Ichiran Opens in Midtown Wednesday, Serving Tonkotsu Ramen | Eater NY
"At 132 West 31st St. between Sixth and Seventh avenues, just steps from Penn Station, Ichiran’s Midtown outpost operates entirely with 46 one-person “Ramen Focus Booths” designed for solitary ramen slurping. The booths are fitted with posters about the restaurant’s famed tonkotsu broth, order forms and pens, and a seating-chart display that lights up to show where diners should go; lights and beeps accompany the meal. Diners fill out paper order sheets to customize richness, saltiness, noodle texture, and additional toppings, and unseen servers stand behind the booths to collect the slips and deliver the bowls—so while fast service remains a priority, the system here isn’t as automated or as instant as in Japan, where vending-machine orders can arrive in about 15 seconds. The setup embodies founder Manabu Yoshitomi’s philosophy of eating ramen without distractions, continues the chain’s U.S. expansion that began in Bushwick (where locations combine communal tables and solo booths), is supplied by a Bushwick noodle factory, marks Ichiran’s 75th location globally, and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m." - Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya
