Ichiran | Osaka, Japan | 80/100

WHAT WE ATE

  • Tonkotsu Ramen, 80/100 (7 Jan 2023)

Some of you are probably going to be offended by my review of Ichiran and how I rate some other chains higher then it. Perhaps I will have a better conclusion this coming July when I head over to Fukuoka to try at the HQ of all the these chains.

Tonkotsu Ramen 80/100

Noodles 30/35
Noodles are the typical straight and thin Hakata Tonkotsu style noodles. The bite is firm and texture is smooth to slurp. Taste wise is also good with a nice aroma and the dense noodles give a nice feel of fullness as you chew on it. However, I do notice that the noodles don’t hold very well in the broth and loses its firmness midway through – a point to note for those slow eaters.

Soup 30/35
The soup is rich but not quite the same intensity as some of the more classic takes on Tonkotsu. But taste wise, it won’t disappoint you. You’ll have a strong savoury start with the umaminess coming through, followed by a lingering spiciness mixed with sweetness of the pork broth. A common issue with some stronger Tonkotsu is the evident meaty porky taste – happy to say that there isn’t such a problem here.

Meat 10/20
The chashu is average. It’s more on the chewy side. Flavour of the marination comes through well as you chew on but overall lacks any distinctiveness to it.

Toppings 10/10
The eggs make me wonder.. Its served shelled but somehow it taste marinated. And the lightly flavored marination brings out a nice balance taste of the egg itself. Overall its a pretty nice highlight in the meal itself.

The rest of the toppings are pretty average. Negi and some crunchy black fungus. They add texture to the meal but hardly much influence over the taste. But the egg is really good

DISCLAIMER

One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Find out more about our palettes and how we evaluate our ramen here. 😉

About The Author


ahboy

Ah Boy is just an ordinary Singaporean who loves his ramen and after trying so many different ramen, he was inspired to find the best ramen in town.

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