Ichiran is one of Japan’s most famous ramen restaurants. The popular chain of ramen restaurants specializes in tonkotsu ramen. This type of ramen, originating in Fukuoka in southern Japan, has a rich and creamy broth made from pork bones simmered for hours.
When the first stall opened in Fukuoka in 1960, it was known then as Futaba Ramen. In 1966, the stall became known as Ichiran (蘭), meaning “one orchid.” In 1993, Ichiran’s first concept store opened. This store paved the way for the chain to expand into what it is today. Today, Ichiran operates around 70 locations in Japan along with locations in Hong Kong, Taipei, and New York City.
If you are looking for the best tonkotsu ramen in Tokyo, you should visit one of Ichiran’s many locations. On my visit, I stopped by their Ichiran Shinjuku Chuo Higashiguchi store located not far from the east exit of Shinjuku Station.
If you are looking for more information about Tokyo and Japan, I highly recommend you pick up a guidebook such as Lonely Planet Best of Tokyo 2020
Table of Contents
Waiting in Line
If you are a frequent visitor to one of the many Ichiran locations, you know the drill. You will have to wait in line.
I can only speak for the Tokyo locations, but every time I visit, I have to wait. Sometimes, the wait was only 15 minutes, while other times, the wait was an hour.
A marker showing the estimated wait times was on the wall at the Ichiran Shinjuku Chuo Higashiguchi location. While an approximation, I appreciated knowing the estimated waiting time from my point in line.
Order Sheet
While I was waiting in line, a worker walked up to me and handed me a clipboard with a piece of paper and a pen. This piece of paper was an order sheet. With this order sheet, I could customize my bowl of ramen exactly how I wanted it.
I could customize my bowl of ramen in seven different ways:
- Dashi (Seasoning Stock): light, medium, strong
- Richness: none, light, medium, rich, extra rich
- Garlic: none, drop, medium, 1/2 glove, 1 clove
- Green Onion: without, white (green onion), green onion
- Chasu (Sliced Pork): without or with
- Hiden no Tare (Spicy Red Sauce): none, mild, medium, spicy, 3~10x
- Noodle Texture: extra firm, firm, medium, soft, extra soft
I ordered medium dashi, medium richness, 1/2 clove of garlic, green onions, with chashu, spicy, and medium noodles.
After completing your order sheet, hold on to it. You will hand the sheet to a worker when you sit inside.
Ordering Ramen from the Vending Machine
After waiting about 30 minutes in line, I finally made it to the front door on the basement level of the building. After passing through the door into the restaurant, I immediately encountered a vending machine.
In Japan, vending machines are a common site at ramen restaurants. Put your money in, select what you want, take your ticket, and take your change, if any. The machine accepted 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10000 yen notes. It also accepted 10, 50, 100, and 500 coins. They only accepted cash in the past, but today, they also accept credit cards.
Ichiran Shinjuku Chuo Higashiguchi Menu
The most basic ramen option on the menu was the Classic Tonkotsu Ramen (890 yen or about $8.04). This bowl of ramen came with sliced pork and green onions.
If you want to order toppings a la carte for your bowl of ramen, you may do so at an extra cost. Toppings included a half-boiled salted egg (130 yen or about $1.17), dried seaweed (120 yen or about $1.08), and kikurage mushrooms (120 yen).
You could also add extra sliced pork (250 yen or about $2.26), extra green onion (120 yen or about $1.08), extra garlic (120 yen), and Ichiran’s original premium vinegar (120 yen) to your bowl.
If you want to splurge, I recommend the Ichiran 5 Ramen (1,490 yen or about $13.46). This set takes the Classic Tonkotsu Ramen and adds extra sliced pork (4 pieces), kikurage mushrooms, dried seaweed, and a half-boiled salted egg. All the additional toppings, including the egg, were served on a side plate.
If you are hungry, you can order kae-dama, a noodle refill. In addition, you could order a 1/2 noodle refill.
Besides ramen, you had rice, smoke-flavored stewed pork, and a matcha almond pudding with green tea sauce. The stewed pork sounded amazing. I might have to give it a try next time I visit.
You had draft beer and Ichiran’s original blended tea for drinks. At each seat was complimentary water.
Waiting Area
Depending on your group size, you may have to wait a few more moments in the hallway outside of the dining rooms after ordering. Luckily, I was dining alone and only had to wait a few minutes.
Interior of Ichiran Shinjuku Chuo Higashiguchi
After a few minutes, I entered one of the three small, bright dining rooms. I could tell right away that Ichiran was not your typical ramen shop. The seating system was like nothing I had ever seen.
Each seat was at a divided private booth, separated for privacy from the person next to you. If you are dining alone or you want to eat your bowl of ramen in peace without any distractions, then Ichiran is perfect for you.
I am not tall but felt cramped in my seat, almost claustrophobic. Also, the stools did not move, which made the situation worse. It was a tiny space, but I knew it would be worth it for the ramen.
So, what happens if you’re dining with someone else? Though the dividers were removable, I didn’t notice anyone doing this on my visit. I wouldn’t recommend a visit to Ichiran with a large group.
It was impressive how quiet the dining room was, especially for its size. The dining room was silent because of how small the room was. Everyone was busy eating, not talking. The only sounds I heard were some workers behind the screen and Japanese music playing lightly in the background.
The Man Behind the Curtain
When I sat at the small booth, I immediately noticed a screen in front of me. Immediately after sitting, a worker raised the screen in front of me and took my customized order sheet. After taking the sheet, he lower the screen.
After a few minutes, the screen rose again, and a bowl of ramen appeared before me. Once again, the screen lowered. I never once saw the man’s face. He never saw my face either—one of the more private experiences you can have.
Press the red button on the table if you need to order anything else, including noodle refiles or more cold beers. The mysterious man behind the curtain will once again appear.
Ichiran 5 Ramen Set
Since it was my first day in Tokyo, being jet lagged and hungry, I went for the Ichiran 5 Ramen (1,490 yen or about $13.46). This set was the Classic Tonkotsu Ramen with the addition of a half-boiled salted egg, four additional slices of pork, kikurage mushrooms, and two pieces of dried seaweed.
All the extra toppings, including the egg, were served on a side plate. I added everything to the bowl for photo purposes to make it look pretty.
If you don’t want to order the set, you can order the Classic Tonkotsu Ramen (890 yen or about $8.04) and then add toppings a la carte.
Delicious, Rich, and Flavorful Tonkotsu Broth
The golden brown tonkotsu broth was amazing. It was rich, silky, and creamy without being too heavy. Each bite was a perfect salty and spicy balance with just the right amount of dashi, pork, and garlic flavors.
As I made my way towards the bottom of the bowl, the flavors seemed to intensify and become more oily and rich.
The bright red spicy sauce floating in the broth, known as Hiden no Tare, was smoky, spicy, and complemented the rich, milky broth.
I ordered my ramen with a spice level of 2 (spicy). The heat level was perfect, leaving a slow burn in my mouth. While I could have handled more heat, adding more red spicy sauce would have concealed the flavors of the broth.
While I’m usually a fan of firm noodles in ramen, I decided to go with the recommended medium firmness. The long, thin round noodles did not disappoint. Just as with the broth, the noodles were perfect.
Fresh and chewy without being too soft or firm. The noodles might have been thin, but they still managed to soak up the delicious flavors of the broth.
The thin but large slices of pork chashu had the perfect balance of meat to fat. The texture of the tender yet firm meat complemented the almost melt-in-my-mouth fattiness of the salty pork.
Finishing off the ramen were chewy and earthy kikurage mushrooms, crunchy, salty pieces of dried seaweed, and a soft-boiled egg with a rich, creamy golden yolk.
One interesting thing about the egg was that they served it separately in a small bowl, requiring careful peeling. I didn’t like that.
The ramen was outstanding—simple yet complex, flavorful, and perfectly executed.
Service at Ichiran Shinjuku Chuo Higashiguchi
I found the service at Ichiran to be just as fantastic as the food. I enjoyed watching the operation in action, especially at a restaurant that stays busy almost 24 hours a day. It was a well-oiled machine.
Every worker seemed to have a specific task that they executed flawlessly. The hostess managed the front door while a friendly lady assisted guests with the vending machine. Another worker guided me to my seat, and a hidden man operated behind the curtain.
Everyone worked efficiently as a team, ensuring that bowls of ramen arrived quickly, making the line out front move faster.
Conclusion
Though it’s a chain, Ichiran is affordable, the quality is consistent from location to location, and you always know what to expect.
Best of all, each bowl of ramen was customizable. I enjoyed how I could customize my bowl of ramen exactly how I wanted. I could decide every detail, from the richness of the broth to the amount of spicy red sauce added.
And I can’t forget about those tiny private booths. While not the most comfortable, it was a unique and enjoyable experience.
In conclusion, Ichiran is one of the better ramen shops in Tokyo and Japan. While many ramen experts will disagree with me, I will take a bowl of tonkotsu ramen from Ichiran any day over anything I can find back home in Los Angeles.
Pros
- Delicious tonkotsu (pork) ramen broth that has been simmered for hours
- Unique dining experience
- Efficient service
- Open 24 hours a day
Cons
- Expect a line at almost all hours
- Very cramped private booths
Last Updated on February 10, 2025
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