After exploring Nara and Umeda, we decided to grab some food in the Umeda area. I wasn’t in the mood for web searching, so I thought, why not try Ichiran in Umeda? There was a bit of a wait when we arrived, but it wasn’t too long. While waiting, I recalled how the ordering process works at Ichiran.

First, you order your food on the touchscreen. Then, you customise your ramen by specifying preferences like noodle firmness, soup richness, the inclusion of spring onions, and spice level. Once that’s done, they assign you a seat. The seating consists of small cubicles for solo dining, but you can remove the side walls if you’re dining with others. At your seat, the panel in front of you lifts, and you hand over your order ticket and preference sheet. The staff will acknowledge your order, and your food will arrive soon. If you prefer, you don’t need to interact with anyone—there are wooden blocks you can use to communicate your requests. There’s also a paper form to order additional items, like extra noodles, by pressing the call button.

I opted for the Ichiran stock 5. Which is their standard ramen with noodles, spring onions, seaweed, 4 slices of pork, kikurage mushrooms, and assorted egg. I also added in spring onions, spice level 3 and got my noodles at moderate frimness. Shortly after sitting down, we were given our eggs in small bowls to crack ourselves. Moments later, our ramen arrived. Ichiran’s ramen is tonkotsu-based, and they are said to be the first to introduce chilli oil to their ramen.

For a chain, the ramen is impressively good. Ichiran has locations all over Japan and remains popular with tourists and locals. The broth had a solid, flavorful base, and I loved the subtle kick of chilli oil. The spring onions were generous, the pork was tender, and the egg was delicious. After finishing my noodles, I ordered another portion with another egg. While the second serving wasn’t quite the same, it was still very satisfying.

One of my favorite things about Ichiran is the ability to customise your ramen and add extra ingredients after you’ve finished the noodles. I also appreciate the option to dine without needing to talk to anyone—it’s perfect for a solo dining experience.

As a side note, I picked up some instant Ichiran ramen from Don Quijote. I’m curious to see how it compares once I try it back home in Wellington.

Website: Ichiran

Address: 3-13 Doyamacho, Kita Ward, Osaka, 530-0027, Japan