[Tokyo, Japan] - Ichiran Ramen

One of my main goals in Japan was to have an amazing bowl of ramen. I was overwhelmed by the endless selections in my research for the perfect bowl. Compound that with where in Tokyo would this bowl be consumed? Being my first time there, even with maps, it was hard to plan which area would be the most convenient (my friend from Nagoya was going to take me around, so I didn't want to be presumptuous about locations). The nightmare would be to look around at multiple shops and have no idea which to try. And then, would I want to find a bowl of miso ramen? Shio ramen? Shoyu ramen? Tantan men? Tonkotsu ramen? 

My friend was kind enough to do research on her end as she didn't live in Tokyo. I believe we both decided that we would put Ichiran on the list. I had tried Ippudo before and found it over priced and mediocre. In the states, I always hear about people going to Ippudo, so when I had the chance to try it in Taipei, I did. And was disappointed. So it was stricken from the list. She suggested that if we saw Ichiran or Santouka, we would go for those. 

There is so much to do and see in Tokyo. Our method was to go to different parts for sightseeing, and when we got hungry, refer to our list to see what was close by. Since Ichiran is pretty well scattered around, it wasn't too hard to find one. I believe the one we went to was in Asakusa. There was a small doorway that you go through, and down the stairs before seeing some vending machines. You purchase your ramen at the machine first, then wait to be seated. The machine has all of the buttons for you to customize your ramen. At Ichiran, they only use tonkotsu broth. From there, you can decide if you want garlic, chili, meat, and soft boiled egg. I went with medium amounts for everything and of course, added a soft boiled egg.

We were pretty lucky in that the wait was pretty short and we were soon seated in our own individual booths. It felt like a serious ramen place, and I couldn't help but constantly think back to the movie Tanpopo. Was this going to be the perfect ramen for me? 

It was so quiet in there, save for the sounds of slurping. In front of the booth is a door that opens for the cooks in the back to drop off our ramen. It's an experience. No fuss, no chatting, just you and your ramen. When I first saw the hard boiled egg, I thought they had given me a regular egg. So, don't judge by the color of the egg. It was one of the best soft boiled eggs I'd ever had. Instant regret for only getting one. 

Hard boiled egg aside, the ramen was amazing. I really did need the booth to myself to fully enjoy it. The fragrance as I mixed everything up in my bowl was amazing. Before even trying the noodle or the meat, I had a sip of the broth. And then I knew, this is what tonkotsu broth should taste like! I said a little prayer before biting into the noodles that it wouldn't be soggy or hard, and prayer or not, the noodle were perfect for the broth. I think I was in a happy trance as I finished up my bowl and drank to the last drop (again, thinking of Tanpopo and the reaction when the broth wasn't finished), I was treated to a neat message at the bottom of the bowl. I could show you, but then you wouldn't have the pleasure of doing it for yourself ;)

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