60-Year-Old Ramen Shop: Why Are Partitions Placed Between Each Seat?
Spring has come, looking at the flowers blooming in the community, it reminds me of my previous trip to Japan to view cherry blossoms. Now that this season is here, which is the peak season for Japanese travel, but considering the current situation, we should avoid traveling abroad. We can 'cloud-travel', appreciate 'cloud-scenery', and enjoy 'cloud-cuisine' at home.
Japanese travel is beautiful in its natural scenery, but it also involves tasting local specialties. Japanese cuisine is very diverse, and many tourists include popular restaurants in their itineraries. Ichiran Ramen is a very popular spot for tourists to 'check-in'.
Ichiran Ramen was founded in 1960 in Fukuoka, Japan's Fukuoka Prefecture. It has a history of approximately 60 years. Ichiran Ramen is a famous Japanese ramen chain, specializing in Hakata-style ramen. It operates 24 hours a day, which is very convenient, and there are many branches.
Although Ichiran Ramen originates from Fukuoka, it's often perceived as an Osaka brand due to the abundance of branches in Osaka. We had it in Shinsaibashi, Osaka, after a tiring shopping spree. If you're traveling to Osaka, don't forget to 'check-in'!
During my trip to Japan, I felt that Japanese people, although busy, live a very refined life. When I dined at Ichiran Ramen, I realized it's a country that's very detail-oriented and provides excellent service.
The seating arrangement in Ichiran Ramen is unique, given the cramped space of Japan. The seats are closely spaced, and a partition is placed between each seat. This is because…
It's to protect customer privacy. However, if you're dining with a partner, you can remove the partition. Most tourists, however, prefer to keep it for a novel experience.
The curtain in front of each seat is used to communicate with the service staff, and also serves as a delivery channel. Press the call button on the table to request service.
The space is small, but the design is surprisingly comprehensive, like a 'five-star hotel in a nutshell',
In addition, Ichiran Ramen's ordering process is highly automated and user-friendly. Given the long queues at Ichiran Ramen, they provide self-service ordering machines. Note that this only accepts cash!
After ordering through the machine, you take your receipt to the waiting area and queue for seating. The staff will take your order and fulfill your specific requirements, allowing you to choose the richness of the soup, the noodle firmness, the amount of green onions and garlic, whether to include char siu, and the spice level.
Finally, let's talk about the taste and price of Ichiran Ramen. Hakata ramen noodles are thin and have a slightly firm texture, and the broth is very rich. Overall, the taste is very good. However, there are so many delicious ramen in Japan, and I can only say it's among the best.
Regarding price, a basic bowl of ramen costs around 60-70 RMB. The set meal we had, with pork belly, kombu, and wood ear mushrooms, was 1490 (close to 100 RMB). Given the overall high cost of goods in Japan, Ichiran Ramen is slightly more expensive than other Japanese ramen shops.
