5 nights in Tokyo, 3 bowls of Ichiran Ramen. Honestly, we could have easily eaten 5 bowls if it wasn’t for my concern that we were only eating Ichiran ramen and nothing else in Tokyo. After our 3rd consecutive night of Ichiran ramen, I told misterchewy that we should stop and at least try other types of Japanese food. LOL. The hubs had his first taste of Ichiran back in 2010 when he was in Japan for an attachment programme and when he got back, he wouldn’t stop raving about it. Of course, he had to revisit his old love on our first night in Tokyo, and the nights after.. For the first-timer like me, the dining experience at Ichiran is definitely unique, and can be a little intimidating as well. Luckily, everything is still fresh in misterchewy’s mind and we didn’t hold up the queue for not knowing how to place our orders. By the end of our trip, I became such a Ichiran ramen pro that I could do everything with my eyes closed. LOL.

1. Automatic Vending Machine

Upon entering the restaurant, you will see this vending machine where you purchase your meal tickets from. There was only one vending machine at the branch we patronised in Ikebukuro and three in Dotonburi (Osaka). Put in sufficient cash before selecting what you want. Your meal ticket will be generated. It is quite small (about a quarter of the size of my palm) so be careful not to misplace it!

2. Customise Your Ramen

One of the staff will then hand you this piece of paper for you to circle your preference. You get to select the Flavor Strength (weak/medium/strong), Richness (none/light/medium/rich/ultra rich), Garlic (none/a little/regular/half clove/one clove), Onion (without/white green onion/green onion) Sliced Pork (wihout/with), Ichiran’s Original Red Sauce (0/0.5/1/2/others) and Noodle’s Texture (extra firm/firm/medium/soft/extra/soft). In case you are wondering, Ichiran’s Original Red Sauce is their red pepper sauce mixed with three types of spices.

3. Direction Board of Vacant Seats

This signboard shows you the occupied vs unoccupied (空) seats. If you go in pairs or groups, the staff will try their best to have all of you seated together.

4. Locate Your Cubicle

The cubicles are all numbered at the top. This reminds me of my school days in the library!

5. Hand Over Meal Ticket and Preference Sheet

This is where your meal ticket and preference sheet come in. A pair of hands will grab these two items before shouting something in Japanese while pulling down the bamboo screen and scurrying off to prepare your order.

6. Ramen is Served

It took only about 5 minutes before the bamboo screen was up again, revealing a pair of hands placing my bowl of piping hot Ichiran ramen before me. There I was, feeling very blessed that I could have my bowl of ramen in my small little cubicle, without any distractions or conversations. YES, SAVOUR THE MOMENT!

7. Itadakismasu!

Taking photos is optional. Eat your ramen while it’s still hot!

I took a mouthful of the broth after mixing the Ichiran original red sauce in. The broth was milky rich with a zing of spice, yet it doesn’t feel like it had been artificially laden with too much MSG. Very addictive! On my first visit, I went for the “extra firm” noodles which were too firm for my liking, and for the subsequent visits, I had it toned down to “firm”. It was PERFECT! Each bowl of ramen with pork slices costs ¥790 (S$9.80) which is really affordable for such exemplary standards. It is a little more expensive at ¥910 (S$11.40) if you want an additional egg to go along with it. The egg wasn’t fantastic so we only had it on our first visit. All in all, Ichiran ramen is the BEST ramen I have ever eaten!

8. Refilling of Noodles (Optional)

Don’t finish all your soup if you wish to refill your noodles as Ichiran does not accept orders for extra soup. You can choose either Kae-Dama (¥190 ~ S$2.40) or 1/2 Kae-Dama (¥120 ~ S$1.50).

9. Calling for Dessert (Optional)

This step is applicable only if you order the dessert like I did. It was new on the menu and I just had to try it! When you are ready to have your dessert, follow the instructions on the small metal tray. Place the tray on the bell and press the bell to alert the staff. Initially, I thought that my dessert was going to be served in that tray. Hahaha.

The Matcha Annin Tofu (¥390 ~ S$4.90) looked promising! It was wobbly silky smooth and tasted rich of matcha without being overly sweet.

10. Ichiran Souvenirs (Optional)

There wasn’t any Ichiran souvenirs at the Ikebukuro branch but on our last night in Osaka, Dotonburi, we chanced upon magnets and coasters on our way out after dinner. I collect magnets so these were totally ideal for me! There are also packaged Ichiran ramen with soup bases that you can purchase as gifts for family and friends.

For full list of Ichiran restaurant locations, click here.

THE CHEWYS’ MARCH 2016 JAPAN 10D9N ITINERARY
(Tokyo – Osaka – Kyoto – Kanazawa – Shirakawago)

Day 1: Singapore to Narita Airport > JR Narita Express to Tokyo > Check into Airbnb at Kita-Ikebukuro > Asakusa Temple & Shopping Street > Shopping and dinner at Sunshine City

Day 2: Tokyo Disneyland

Day 3: Tsukiji Fish Market > Ueno Park > Shopping at Ameya-Yokocho Market > Tea at Fujiya Peko-chan Milky Restaurant > Pokemon Centre at Sunshine City > Dinner at Ichiran

Day 4: Tokyo DisneySea

Day 5: Fujiko•F•Fujio Museum (Doraemon Museum) and Doraemon Cafe > Shopping and dinner at Harajuku

Day 6: Shinkasen from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka > Check into Airbnb at Shin-Osaka > Osaka Castle > Dinner at Dotonburi (Namba station, Midosuji line)

Day 7: Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Kyoto > Kiyomizu-dera Temple > Kimono rental and outdoor photoshoot > Dinner at Kichi-Kichi Omurice > Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka

Day 8: Thunderbird Limited Express from Shin-Osaka to Kanazawa > Check into Hotel Nikko Kanazawa > Kenroku-en Garden > Kanazawa Castle > Lunch at Sushi Zanmai > Omicho Market > Higashi Chaya District > Tonkatsu dinner at Tomikinton (富金豚)

Day 9: Nouhi bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go > Sightseeing around Shirakawa-go > Nouhi bus from Shirakawa-go to Kanazawa > Thunderbird Limited Express from Kanazawa to Shin-Osaka > Dinner at Dotonburi (Namba station, Midosuji line)

Day 10: Kansai Airport Limited Express “Haruka” from Shin-Osaka to Kansai Airport > HOME SWEET HOME

We will be covering more on our Japan trip, so do stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy for more updates! 🙂