The US Destination Where You Can Eat At One Of The World's Best Ramen Chain Restaurants

You do not have to travel far and wide to discover that ramen is an incredibly varied dish, both in quality, cost, and ingredients. While instant noodle brands Maruchan and Top Ramen may line the cabinets of college dorms, actual ramen can also be exquisitely upscale. The dish stems from Chinese immigrants who settled in Japan during the late 1800s, but quick ways of cooking ramen helped the dish gain more popularity in the mid-20th century. Fast forward to the early 2000s and the United States began to embrace ramen too, and has become lucky enough to feature some global favorites.

Goo Ranking, a Japanese ranking site, voted Ichiran as the world's best ramen chain. While there are dozens of Ichiran restaurants across Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, New York City is the only place in the United States where you can put the high praise of this Japanese ramen restaurant to the test. Naturally, New York City is full of flavors from all over the world, so maybe it comes as no surprise that you can find this famous restaurant here as well as in Japan. There are four Ichiran locations in the Big Apple: Midtown (near Herald Square), Times Square, and two spots in Brooklyn.

When dining at Ichiran in New York City, you can expect the usual tables and booths. However, Ichiran is famous for also featuring single-seat booths. Sitting at one might make you feel like you are a customer being served by a bank teller. There are dividers between each seat and servers lift and close bamboo blinds to serve your food. Ichiran does this to allow its customers to block out the world and focus just on the ramen. It also makes it easier to treat yourself to a meal without the awkwardness of having an empty chair in front of you.

Ichiran specializes in tonkotsu ramen, which means it uses smooth pork bone broth with the marrow and fat included. This type of ramen originated in Hakata, a section of the coastal Japanese city of Fukuoka, which is also a hidden gem city in Japan you might want to visit after tasting this famous ramen. Ichiran puts its own spin on tonkotsu ramen by adding its original spicy red sauce, which is comprised of 30 different spices. You can customize your toppings and spice level by filling out an order form at your seat. When thinking about what you should expect to pay for food in NYC, Ichiran's prices are fairly moderate. A classic tonkotsu ramen bowl costs around $20, plus a few extra dollars for some toppings like extra pork slices. And at least in New York City, don't forget to tip your waitstaff.