Sometimes, I crave the firm noodles of Hakata ramen with thick tonkotsu soup. I usually go for Shiramaru. The creamy soup and firm noodles are irresistible. On this day, I started with Harigane and ended up ordering Barikata as an extra serving, so I ended up quite full. I also can't resist ordering gyoza. It tends to get crowded, so be prepared to wait in line or try to go during off-peak hours.

It's been years since I last visited Ichiran! The Ueno Hirokoji store was a first for me, and I was overwhelmed by the number of foreign visitors as soon as I entered. Each seat had a touch panel. It reminded me of when I visited Asakusa. I had the classic Ichiran ramen with white rice. The staff were very friendly. The food arrived in just a few minutes, even though it was crowded. The ramen had wood ear mushrooms, chashu, green onions, bean sprouts, and the noodles were firm. The taste was very mild and easy to eat, with a good pork bone flavor. I can see why it's so popular. I wanted some extra flavor, so I added some bean sprout namul from the table. While casually exploring the touch panel, I discovered a button for free toppings. I was already almost done with my meal, but I couldn't resist ordering garlic and pickled ginger. I finished every drop of the soup. It was truly delicious!

Tsukemen Hakata-style white broth with green onions and mentaiko rice for 990 yen, plus 140 yen for extra green onions and 430 yen for mentaiko rice. Koizumi and the others visited the Jiyugaoka branch, but the location has changed since it was featured in the manga. So, they decided to go to a more convenient branch instead of Jiyugaoka. They arrived around 7:45 PM and were able to sit at the counter without waiting. By the time they left, there was a line. They ordered the same Hakata-style white broth and mentaiko rice as Koizumi (couldn't manage to get extra noodles or a bite-sized gyoza). It had been about 7-8 years since they last visited Ichiran before moving to Tokyo, so it was a long time since they had been to Ippudo. They used to prefer Ichiran over Ippudo, but after trying the white broth for the first time, they were surprised by how delicious it was. The noodles were thin, as expected for a tonkotsu ramen, but they were still a bit soft in the Barikata style. They decided to try a firmer texture next time. The seasoned egg was on the sweeter side. Toppings included two types of chashu, bean sprouts, wood ear mushrooms, and green onions. They debated adding extra bean sprouts but decided against it, only to regret it later. They added free toppings of spicy pickled mustard greens for a bit of heat, but wished they could have added more. The pickled mustard greens were served in a small dish, so they couldn't add as much as they wanted. They wished for a bit more spiciness.

Recently, I've been hooked on tonkotsu ramen and I've tried a lot of it at famous chain restaurants. I like the touchpad ordering system, it's easy to use. The soup is rich without any unpleasant smell, and you can taste the richness of the bone marrow. It's consistently delicious. Personally, I prefer it when there's a bit of fermentation smell.

The rain has stopped, so I headed to the Ueno Hirokoji branch. Despite the rain, the number of tourists has increased. It's definitely Sunday. Today is double points day, so I couldn't help but come out. By the way, maybe because it's Sunday, the manager of the Asakusabashi store was in the kitchen, which surprised and delighted me.

I was around Ueno area today, so I visited for the point quota? my second bowl at Ippudo. The second bowl was the new flavor with red mark, with sesame oil and red sauce as the points. The first time I encountered was the original flavor with white mark, and then the new flavor with red mark came out. I can't really tell the difference after the noodles, they seem to have been improved, with the addition of sesame balls or something different. I wonder how many years have passed since I became a premium member, I can't really keep track. I hope the "benefits" become more generous, like bringing back the free extra noodles for premium members as a heavy eater.

I visited for lunch, usually I prefer the red spicy ramen, but I heard that the special "Karakara" ramen here is delicious. Located in Ueno, there were many foreign tourists both inside and outside the restaurant. I ordered the special Karakara ramen with normal noodle firmness and spiciness. When the ramen arrived, I was amazed by the beautiful presentation of the bowl. The soup, based on pork bone, had a rich flavor of red chili oil and spices, with a strong cumin aroma giving it an ethnic taste. I planned on getting an extra serving of noodles and focused on slurping them up for the first bowl. Once the extra noodles arrived, I enjoyed the pork belly and chicken chashu, seaweed, and fried egg while finishing the meal. It was spicy and made me sweat, but overall, it was a satisfying taste from Ichiran, and sometimes it's nice to try something different like the Karakara ramen!

I visited during a late lunch time and noticed that there were more foreign tourists. I decided to try the plain Shiro Maru Genmai ramen without any toppings. It reminded me of the first time I tried it at Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum, with its impactful flavors of spicy bean sprouts, pickled mustard greens, red ginger, and garlic crush. Today, I deliberately started with no toppings to recall the original taste of Shiro Maru Genmai.

It had been 2 years and 3 months since my last visit. Ueno Hirokoji used to be bustling with customers even late at night, but it seems that the presence of food and beverage establishments has weakened due to various requests from the government such as emergency declarations and prevention of the spread of the virus in the past 2 years. I strongly felt this at Ichiran Ramen tonight. I wonder if they are lively during lunchtime? It's difficult for me to come for lunch so I can't grasp the situation throughout the day, but I hope they can thrive in the evening as well. - Ichiran Kasane-aji (noodle half) 990 yen - Hakata White Original Flavor 790 yen - Umakara Tanmen Vegetable 550 yen - Hakata Gyoza (one bite) 470 yen - Potato Salad 420 yen - Mentaiko (spicy cod roe) 220 yen - Draft Beer 550 yen x 3 - Highball 430 yen x 4 We had the limited edition noodle "Ichiran Kasane-aji" from only 4 stores including Ueno Hirokoji as the final ramen. The chicken and pork bone soup had a refreshing yet deep flavor. The fried green onions added a nice aroma and enjoyable texture. The total cost for two people was 6,810 yen. Thank you for the meal.

Ippudo ramen shops have popped up everywhere. The taste has become a classic and it's really delicious! I don't feel like waiting in line to eat it, but like McDonald's, I find myself coming here occasionally. I tried the winter limited miso flavor.

Last night, after work, I made a detour on my way home to visit this restaurant for the first time. I was specifically interested in trying the "Miso Shiro Maru" ramen, which is only available at certain stores during the winter season. It has been 7 years since my last visit to "Ippudo", making this my 4th visit overall (2nd visit in Japan in 26 years). When I arrived at 6:56 PM, there was only one customer inside the restaurant. I ordered the "Miso Shiro Maru" and after a 4-minute wait, the eagerly awaited ramen arrived. The miso soup was cloudy with a layer of flavored oil on top, and on top of the flat, medium-thin noodles were slices of chashu pork, stir-fried bean sprouts and cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, and grated ginger. When I first tasted the soup, I was hit with a strong acidity that overshadowed the miso flavor and umami of the broth. The acidity seemed too intense for the relatively mild white miso base. The miso flavor and saltiness were subtle, making it difficult for the intended pork bone flavor to come through due to the overpowering acidity. The flavored oil, made from fried lard with ginger and garlic, also seemed somewhat diminished by the acidity. Next, I tried the noodles, which were cooked to a moderate firmness and had a smooth texture with a hint of wheat flavor. The slight acidity from the soup slightly affected the sweetness of the noodles. The chashu pork, slightly thickly sliced, was meticulously seared to a charred finish. The meat had a dense texture with a concentrated richness and sweetness from the fat. After finishing the meal, I felt that without the excessive acidity, the flavors would have been well-balanced. However, the overwhelming acidity disrupted the overall harmony of the dish. It felt like the acidity was unintentional, possibly due to the miso sauce fermenting too much for some reason. I found out that this dish is also available at a branch near my home, so I plan to visit there to confirm whether the acidity was intentional or not. Thank you for the meal.

I saw a video of Afuri Gojocho on YouTube, which made me crave ramen. I decided to visit Afuri in Gotanda, although I used to go to the Ebisu branch. It was my first time at the Gotanda location, and when I arrived at 5:00 pm, there was only one customer and about five empty seats. The staff were friendly and cheerful, and they promptly seated me. I couldn't decide between the Shiro Maru Ramen and the Aka Maru Ramen, but since I was in the mood for something rich, I chose the Aka Maru. I also ordered a beer. After a 10-minute wait, my ramen arrived and it looked delicious. The soup had a rich tonkotsu flavor with a hint of spice, creating a deep and satisfying taste. It had been a while since I last had Afuri ramen, and I must say, it was delicious. The noodles were thin, and as I continued eating, the flavor of the soup changed as the seasonings mixed in, making it even more enjoyable. I heard that Afuri has expanded overseas, but to think that this is being introduced as a taste of Japan makes me proud as a Japanese.

Once again, I went to Ippudo! This time I tried the Akatora ramen. I've been coming here for a long time and it never disappoints. It's a reliable ramen shop where mistakes never happen (haha). I had the ramen, gyoza, bean sprouts, and beer - a classic combination. Definitely recommend it to everyone!

This was my first time at Ippudo! I like spicy food, so I ordered the special red spicy ramen, I think it was called that. It was served in just 2 minutes! So fast!! I prefer my noodles on the firm side, so I chose them to be extra firm. The toppings like chashu and egg were delicious too! For a chain restaurant, it was surprisingly tasty! I feel like I understand why there are always long lines now.

"Stable Ichiran❗ It was delicious! The perfect size of the gyoza (laughs) This time I had the shiro. I really like Ichiran's bean sprouts (laughs). Ramen, one-bite gyoza, bean sprouts, beer - a perfect combination! A sense of stability and reassurance! Everyone should definitely try it!"

In this area, the only place where you can eat ramen late at night is probably Ichiran. You can also order a small portion for your final ramen, which is a nice touch. I like the original flavor ramen from Ichiran. I like to add garlic from the table set. *They didn't have table sets before, so it has improved a lot. However, they have a limited ramen called "Kasane Aji" that is only available at the Nagoya main store, Ginza store, and Machida store. I realized this after finishing my meal, so I plan to try the "Kasane Aji" ramen late at night next time.

I visited Ichiran in Ueno for the first time in years. After sanitizing my hands at the entrance, I sat at the counter seat. The space felt relatively spacious with tables well spaced out. I ordered the Akamaru ramen and gyoza set. The gyoza here is bite-sized and delicious. If you have a big appetite, you could easily eat over 100 pieces in 30 minutes. The soup was spicy and tasty. It was a great experience to have pork bone ramen after a long time. Thank you for the meal.

More than 10 years ago, I visited a stylish and clean restaurant where I tried pork bone ramen for the first time. Today, I revisited the same place and had their classic Shiro Maru ramen. It was delicious, with a rich pork bone soup that was not overpowering, but rather had a nice sweetness to it. The thin noodles had a great texture and a nice wheat flavor. I also tried their water dumplings, which had a chewy skin and tasted great on their own, but even better with the spicy dipping sauce. They have a good selection of alcoholic drinks and side dishes, making it a great place for both ramen and izakaya-style dining. I will definitely be coming back here again soon!

I often find myself stopping by Ichifudo Ueno Hirokoji branch as they are open until late at night. This time, I tried their extremely spicy ramen. As soon as it arrived, its fierce appearance caught my attention. I took a sip of the soup... spicy, very spicy. Oh boy, this is really hot! Unfortunately, it was beyond my tolerance for spiciness. I tried adding garlic halfway through, but the spiciness was overpowering. I ended up mostly just eating the noodles and called it a day.

I went to Ippudo Ueno Hirokoji store. I ordered the special Kasane flavor ramen for 1100 yen. It comes with burnt green onions, boiled cabbage, and Hakata green onions. The characteristic is the medium thick noodles. If you get a noodle refill, the noodles will be replaced. The original noodles are recommended, but for those who want to compare, the thin noodles are also good. This is a limited menu available at a few stores, with the option to order at the Ginza and Nagoya main stores. The soup is thick and has a delicate sweet taste. It is made by layering tonkotsu and chicken bones. It gives an impression similar to the light Kurume ramen. It is surprisingly light for an Ippudo menu. There is always rooibos tea on the table, which is a nice touch. For those who want to order the Akamaru or Shiromaru, it may be disappointing, but for those seeking a light plus alpha richness, this ramen is a great choice. For those who enjoy chicken ramen, light ramen, or tanmen, this ramen is recommended as the next choice.