Ichiran Nanokawa Branch

As of November 2023, Ichiran is a major chain of tonkotsu ramen restaurants with a total of 86 stores throughout Japan and abroad. The main Hakata head Shop is located in Nakasu Kawabata, but the first Ichiran restaurant is located in Nanokawa, a short 30-minute walk south of Nakasu Kawabata.

Ichiran opened its first restaurant in 1993 at the current location along Nisseki Street, based on a membership ramen restaurant established in 1960. Since then, under the claim of “the company that researches tonkotsu ramen the best in the world,” Ichiran has continued to pursue authentic tonkotsu ramen, and it is a well-known fact that the restaurant is now loved by ramen fans throughout Japan as a natural tonkotsu ramen specialty restaurant.

With such history and tradition, it was only natural that I should be interested in Ichiran’s first restaurant. After arriving in Hakata by Shinkansen, I headed straight for the restaurant. I arrived at the restaurant around 11:00 p.m. on a weekday evening. In addition to the late hour, it was raining quite heavily that day, but the store was indeed thriving…

The minimal customer service may make it difficult for beginners to use the restaurant… Ichiran Nanokawa Branch’s example explains in detail the manners in the restaurant, including how to order and customize your ramen.

Ichiran is a major force in the Hakata tonkotsu ramen market that has become very popular nationwide, but Ichiran’s unique management methods, which are not found at other restaurants, can be confusing and difficult for beginners to grasp. In order to avoid confusion, I will explain Ichiran’s in-store manners in an easy-to-understand manner, so please refer to it if you are going to visit Ichiran for the first time…

First, buy a meal ticket

All Ichiran restaurants have a meal ticket system, and you need to purchase a meal ticket for what you want to eat from the ticket machine before entering the restaurant and taking a seat…

The menu at Ichiran Nanokawa branch basically consists of one bowl of tonkotsu ramen, which can be customized with or without additional toppings or refill. To the left of the ticket vending machine is a sign that reads “Ichiran Originated in Nanokawa,” which makes you realize that you have come to a special Ichiran restaurant among all the Ichiran restaurants in the country.

Sit at the “Taste Concentration Counter,” which is empty, and fill out an order form.

Inside Ichiran, the kitchen and seating area are completely separated from each other, and there is basically no waiter on the seating area to guide you. There is no problem to find an empty seat by yourself and sit down silently, so you can sit in any seat you like without any hesitation.

Incidentally, inside Ichiran Nanokawa branch, there are a total of 15 chairs at the famous “Taste Concentration Counter. On the counter is an order form like the one above, where you fill in your desired customization, such as the intensity of flavor and the hardness of the noodles. When you have finished filling out the form, press the call button on the counter, and a waiter will raise the curtain from inside the kitchen to receive your meal ticket and order form. If you need any other help…

You can make a request to the waiter using the tag or order form on the left side of the flavor concentration counter, so don’t hesitate to press the call button and ask the waiter. By the way, additional orders after purchasing a meal ticket will be handled in cash, so there is no need to go back to the ticket machine to buy another meal ticket.

You may leave without saying a word when you finish your ramen.

Ichiran has a system where the wait staff cannot see the customers’ movements, so you may wonder if it would be better to say something when you finish your meal and leave the restaurant. However, you can leave without saying a word after finishing your meal. If you leave the dishes as they are, the waiter will clean them up later.

In Ichiran, you may feel “the impression of coldness” in some cases because the situations in which you are served by the waiter are limited. However, you are never left alone. If you use the call button, they will politely respond to you from inside the kitchen.

Ichiran’s official YouTube channel also has a video showing how to use the restaurant for first-timers, so if you would like to watch it, please visit here as well…

Ichiran’s history began here… What does Ichiran’s original tonkotsu ramen taste like at the first Ichiran restaurant in Nanokawa?

This time, what I ordered at Ichiran Nanokawa branch was the ramen + refill (priced at 1,190 yen including tax), which was on the top left of the ticket vending machine. After handing the ticket and order form to the waiter, it took about 2 minutes for my ramen to be served…

This is how it looks like without any additional toppings and with all the customizations set to “basic”. The cloudy soup looks very tasty. The “red secret sauce” on the center of the bowl is also a nice visual touch…

Let’s start with the soup… It is a little oily and has a mild taste. While the pork flavor is very rich, the smell of pork bones is minimal…in fact, I think it works in a good direction as an accent to the aroma. People who are sensitive to the smell of pork bones may find it a bit harsh, but the fact that this soup is accepted by many people is the reason why the restaurant has become a nationwide chain, so I think it is not surprising that the restaurant claims on its website to be the “origin of tonkotsu soup with no smell.

On the other hand, the noodles are the familiar low-moisture, ultra-thin, straight Hakata tonkotsu ramen noodles. The “basic” noodles have a firm texture and soak up the soup, releasing the flavor into the mouth, and then slipping smoothly down the throat. As you continue to eat the noodles, the “red secret sauce” gradually dissolves into the soup, and the flavor gradually changes to spicy and hot, which is a nice touch. The noodles are extremely thin and stretch easily, so it is recommended to slurp them up vigorously and not too slowly.

However, the main topping, chashu pork, honestly felt like a bonus. I could tell that the pork was tender and tender, but each piece was so small and thin that it was overpowered by the presence of the rich pork bone broth. With this, I would rather turn the chashu pork completely into an additional topping and make it like a plain ramen.

Now, after finishing the noodles, let’s order “kaedama” (refill).

You can order a second and subsequent toppings by filling out an order form at the Ajiton counter, so don’t worry if you are in the mood for a big bowl of noodles. If you are in the mood for a hearty meal, don’t worry.

I had the refill boiled to a normal consistency. It only takes a minute or two after ordering. Throw this into the bowl and…

Let it sit in the remaining soup. This system, which has spread from Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen to other ramen restaurants nationwide, is a great idea. For only 210 yen, you can feel as if you can have another bowl of ramen…

This time, since it was late at night, I decided to leave the restaurant after having only one “kaedama”. As expected of Ichiran! I was surprised at how good Ichiran ramen is. Some people may be disappointed that there is no red ginger or takana, which are well-known in Hakata tonkotsu ramen, but for me personally, I did not feel it was missing at all because the soup is very robust. Nowadays, Ichiran’s tonkotsu ramen can be found all over Japan, but eating it at the restaurant where it originated is a very special and uplifting experience. If you ever visit Hakata, please visit the store.

Souvenir ramen is also available…Ichiran Nanokawa Branch is a 9-minute walk from the nearest station, Nishitetsu Hirao Station on the Nishi-Nippon Railway Tenjin Omuta Line.

Ichiran Nanokawa also sells ramen for souvenirs…

In addition to the 5-packs of dried straight noodles and cup noodles, you can also purchase yaki ramen, which is not on the restaurant’s menu. These products are also available through Amazon and Rakuten, but if you want to buy them as souvenirs for friends and acquaintances, you have to buy them locally… right? If you are interested, please ask the store staff directly.

一蘭 ラーメン 博多細麺（ストレート） 秘伝の粉付 5食入

Amazon参考価格：2599円、楽天参考価格：2680円

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ふるさと納税を申し込む

Now, here are the details of the store. More restaurant information can be found below…