The first Ichiran in Hokkaido, “Sapporo Susukino Shop,” will open on January 23, 2020, on the first floor of the fashion building “nORBESA” (with their quirky backwards capitalization). Nearby you can find Ramen Yokocho (Ramen Alley) with a ton of long-established ramen shops and Tanukikoji with the newest ramen shops. You can tell that Ichiran is not afraid to face their rivals.

When you enter the shop, it is filled with an atmosphere of a Japanese festival. This is so that their customers “to be able to have fun even while waiting in line.”

This small fun consideration from the shop can even make your waiting time enjoyable.

Once you go through the traditional “noren” (entrance curtain), and into the store, you will enter the “Nigiwai Dokoro.” The Sapporo Susukino store is the first shop to establish the “Nigiwai Dokoro” space. This literally means “A bustling area”.

The area feels like you are at a standing bar, and they offer appetizers such as Nikomi Yakibuta Sara 490 yen (tax included), and drinks like craft chu-hai “Yoichi-san Niagara 680 yen (tax included) and Hokkaido limited local beer “Sapporo Classic 680 yen (tax included)”.

They sell packaged ramen for souvenirs and screen short shows on how to make them on the monitor. People who purchase in bulk - such as the 24 sets of 5 meals - will receive a special bag to carry home the ramen with them!

The menu and instructions for the ticket machine are displayed in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. If you are looking for a big meal, we recommend the “Ichiran Go-sen 1,580 (tax included).” You can also make additional orders from your seat.

When it’s busy, they will assign you numbered tickets and it will let you know what time to return to the shop. At nORBESA, there are many shops you can look at while waiting for your turn.

One of the main features of Ichiran Ramen is the private partition booths “Flavor Concentration System .” Fairly simply, it means that you concentrate on the flavor of the food instead of the distractions around you.

Fill out the order form that has seven criteria, such as noodle hardness and flavor preferences. The form is also available in English and once it is filled out, hand it to the staff with your order ticket. If you are not sure what to choose, you can always select the “recommended” items that are shown with dotted lines.

The bamboo blind will open, and your meal will be served. They say that “the flavor of the ramen is determined by time,” and it is served within 15 seconds after it is made.

Ichiran’s ramen is very mild. They use a unique method that prevents odor when making their signature tonkotsu (pork bone) broth. By using this method, they maximize the deliciousness of the soup. Also, they are the first shop in the world to offer 0% trans-fat ramen. So you can fully enjoy a soup full of natural collagen!

For their thin noodles, they use a special blend of wheat flour. They also pay great attention to the water, weather, temperature and humidity every day when making their noodles.

“Akai Hiden no Tare (spicy red sauce)” is made with 30 kinds of ingredients blended with a pepper base and aged for many days. The spiciness is a perfect condiment for the ramen and once you start, you can’t stop. You can always order more noodles with the “Kae-dama” 210 yen (tax included), and we recommend getting the additional condiment Osukaran no Sanmi 120 yen (tax included). It is a seasoning made with black vinegar and other original ingredients, which creates a perfect, refreshing flavor.

The Nikomi Yakibuta Sara 490 yen (tax included), is made with quality pork sirloin that has been stewed carefully, for an incredibly even flavor. It matches the sweet sauce that is made with Fukuoka Prefecture soy sauce base that has been smoked, and the dish goes great with beer and rice.

The Matcha Anintofu (Chinese style almond jelly) is so delicious that you’re likely to wonder “Is this really a chain store dessert?!” Although the intense green color of the dessert looks like it could be bitter or overpowering, it is actually the perfect amount of sweetness for the end of a meal. And, made with Yamecha tea from Japan’s own Fukuoka Prefecture, it really adds to the quality.

Outside there’s a spot where you can take a picture in front of your favorite bowl of Hakata ramen! But you’ll probably get hungry just looking at the picture…

Hakata ramen is originally from further south in Japan, in an area called Fukuoka. Because of this, Ichiran’s ramen is going to be pretty different to other ramen you might find in Sapporo. If you want to try ramen from different areas in one place, this seems like the place to go!

Text by:Masakazu Yoshida