The legendary Ichiran is finally coming to Singapore! From 3 to 20 October 2019, Ichiran will be having a pop-up in Singapore at Takashimaya Square as part of the third edition of annual ramen festival Ramen Revolution at the Japan Food Matsuri event.
If you’ve ever been to Japan, you’ll know that ramen is a must-try item; leaving Japan without slurping down a bowl of this goodness is an absolute crime! There are a plethora of ramen shops scattered across Japan but one of the more famous brands that is high up on everyone’s list is the well-loved Ichiran.
Ichiran has been widely accepted as the god of tonkotsu ramen and they definitely set a high benchmark for a classic bowl of ramen. We are so damn excited that Ichiran Ramen is finally having a pop-up in Singapore (and hopefully a permanent shop next?!). That means that you no longer have to book a plane ticket to Japan just to satisfy your cravings for a bowl of the best ramen in the world.
Our team joined the queue at 10am during the opening on 3 October 2019 and we waited for almost 2 hours for our Ichiran Ramen! The queue is expected to get even longer, so get there early if you are planning to try it.
The secret to Ichiran’s exceptional tonkotsu ramen is its ambrosial broth; rich, thick and chock full of umami, every sip is pure bliss. Paired together with the ramen noodles which are cooked to perfection — springy, chewy and al dente — and outrageously tender chashu slices, it is no wonder that they are one of the most popular ramen chains in Japan!
But before you get too excited, Ichiran Ramen’s pop-up in Singapore will serve bowls of its instant ramen instead of fresh noodles. The instant noodles will be cooked on-site with spicy seasoning and sprinkled with wood ear mushrooms and green onions, and there will be no charshu. There are only 700 portions available daily.
For those of you who are not familiar with Ichiran Ramen, what makes Japan’s Ichiran special is the fact that they value alone time and solitary dining so much that they have individual booths where people can huddle up in their own space to enjoy their piping hot bowl of ramen.
We are keeping our fingers crossed that Ichiran Ramen will be opening a permanent shop in Singapore after the pop-up.
Ichiran Ramen Singapore
3 to 20 October 2019
Takashimaya Square
Japan Food Matsuri event
If you are heading to Tokyo to eat the real Ichiran Ramen, check out our Tokyo’s travel guides on the other places in the city that you should explore.