may eat at Ichiran every now and again (especially for a quick bowl before first train on a wild night out), but we tend to prefer local shops that have captured our hearts with unique flavor and depth.
Ichiran, The Instant Ramen Brand
One of Ichiran's take-home staples is their yaki-ramen, a popular Hakata invention served at their Japanese-style yatai (food stalls). Image via Instagram
However, in terms of Ichiran's instant ramen, it really is one of the top options out there for a quick, easy bowl at home. They really captured the flavor of their in-store ramen, from the noodles to the broth and even the spicy seasoning. All you need to do is add your own toppings, like the green onion, white onion and chashu. While their standard large boxes are great for gifting or treating yourself, you can also go with the more compact Curly Noodle Tonkotsu packs.
They even have variations, like the limited in-store availability Kamadare Tonkotsu and the popular Hakata Tonkotsu Yaki-Ramen. You can also enjoy their spicy seasoning in other ramen with their Spicy Red Seasoning Powder.
So, while we usually recommend Ichiran Ramen to beginners or our friends who are visiting Japan, we recommend their instant options to anyone who wants to treat themselves to a quick bowl at home!
Imagine having a whole Ichiran Kamadare ramen experience delivered to your house... Oh wait! You can! Image via Instagram
Ichiran really is a unique experience that a lot of people love, allowing tons of people to dine in peace and quiet, both in shop or at home, with this Hakata ramen staple. And even with our own views on Ichiran, we can fully say that it’s an experience you should have at least once in Japan.
And if you're not convinced, we'll leave you with two of our staff member's experience below!
*Company info sourced from Ichiran's Official Website
