It's so funny to me how Alex is freaking out in the cubicle while for an introvert like me this is the dream restaurant experience.

@Uzumaki.9

11 ай бұрын

Fr, especially if its a bowl of delicious food, you just want to load up your current favourite novel/manga, cue up some music and immerse yourself. No stares, no background inane convos and you can burp as loudly as you want.

@lizgander9172

10 ай бұрын

Absolutely. For those of us who perhaps might miss the pandemic a teensy bit… this set up seems a dream.

@WARnTEA

9 ай бұрын

@@Uzumaki.9what are you talking about? You can clearly see he is sitting right next to someone, you aren’t allowed to blast music and burp as loud as you want.

@VegasLoungeAct

4 ай бұрын

😂 Same here (introvert)

Hanging on and praying for dear life that Alex does this series justice and goes to Fukuoka or anywhere in Japan and heads to an authentic ramen place! No doubt he will but the series is leaving me on the edge of my seat and i love it!!!!

@arnaudyohmassenet

11 ай бұрын

Agreed, Ichiran is far, very far, from being good compared to local shops from Fukuoka. Aka no Ren near Tenjin is a must go

@AgsBud

11 ай бұрын

he 1000000% will. He usually goes to the origin of a specific dish doesn't he?

@Whittigo

11 ай бұрын

+1, the Tonkotsu in Fukuoka was unlike any that I've had elsewhere. Somehow managed to be thick flavorful broth but still feel light and you dont walk away with that overly full feeling. He needs to go meet up with Ramen Adventures (Brian) who was mentioned earlier in the series and go on a couple day tour with him. He will have a great time and Brian will show him some next level ramen.

@maltalented

11 ай бұрын

would LOVE to see him in Kitakata as well!

@AuntieHauntieGames

11 ай бұрын

@@arnaudyohmassenet He's gotta get to Tsuta in Tokyo.

He was definitely having ‘extrovert’ problems. For me, being able to go to a restaurant alone and not feel out of place would be a gift.

I kinda love the booth idea. I love solo traveling, but hate solo eating in a regulair restaurant. This would be ideal for me.

What's striking to me about Ichiran is they taste the same everywhere. Tokyo, Taipei, New York, and everywhere else I've tried it. It's a true comfort food for me when I am on the road and just want familiar flavors.

@hardwareful

11 ай бұрын

It seems to me that it is a more ritualized way to have Ramen indeed, and that appeals to me greatly.

@Matthole311

11 ай бұрын

I disagree completely. Ichiran in Japan tasted noticeably better than New York City.

@awestacular

11 ай бұрын

From everything I've seen, and I'm a ramen pr0n fan, the one in NY is "official", but basically a knock off. Yep. I said it.

@TheVal1234567

11 ай бұрын

Glad to hear that, thanks!

@ColdfFlare

11 ай бұрын

​@Matt Hole you're just wrong

Just got back from 2 months in Japan and my takeaway about Ichiran is this: it’s a perfect baseline. Anything better than Ichiran is good ramen, anything worse is bad ramen. Ichiran isn’t anything particularly mind blowing, but it’s dependable, old reliable. And also, the ramen in japan is incredible. Plenty of shops worth lining up for multiple hours for (which I did a few times with no regrets).

Ichiran is a place where you just go in for the ramen experience without feeling the societal pressure of requiring a group of friends to go to a restaurant.

@Smokkedandslammed

11 ай бұрын

I never feel the need to eat ramen with a group of people, I'm always solo lol

@awestacular

11 ай бұрын

@@Smokkedandslammed no kidding "oh, can I try that"? when it comes to ramen, NO. No no no. Hisss....

@s0d4c4n

11 ай бұрын

Going to a restaurant solo is great... skip the line for bar seating? Yes please

@Smokkedandslammed

11 ай бұрын

@@s0d4c4n 100% everytime hahaha

@Smokkedandslammed

11 ай бұрын

@@awestacular I need AT LEAST 6 people to encourage me to slurp like I've never slurped before.

I’ve had plenty of Raman alone in a cubicle just like that in Japan. These are typically frequented by people looking for a quick lunch during a work break or a fast solo dinner on your way home from work.

After living in Japan for a few months, I can say tonkotsu ramen isn’t always served with thin noodles. There’s a common variation called Iekei ramen which uses thick noodles and is usually served with spinach, marinated egg, and chashu. Also sometimes black garlic oil is added to tonkotsu broth. And and somewhat common ramen broth is tori paitan which is chicken rather than pork based.

@ironqqq

11 ай бұрын

Isn't lekei similar to Yokohama style but with additional fat and funky gamey soup? I'm not certain that lekei and Yokohama are tonkotsu styles as one of the key differences is shoyu in lekei and Yokohama style ramen whereas tonkotsu does not have shoyu.

@aidanwagner4525

10 ай бұрын

@@ironqqq Yes Iekei ramen is just another way of saying Yokohoma style, it has tonkotsu broth but also shoyu.

5:24 in Japan, it is not bright behind the curtain. it's usually dim to not district the guest and this districting from focusing on the ramen. Also, in Japan, there are hot water dispensers at each booth for you to get hot water.

Alex gives a fair assessment of Ichiran. With prior knowledge of Ichiran though, I think the viewpoint might be different. Ichiran is all about two things, the super garlicky umami broth and the flavor concentration booths. Everything else in the ramen, is there to carry the broth (noodles, chasu) or accent the broth (spicy sauce, kikurage). I feel the US stores have something to be missed, in that the environment seems chaotic and distracting compared to the Japanese stores. No matter the lines or crowd outside the store, inside, it's calm, quiet, non-distracting... it's meant for you to concentrate on the ramen, the NYC stores seems quite a bit more distracting with the lights and noise. In Japanese culture, this is not so strange, where people everywhere seek their own little spaces of privacy. Ramen shops are mostly not full service restaurants in Japan.... so seeking a western standard in a Japanese type of establishment doesn't work.

@guillaumep.7206

11 ай бұрын

In Japan, waiter don't talk to you, and you don't talk to them, you interact with little card. This shop does not look legit to me. It feels like judging Mexican food by going to Taco Bell...

@BrooklyKnight

11 ай бұрын

I guess it depends on your perspective - I know for myself as an NYC-native, it's definitely a nonstandard experience as far as restaurants go here in the city, but that's okay. When you're used to all the hustle and bustle, you can tune it out pretty easily to focus on the people around you. I imagine I'd find it a bit weird to do this outside as this would just be like eating in my own house? Since after all, for a lot of us the point of going out to eat isn't so much about focusing on the food but focusing on the friends and family you're eating it with.

Hi Alex, I love LOVE your Ramen series - the first one and this one. I just wonder, you fly across the world to NY and Chicago to experience various things, but to really really "get it" I think you should still find yourself in some tiny Ramen shop somewhere in nowhere in Japan where everything is squeaky clean in terms of hygiene and still everything is ancient, wood, covered with layers of old fat. As someone who has eaten Ramen all over the world, I can say there is no doubt you find spectacular Ramen in many places, but no matter what, the best place in NY will never ever give you the vibe as some small place in Japan where some old grandpa makes your Ramen. I am not even just taking about flavour and texture, which is undoubtedly amazing in many places. But context matters and the "context of Ramen" is Japan with all it's culture and history that gave birth to this treat. Thats why I say "to really get it" you need to go there and experience it, as it is more to it than just the dish in a bowl. It's something else entirely.

@Callumlambizle

11 ай бұрын

I believe it is because there are / were restrictions on Japans tourism - but could be wrong.

@amarug

11 ай бұрын

@@Callumlambizle yes true, there were indeed. maybe he filmed it a while ago and planning even earlier. now at the moment you can just go, no issues :)

@henrye3935

11 ай бұрын

Yeah, it's getting a little awkward now honestly. I usually love his series, but with this one... he's not only totally ignoring Japan but literally everyone he's talking to is white (except the one Japaneses lady who he Zoomed to talk about Umami). It's weird. It's like if I did a series on French Onion soup and only spoke to Swedish people.

@MaxRide1

11 ай бұрын

@@henrye3935 whilst I'm not disagreeing with you (I find/found it a little strange too - I'm also white if that matters) but I don't get the feeling he's done it intentionally. I feel like (and this is just going off the 2 series he's done, I've not looked anything else up so I might be wrong) maybe the 'leading ramen chefs' that he's found have been predominantly white and equally predominantly non-Japanese. Whilst, again, I agree that a more diverse "cast" ( I can't think of the word) would probably be better suited to the series, if this is all he has to work with, I don't think he's done badly. Also, this series was likely filmed in advance; for a start there's a few videos of him in the USA followed by one back in Paris, then more in the USA. It's not entirely chronological and given that, I think we can assume he was working around covid restrictions. Now that they've (mostly) been lifted, perhaps further down the series we'll see a visit to Japan or at least a Japanese ramen chef. Come to think of it; the factory that made the NY chef's noodles.. weren't they Asian/Japanese? Or am I remembering wrong... I know that's not the same as going to Japan or a Japanese ramen chef but at least they weren't *all* white... right?

@dmarsub

11 ай бұрын

​@@MaxRide1 sure, but it would be nice to at least mention that once.

It's getting slightly awkward that you're not visiting Japan or really talking to/about Japanese chefs at all. It's like doing a series on French onion soup but only visiting Denver, or Nigerian Jollof rice but you only speak with people in Ohio. Imagine if during the dry pasta series he didn't speak to a single Italian chef. Wild.

@Eveseptir

11 ай бұрын

Almost as awkward as this comment.😅

@Zojirushi.2.16

11 ай бұрын

New York is the best place in the world for ramen outside of Japan. Ivan was a chef in Japan, he won rookie of the year for TRY (Tokyo ramen of the year) magazine. Is Ivan not a Japanese chef? He lived in Tokyo for 20 years, is fluent in Japanese, and has the respect of the ramen community.

@cvitlove

11 ай бұрын

Ye, you’re right about Ivan, but what about other Japanese chiefs and their unique traditions 🧐

@Zojirushi.2.16

11 ай бұрын

@@cvitlove the series isn’t over. He may go to Japan but that might be out of his budget. When it comes to ramen I’m grateful for content.

@kiwikakashi

11 ай бұрын

​@@Zojirushi.2.16 maybe the best place in America, definitely not the world tho lol

I can't wait for a third season where he dips his toes into the chaotic subcultures within the ramen world like Jirokei and Arctic. This season is still more like exploring the most standard stuff and getting it right.

@tofuteh2348

11 ай бұрын

wakarimas

Love all your stuff Alex! Keep the videos coming!

What I say about Ichiran is something a lot of people here have already said perfectly: dependable. It's a good, run of the mill, baseline ramen with quirky booths to eat that you can rely on when you really want the comfort of ramen. Of course, you can't compare it to traditional ramen shops in Japan that makes their own crafts of a broth like nothing else, but when you're really tired of the world you live in, Ichiran is the place I'd go to for some good, ol' reliable ramen that I can enjoy by myself and not having to worry about people interacting with me, or the secondhand embarrassment from people treating the waiters in a rude way; just me, my chopsticks, and my ramen in front of me. That's why I really love Ichiran. Even their souvenir ramen that you can cook yourself at home tastes EXACTLY the same, even though they are pretty expensive.

Love to share in your experiences. Seems like I’m in the same areas as you only before your videos. So now I must return on the mission!

Eating in a cubicle like that, with very little interaction from staff, is my dream for most restaurants. Options for those of us introverts who occasionally want outside of our bubble to try eating out. But not throwing us into the middle of an Olive Garden type place that's loud and overwhelming with people.

@melenatorr

11 ай бұрын

Me too, but not like that: the seats and the general design looks very uncomfortable. I would like to be able to stretch, to rest back, to have some support for my spine, and to adjust how I do or don't fit under my table.

Yo Alex, i love ur series. Dont know if some1 already said that too u but, about the music u said that is played, it was the sound that ramen vendors used in the past.

This series is out of this world Alex! Love it and you so much!😊😊😊❤❤❤

@maindepth8830

11 ай бұрын

Out***

4:00 That Dad joke was so on point Alex! Love your work and sense of humor!

go straight in with the toppings ! ask for more later! And thanks for the noodle comparison extra firm going forward!

Ichiran is the Starbucks equivalent of ramen shops in my opinion. It is always the smaller shops that we have in Hong Kong, Taiwan or Japan that makes phenomenal noodles and broth. Just thinking about tasting them is making me salivate 😊

@AuntieHauntieGames

11 ай бұрын

Same. But, like Starbucks, sometimes we go cause the consistency across locations is a comfort.

@Clone683

11 ай бұрын

@@AuntieHauntieGames Or if you're outside of East Asia, sometimes somewhere like Ichiran is literally your only option

@timchun4645

11 ай бұрын

And Ichiran charges 17 usd++++++ for the most mediocre bowl

@rowanrobinson

11 ай бұрын

Like Starbucks, but actually good?

@yohannessulistyo4025

11 ай бұрын

@@Clone683 In the US, especially NYC, you have Ivan Ramen, the guy literary got featured in NHK when he opened his restaurant back in Tokyo. In Indonesia, we have Daisei's Ramen Sanpachi in Jakarta's own Little Tokyo of Blok M. Singapore has a Michelin-starred ramen restaurant. Japan culture has gone global for some time now. It is a bit easier today to find authentic Japanese stuff if you look for it.

Hi Alex, great series. If you do wind up going to Japan, I suggest you go to Tokyo train station and simply try all the different ramen types they have connected to each other. It's a great experience.

love this stuff alex keep the good videos coming :)

Dude, didn't you look the place up? There has been dozens of videos on Ichiran and their way of doing business. Heck, Mike Chen from Strictly Dumpling has been to the US restaurants and the restaurant in Japan. They set it up so you have privacy when you eat and as few distractions as possible.

Ichiran is just basic ramen, but it's consistent even if you are in Taipei, Seoul or Osaka. Tonkotsu ramen is sooo good in Hakata

Hey Alex, such a great video as always. Your videos always make my day even when I'm at my lowest, thank you for that. For next possible series, I would like to recommend some famous foods from animated shows or movies like Ratatouille for example. Anyway always a pleasure watching your videos.

Thanks for reviewing this place - yes, I’d love to watch yoi review other “weird” (I think that’s what you called it) places. FWIW, my 2cents on Ichiran: I’m cool w/eating alone. The cubicles reminder me of library study desks, but they look a bit narrow. The deal breaker for me are the stools. Nope, I want to relax when I eat & so I want a proper chair.

Alex, that sound you heard in Ichiran that sounded like from Back to The Future is a sound of "charumera", is actually very familiar to Japanese as it was used originally by Ramen food trucks (Yatai) to attract customers.

Thankyou Alex! Very relaxing, funny, enjoyable video❤

Love this ramen, had it in Tokyo near Shinjuku. Had standard everything but put in an order for extra serving of noodles and pork. Service was a bit different to this video in America, ddn't talk to staff behind the curtain, and just ticked boxes on a list and left it with cash on top for the extas, then pushed a buzzer to send someone over. Ramen came with all the toppings already on top, they didn't come separately first.

With how he describes what feels like a simple meal... I wanna see his take on a whole Pho series :D

0:48 Marrant, j'ai bossé au 1221 avenue of the americas ^^' Great serie, looking forward for the next episode ; )

great review! I felt the same way as you when you looked at the onsen tamago and had to peel it yourself. I peeled 4 today and there was shell everywhere.... I had to rinse. The Chashu looked more like pork shoulder than pork belly. I think the idea of thin slice is to allow the broth to heat it up... I prefer quick searing just before serving. I don't think I'd be going there with my wife, any time soon!

I went to Ichiran in Osaka a few months ago, and I am going to Ichiran in Tokyo when i go back to Japan in August 😍😍 I love the cubical where you can almost meditate with your food.

I love that you have the same phone as me, although you went for the white version. But nevermind that. Your series are brilliant, they have given me a lot of inspiration. I used to love cooking, but now I really really love it. Pizza, pasta, noodles, sauces, oils, just to mention a few off the top of my head ❤ Maybe some day you'll do something on Nordic food as well 😉

@LabGecko

11 ай бұрын

He did some on meatballs :D

Hey Alex, I think it would be cool to see you do a video going back to the origins of ramen, that being the Chinese hand-pulled noodles dish of "lā miàn" or 拉面。I had a bowl of some proper Lánzhōu beef lāmiàn the other day and it was really worth it. The noodles really are something unique and tasty. I think having a go at making these super stretchy and ductile hand pulled noodles yourself would make for some great content. I had a go once and it really didn't work out lol. It's tricky stuff.

as someone who gets tunes stuck in their head really really easily, thanks for putting the Great Scott clip lol. I recognized the tune.

This is a wonderful series and right up there with the fried rice series. Will Alex try out Tsukemen Ramen from Taishoken for scientific purposes?

@Alex, if I may throw a suggestion: A series about the many different types of peppers and their different purposes, recipes, countries of origin.. Like how amazingly smoky Chipotle is and how Guajilio is used to make steak sauce, etc..

Ichiran is mid AF. Even in Japan only tourists, salarymen on a quick lunch break, or broke college students are the only people that go there. No Japanese person will wholeheartedly recommend Ichiran for a reason.

@jearl2518

11 ай бұрын

Lived in Japan half my life and going to Ichiran while visiting Japan is such a waste. Just about any non-chain (or even smaller chain) ramen shop in any neighborhood is better than Ichiran. And that chashu looked weak af in the video.

Imagine you just wanna eat your bowl of ramen in peace but then a crazy french ramen nerd next to you is talking in his camera all the time… still loved the video and your great work!

I agree with a lot of the points for ichiran booth style eating. The ones in Japan are different in that you can fold the side of each booth, if you are more than 1 person. This way eating "together" in more of a Yatai (foodstall) type of way. My experience is also that the egg for the ones I went to in Japan are much more yellow and looks almost softboiled without being it, which amounts to a very nice taste. If I could take Alex to some local Fukuoka Ramen restaurants I would love to :) would be a lot of fun :) Loving the passion for the videos, both pasta and Ramen

@wil1027

10 ай бұрын

That's interesting that the Midtown location only has solo booths; I didn't know that. The Times Square location has booth panels that fold away just like in Japan. Love the option to have a solo experience when I'm alone or go with friends / fam and be able to fold the panels away for the company.

$20 US dollars for Ichiran?!?! I was paying between $6.80-$7.40 in Tokyo. Wow that's an insane price jump. It's so good, I'd still get it 😂

@POWned911

2 ай бұрын

Welcome to inflation central, Japan 🥲

I love how Alex flash out his pixel 7 anytime his got an opportunity :D

The Ichiran I went to in Tokyo had a water spigot in each cubical and some cups for self serve. That's a nice touch.

I see cut scenes of TAMPOPO in your video! Happy you've watvhed it too!

I'd like to see the outcome, probably won't though, as being Alex using what he's learned and applying it to France. Bouillabaisse, daube, pot a feau, and even cassoulet as inspiration for a new local focused ramen. All the components are there even to hyper local levels and I think it would make something very personal and unique

There is also tonkotsu ramen in Japan that's light, delicate, complex and less "in your face". Curious what you'd think about that after tasting it.

Mixing the vinegar with the ramen was an eye opener for me.

Incredible video as always Alex! Tonkotsu is truly out of this world and the sense of personal space and privacy that really adds to the expererice!

Love the back to the future reference ❤

Hey Alexl. I had my first serve of tonkotsu ramen at a street food court by the river in fukuoka. It was absolutely amazing. Eating with rain outside the best ramen I ever had. If you stay ever in fukuoka, go to the ramen street at the river. Amazing experience. Greetings from germany.

Damnit Alex. We're here in new York right now and we tried Ivan Ramen and now you're telling me that you were here while I was here! It would have been so cool to meet you. I've been walking around New York for the past week and we didn't bump into each other which I think would have been really cool. That's the way it happened though. I have to say though, if you find yourself in New York again then you gotta try OBAO. Delicious. Cheers!

The spicy paste in the center was probably togarashi, there are some varieties of togarashi ramen that use togarashi as the main flavor, and they're not bad imo

I feel like I would get flashbacks from standardized test cubicles but any anxiety would melt away with full bodied broth et al. I’m sure you like to bounce around globally and probably not to stay in Japan but I would love to see you tackle Yakitori celebrating the entire chicken with binchotan charcoal dripped on by fatty juices and tare. French flag fan to ¿cool/heat? Seems like it has the makings for culinary/engineering breakdown. Merci for all the great content!!!

Your accent makes everything better alex!😊😊😊

I'd like to see more restaurant reviews!

I have had the pleasure of eating at another Japanese ramen chain in America called Kizuki Ramen. I am so happy they are near my city. You can sit down with your friends and eat a very authentic bowl of ramen. You can eat many different styles of ramen instead of only one. The chashu in this video looked very sad.

Thats the perfect restaurant for introvert..i love that concept ❤

The one in Brooklyn is the OG. My favorite spot ❤

that cubicle feels so opressive, and I am usually that person that eat alone and love seclussion. I don't feel that cubicle give the sense of seclussion at all, cause you can still hear all the people talking and know that next person is so close, a lot closer than if you got a table for yourself. They call it experience, I call it saving spaces.

I’ve never been, but it seems like a “chain ramen restaurant”, and as you said, you usually find those in bustling cities-where you may just want a piece of quiet the most. So I agree I think it fits a niche. I think the traditional way of eating ramen, in a regular restaurant environment, surrounded by other people, is likely what the dish was built for in conception and likely where it tastes the best.

misty NY looks pretty nice and different from all the NY pics I've seen until now, pretty cool

Man you gotta go to Japan, this series really needs it

For someone who has worked in the restaurant business for my entire life, and have dealt with people at their worst day in and day out; their is something very appealing about dining alone. Knowing you have complete control of the experience of being a customer brings some peace. You don't run the risk of one of your friends being rude to waitstaff or how the check will be taken care of or if you're going to get into an argument with your date. It's just you, the server, and the food. I would very much like to go to an Ichiran someday.

Love this series! 0:21 ...that a Bartok SQ?

I know that for you, the consuming of food is usually a social event. TBH, I've not had the first hand experience of being in that particular restaurant anywhere, but I imagine your usual experience of trying to make food moments social opportunities are lost here. This was the first thing that stood out for me. Of course, being me, I also understand this odd situation of the disconnect being a strength. I won't comment on the food unless I get some for myself some day.

Alex, you're in NYC enough please drop by Botan in Brooklyn next time you're around. I enjoy it more than Ivan and would love you to review it.

Happy to stumble upon this video (as the first person too... feels exclusive)

For chain ramen shops Ippudo has better chashu and the spicy bean sprouts are an amazing side. The tonkotsu broth from Ippudo is not as focused on developing the pork flavors as Ichiran but is good if a straightforward broth is not what youre looking for. I think there are some Ippudo branches in NY.

I love that the summary says "unique experience", then gives a recommendation for therapy 😅

As an introvert with social anxiety issues, this is highly appealing to me. Also, I like that it is so customizable to personal taste, in comparrison to a previous example where everything, even the timeframe of eating the dish, was dictated. Perhaps it is not the "perfect" bowl of ramen but it seems the more friendly to the layperson who just wants a "good" bowl.

I think it's a great solo experience. Never been to one, but it always feels awkward sitting at a table for 4 when you're by yourself. This looks intimate and cozy for 1. Would be a meal I can enjoy while focusing on the Ramen and my thoughts. Plenty of other places that follow the social route, good to have some variety imo.

Alex! I have lived in Sapporo japan for 30 years! I have amazing ramen connections. I await your arrival! I will be your fixer when you can get here!!!

So correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't tonkotsu a bit different from the other types of ramen listed at 1:03? The other three types are describing the tare while tonkotsu is describing the broth, right? So you can have, say, a miso tonkotsu ramen (like in Naruto), which mixes a tonkotsu broth with a miso tare. Shouldn't they then be two different categorizations; one for tare (shio, shoyu, miso, curry, etc.) and one for broths (dashi, tonkotsu, paitan, etc.)? Just wondering. Regardless, great video as always Alex! Love hearing your thoughts on ramen.

@McShortyMidgetface

11 ай бұрын

From my understanding of it, you are correct. Since the tare is the main seasoning, you can use different broths with different tares. You can generally break down broths as either a chintan(clear broth), or a paitan(white/opaque broth). Technically speaking, tonkotsu is just 1 style of a paitan broth. And while basically nobody as far as I can tell does this, you could refer to a chintan made with pork bones as a tonkotsu broth, considering tonkotsu literally just means pork bone broth

@eskim_97

11 ай бұрын

@@McShortyMidgetface Ah OK, cool. I'm not too familiar with different broth types and I was pretty much listing just terms I was familiar with that seemed related to broths, so I appreciate your more technical distinction. Thanks for the clarification!

Salut Alex, j'adore suivre tes videos depuis Londres. Ca te tenterait de faire une série sur le BBQ a l'américaine? La learning curve est plutôt steep mais c'est certainement un challenge digne d'être relevé.

Imagine going to that place so you have some quiet time with yourself in that noicy city and the guy next to you keeps talking to himself with a french accent xD

I had Ichiran in Shibuya, but even there, I wouldn't say the chashu was particularly worth writing home about. That's not to say thin sliced chashu can't be good, but the way they make it doesn't really make the thin slices stand out. If anything, Ichiran is a nice option to have if you've got that hankering, but don't feel like going 20-30 minutes out of the way for a seriously tasty bowl elsewhere(at least when in Japan, a 20-odd minute walk will likely take you to a more homestyle ramen that might delivery a better experience). Still miles better than grabbing a McDonalds or other big chain fast food option, but generally like most big chain options where it's reliable/safe, but at their best is a safe, if uninspired option.

@KainYusanagi

11 ай бұрын

It looks more like it's a slice of pork centerloin, which is actually fairly cheap, and it hasn't even been BBQ'd.

I would love to have cubicle restaurants here. I think he nailed it as a comfort in a cold, overcrowded city to have a hot soup dish in privacy. I would slurp my soup and be happy. But of course, you need other restaurant choices for when you are with friends. So I'm not sure a restaurant here could survive having only cubicles.

That chime around 9:00 is actually historically old. It originates from ramen cart that played that chime like an ice cream truck. That chime basically means "ramen" for locals :D

5:32 5:45 imagining the person next to him hearing a french guy quietly mumbling his existential crisis to himself out loud is so unbelievably funny to me

Fun Fact i learned from another KZread video of someone eating at one of these in Japan, that tune that plays all the time is apparently the traditional tune that street-vendor ramen stands would play. Sort of like the icecream truck jingle

The funny noise is the sound when someone requests an extra serving of noodles, and it apparently mimics the sounds of old ramen carts (like how ice cream trucks have a jingle)

I think it'd be nice to explore Shoyu or Shi Ramen. I feel it's a lot harder to get those two right five their lower level of complexity in the broth and Tare. You really have to fine tune everything so it doesn't just taste like you poured salt or Soy Sauce into a bowl of stock.

I've been to Japan and had ramen many times. Ichiran was really my favorite, because I could make it mine. Extra garlic, very spicy, extra richness. Was it the best? Maybe not? I had better bowls but it was my favorite because I love the flavor I can make.

I think you should include tsukemen to the list of types of ramen, and it would be crazy to see you trying to make one 😀.

This vidoe gives me the hope that soem day you will visit my "home turf" of düsseldorf, sicne we have lots of Ramenshops as well ;)

I walk by then weekly. I will make an effort to stop in. I love ramen and pho(do a series please). So I'm ready to try any experience. Ivan Ramen and a little shop near London Liverpool St station are my tops.

@klrfrazier

11 ай бұрын

*them

Loving these travel videos Alex!

I love Ichiran! When I lived in Tokyo I would go at least once a week

YES! GREAT SCOTT!

What is the camera arm/ tripod you were using?! Thanks Alex!!

You should pay a visit to Zuru Zuru Ramen in Ghent, Belgium. He has trained in Japan and creates Tonkotsu ramen =)

you have to try some tsukemen in New York!

I have to buy the at home version in the box of 5.... it's incredible! I'd have it twice a week easy!

That was probably the most egregious ad placement ever. 🤣 (And just to be clear, I'm not talking about the content of the ad)

Remember on the TV show Cheers!, they sang about going "where everybody knows your name" and "everybody is glad you came". This place is the exact opposite.

That is so authentic looking for New York!