Efficient, delicious, and fuss-free. What’s not to like about Ichiran Ramen? 

Touted as ramen that’s best suited for solo diners, Ichiran Ramen has made headlines for its segmented seating, where you eat facing a wall. Originating from Fukuoka back in 1960, the restaurant is famous for a creamy Tonkotsu broth that’s extremely slurp-worthy, topped off with a spicy sauce for some kick.

You first place your order via a vending machine, where you pick the ramen and desired toppings. Each bowl (JPY980; ~SGD9.90) comes with a slice of chashu and spring onions; you can add on additional slices of chashu, an onsen egg, kikurage mushrooms, dried seaweed, vinegar, or even extra garlic and spring onions.

You’ll also need to fill out a questionnaire of sorts, indicating your noodle firmness and so on.

Look at these handy boards to see which seats are empty (these are indicated in blue).

Once you receive your meal tickets, the staff will guide you to an individual booth, where dividers separate you from your neighbours. These dividers are to weed out any distractions, and aim to allow diners to solely focus on enjoying their food. Definitely not one for the extroverts!

Now, here’s the interesting part. You won’t even need to have a conversation with the staff. Simply hand your meal tickets over to the staff waiting behind a screen (yes, you won’t even see their faces either!). 

The staff will then hand you your bowl, and additional toppings, before closing the screen — leaving you to enjoy your ramen in peace.

Should you wish to add more noodles or toppings, simply fill in a form, press a bell, and pass the form back to the staff.

A sneak peek at what goes on behind the scenes.

If you have any additional concerns, you can also hand one of these wooden signs to the staff. Indeed, Ichiran Ramen takes the solo experience very seriously, and seems to work towards as little human interaction as possible. Interesting, huh!

Ichiran Ramen has countless outlets — check their website to find the one nearest you.