Ichiran Ramen is a Japanese ramen-chain which specializes in ‘tonkotsu ramen’. Ichiran has lots of locations, even outside of Japan.

Ichiran wants people to focus on the taste of their ramen. This means you won’t be served at a table with your friends. If you eat alone, you will focus more on the taste, so at the restaurant you get your own ‘booth’. Even though you can only get one kind of ramen, you can change it every time that you go. At the entrance of the place there will be a machine, you put cash in the machine and click the buttons of the items you want to order. After you took place at one of the booths, you will get a paper to fill in. On this paper you can change certain things about the ramen, such as the broth, the spiciness, if you want onions and meat, etc. This paper is available in English, so no worries about not knowing what you order.

After filling in the paper, you can press the bell in your booth, and someone will come to pick up your order. You won’t see the employee, and you won’t have to speak to the employee either.

Ichiran has multiple locations in Tokyo, so it won’t be hard to find one. Below you will find the official Ichiran map, with all its locations pinned on the map.