Ichiran
Ramen restaurant · Williamsburg ·
Japanese chain serving customizable tonkotsu ramen in solo booths
Japanese chain serving customizable tonkotsu ramen in solo booths
"Ichiran is a Japanese chain with locations in Bushwick, Midtown and Times Square where you can eat your ramen in a “flavor concentration booth.” Think of it as a study carrel in a library, but for solo ramen eating. To order, just fill out a form and press a button. If you’re afraid of loneliness, you can eat in an actual dining room (or just lower the partition between booths). The highly customizable ramen is solid, and the overall experience makes this place worth visiting at least once." - will hartman, willa moore, sonal shah, neha talreja, kenny yang
"Ichiran isn’t just perfect for solo diners. It’s perfect for antisocial ones as well. Here, you can sit in a “concentration booth” that looks kind of like a desk or a voting stall and pass your written order through a slit on the far side. Then it’ll just be you, your ramen, and whoever is sitting behind the dividers on either side of you. This Midtown location was the first U.S. location of a Japanese chain (there's also Times Square, Downtown Brooklyn, and Bushwick locations), and it’s a fun experience you should have all by yourself." - willa moore, will hartman, neha talreja, carina finn koeppicus
"Not every restaurant gives you the option of closing yourself off from the world, but Ichiran does. In addition to a more straightforward dining room, this ramen spot in Bushwick (and Midtown) has some one-person stations where you can eat your food in what is essentially a sit-down voting booth. You also write your order on a slip of paper and pass it to your server through a window in front of you, so you don’t actually have to interact with anyone while you eat." - bryan kim, neha talreja, hannah albertine, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah
"August will be a lot calmer for you than fiery July. It's time for a bit of solitude. Take this to the extreme at Ichiran, where you can enjoy a big bowl of ramen alone in "flavor concentration booths" with wood panels separating you from other patrons. You don’t even have to talk to the waitstaff—just mark what you want on a form, push the button to order, then slide the form under the partition between you and the kitchen." - neha talreja
"When you’re hungover, it's hard enough to face the man in the mirror, let alone strangers at a restaurant. So go to Ichiran to get your morning-after noodles. A famous chain from Japan, Ichiran is well-known for its "flavor concentration booths,” which are perfect for when you just need to put your head in your hands and think about how you got here. You fill out a form to place your order, then basically avoid dealing with humanity for 30 minutes." - neha talreja