Ichiran Ramen: 24 Hour Slurpilicious Ramen in Dotonbori (Osaka Series Part 2/6)

Ahh...Ramen.

If there was one comfort food I had to pick if I was born a Japanese, nothing else can come quite close to Ramen. There is certainly nothing more heartwarming and soul-enriching than a bowl of piping hot noodle soup which is available anytime of the day. While I know Osaka may have their own regional foods, there are just certain things I cannot do without, viz. ramen and sushi.

Along the Dotonbori Canal in Namba, Osaka, there is just one Ramen shop that stands out above the rest. Just come around 6pm and you can see a snaking long queue of tourists and locals alike, all waiting patiently to satisfy growling stomachs with Ichiran's Hakata style Ramen (thin whitish noodles with tonkotsu soup base).

The system here is a little different and not as simple as any other ramen shop due to the high demand of seats so the process of getting in is as follows:

-Start queuing at the stairs outside the restaurant.
-Once you enter the restaurant, you will see a vending machine. Choose the item(s) you want,  pay and get your meal ticket.
- Once that's done, a service staff will show you to a room once seats are available. It might be on the 2nd or 3rd floor, and if you're in a party size of 3 or more, getting to sit together is not guaranteed.

The dining room of Ichiran Ramen is shaped out as a long corridor, and all patrons sit along one long table, with wooden side partitions (which can be retracted if you're sitting with friends) to give that extra sense of privacy especially if you wish to slurp in solitude. Your coat and bags are put behind your seat.

Custom Order Chit. Available in English, Mandarin, Korean and Japanese.

They say it is impossible to please everybody. But Ichiran tries its level best to do so by allowing their guests to customize their own ramen in terms of the texture and tastes of each component. From the noodle texture and char shu, to the strength and richness of the soup and the amount of garlic and chili, it can be suited to your individual palate to ensure you get the bowl of ramen you want.

Strong flavour soup,
 Medium richness,
1/2 clove garlic,
Thick green onion,
Sliced pork,
No red sauce,
Extra firm noodles.

Having been here on two (or five) occasions in the course of my trip, it was a rather fun process of trial and error trying to achieve that ultimate bowl. There were certain factors that would remain as constants for me (Strength of soup, firmness of noodles and having sliced pork) so I experimented with the others like the amount of garlic and red sauce.

I must mention that the red sauce, made with 30 different spices, is really spicy enough to alter the taste of the soup, so may I suggest omitting it on your first time. However, far be it from me to stop you if you love your Ramen to bring a burning sensation with every scoop.

The noodles here were exactly what I wanted; chewy and slightly bouncy. The char shu here is sliced thinly but so meltingly tender and flavourful. The soup itself? Beautiful. The perfect consistency, temperature and just the right amount of flavouring. Mind you, I am not usually a big fan of the Hakata style of Ramen, but Ichiran has converted me duly.

If you're done with your noodles but still have sufficient soup remaining, you can do a kaedama, which means to refill your noodles. There is an option to do so at the back of your order chit. Just indicate and hand it to the service staff.

There is a tendency for restaurants, once they become globally famous, to become tourist traps. But the same cannot be said for Ichiran. It has delivered consistently without fail and wowed me with its efforts and focus to give their customers their very best, and I recommend anyone and everyone who's going to Osaka, to satisfy their Ramen cravings here.

And the best part? It's open 24 hours. :)

Ichiran Ramen
7-18 1F Soumencho, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week, unless otherwise stated.

How to get there:

Ichiran Ramen is located at the Dotonbori Canal. (There is literally a canal in the centre of Dotonbori that divides the rows of shops)
The nearest subway station would be Namba Station on the Osaka Subway. Take Exit 14, and you can walk for about 5-10 minutes to the Dotonbori Canal.

For more information, here's a link to their website.