Everyday Ramen in Tokyo

My first meal in Japan was a delicious, aromatic bowl of ramen. I had been dreaming of this moment since we booked our flights…even before.

During our trip, my boyfriend (now husband) and I tried all sorts of different ramens. The combinations are endless. There’s nourishing broth, noodles, veggies, pork. What’s not to love? By the end of our trip, ramen even became one of our favourite breakfast meals.

The first bowl was in a regular ramen chain called Ichiran. When we walked in, we noticed a vending machine but paid no attention. There were two doorways and each side looked identical. In the middle was the kitchen to serve both sides. A row of stools lined down a bar but each section was separated by a short partition. The wall behind had coat hooks for visitors to hang their jackets.

The staff quickly stopped us and lead us back out to the entry and showed us how to use the vending machine. We choose how we wanted our order done, paid the machine, and were printed off a receipt with our order to give to the kitchen once we sat down.

Each seat had a little window where kitchen staff would open to pass a form to fill out and give you ramen and beer. Each spot had a water faucet too. On the form, I could specify broth richness, oiliness, amount of garlic and spices, adding green onions, and NOODLE FIRMNESS.

It was so neat to have a cozy, private place to slurp ramen after a long journey. It didn’t matter if I looked like a hot, tired mess. I was there to recharge. This is a set-up I would enjoy after a long day at work. A quiet, private moment to collect my thoughts and relax with a cozy bowl of noodles, a cold beer, and a water. YES please.