Famous Ramen Restaurant in New York City - Ichiran Ramen

Ichiran Ramen is possibly one of the most famous Ramen restaurants in the United States and maybe even all over the world as their locations in Japan are even more renown for their amazing quality, and not to mention, 24 hour service (in Japan locations only). But we are talking about the United States right now and Ichiran Ramen has to be one of the best we have to offer in terms of ramen.

Ichiran Ramen is unique from most ramen places we have in the United States because they have a service system that attempts to minimize the social interactions between the employees at the restaurant and the customers. All their tables are bar style so you wouldn't be able to sit across from your friends but instead, next to them. They have dividers between each seat but you can also put them down if you came with friends and would like to talk to them.

A Slice of Pattie

Once seated, you are served directly in front of you in a covered window that is in front of every individual seat. Here, you can place your order by handing in a form that you filled out with your order and preferences and they will bring you your food directly from that window. Everyone also has a number card and once you are finished eating, you can just leave and bring your card to the front where you pay.

trip savvy

As far as ramen goes, I would not say this place is cheap, especially noting that their basic ramen does not come with any toppings, instead, you have to order the toppings set. But I do want to note that this is a non-tripping restaurant, meaning you do not have to tip.

In terms of quality, however, Ichiran is unbeatable. The broth absolutely blew me away with the richness without being too heavy or oily. The noodles were seriously so satisfying and cooked to perfection. I want to also note that you can customize how soft or al dente you want your noodles to be, as well as other things, like how salty and rich you want the broth to be, and whether you want minced garlic, scallions, chashu, etc. I loved that they give you this option, however, since it was my first time trying the place, I mainly chose medium (the recommended option) for everything, and of course I wanted garlic, scallions and chashu.

I love the simplicity of their menu (literally 1 option with customizations) and I love the simplicity of their ramen. Just pure bone broth with light but rich flavoring and not a lot of distractions from the main focus, no gimmicks, just high-quality food. They truly know how to bring out the beauty in their ramen and I respect them so much for that.

marcofeng.com

This is the type of spot that I would be down to go to at any time during the day. It is a super chill environment, everyone is just there to eat, nothing pretentious and super single diner friendly. If you need to dine alone, this is the perfect spot. Literally no one will look at you or even think twice (even the waiters won't bother you much).

I truly can't say enough good things about this place, I really wish they would open some locations near me because you know for sure that I will be making a weekly visit (especially if they are open late). I will, without a doubt, make a visit to Ichiran Ramen again the next time I visit New York City and I highly recommend that you give them a try as well!

Follow me on Instagram @sanfoodiego to see videos about my experience at Ichiran and for more food content and recommendations!