Ichiran Ramen NISHI-Shinjuku

Important Notice:

This restaurant has updated its menu since March 2022 and no longer serves non-pork ramen options. Please keep this change in mind when planning your visit.

Address: 

Nishi Shinjuku 7-10-18, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-0023

 

If you don’t eat pork then we found the perfect ramen spot for you. We received an invitation to try out the new pork-free Ichiran ramen shop in Shinjuku before it opened and here is our review.

From the exterior of the ramen shop it is already obviously stated (in English) that no pork is served.

To order, we need to purchase a ticket at the machines before heading to our little booth.

The green lights in the picture below shows the availability of the seats.

Like other Ichiran shops, the tables are separated with dividers. This is deliberately done to prevent you from lingering around talking and actually forces you to focus and enjoy the ramen in front of you.

In the picture below is an example of the order sheet. The white one is what you will see in other Ichiran shops. In this particular shop, you will be presented with a green slip which means that you are getting the pork-free version.

The ramen will then be served from the curtain in front of you. At first sight, the ramen looks just as appetizing as their pork base version but instead of pork, they changed the topping with a sweet beef named “gyuyarou”. The name actually came from a joke. The Ichiran specialist were trying to decide what to replace the topping with and at the end of the conversation they said “gyuyarou!” Which literally means “dude, it’s beef !”.

This is how the ”gyuyarou” is served as an addition. One was not enough for me. The beef is sweet and tender and also gets along well with the thick soup.

The soup is chicken base, and after lots of deep research they managed to come up with a chicken broth that tastes exquisite.

I finished every ounce of my ramen and at the bottom of the bowl lay a hidden message….

“This Ichiran is the biggest joy!”.

And it really was a joyful experience for me.

I just have to post a picture of the toilet which I found very interesting below.

I also need to note that Ichiran ramen now sells a pork-free version of their famous instant ramen as well.

This Pork-free Ichiran ramen shop will open for the public on February 28, 2019.

Price wise its cheap and cheerful and I will definitely pay them may more visits.