Hello, today my foodie review will feature the new ramen shop in town : Ichiko Ramen. This ramen shop was formerly known as Ginza Ramen, and is located on 832 Somerset St W. This shop is situated right on the bustling streets of China town and would definitely catch your eye. The exterior of the shop has a modern and sleek wooden finish, which carries its theme as you walk into the restaurant.
Recently they have launched their soft opening, but they yet to have an official grand opening date coming up in March. I will let you guys know about that as soon as possible! You would not want to miss it! You can still visit their ramen shop, their full business hours are posted on their website:
https://ichikoramen.com/
As you walk in, you feel like you are taken to a little ramen shop in Japan. The decorations and the interior features wooden accents, antique bowls, and topped with the hanging bulb lights that light up the restaurant.
One thing that will catch your eye is their symbolic red O featured all around the restaurant from the end of the O of Ichiko and the O lighting on the wall. You may be wondering why that O is so significant to this shop, and it is because the red O represents:
“The Soul of the Ichiko Ramen bowl.”
By fully immersing yourself in the O, you would be able to embody the full tastes and the spirit of the ramen which is what inspired Koichi to create the signature Ichiko Ramen Bowl
.
The restaurant has a great open- concept view, which also features a little nook where you can peep a look into the chefs working off those Ramen bowls.
This is a way for us to connect with everyone who is part of the experience, which includes the chefs! Often times, their spotlight is off the map, but at Ichiko ramen, they are Koichi and his team is definitely a little slip of light among the bustling shop.
The chef behind this all is Koichi, who even travelled to Japan to train with ramen masters and brought his talent to the street of Ottawa. His vision was to bring back the authentic ramen experience to us which is defintly captured after I came to vsit.
Koichi in Japanese means the happy one,
which is also reflected the bowl of ramen and my feelings after I indulged my heart into it. If you notice one very cool thing, the name Ichiko is actually his name rearranged. They taken out the Ko in “Koichi”, and placed it at the end to make Ichiko.
(This is the Japanese way of writing Ichiko , written on their walls as you walk in. )
Isn’t that a neat little re-arrangement? I thought that was very cute, and I wouldn’t have guessed that it was Koichi’s name rearranged. This is another reason why Ichiko ramen is not just your average shop, but it is a restaurant that has a unique story, and meaning. Everything that is inside, is chosen to give you the best ramen experience, and to flash you in a taste of Japan.
Chris the other business partner had so much enthusiasm and energy while talking to us. He works along side with Koichi and together they have the vision to share the “Soul of the Ichiko Bowl” to the world.
Obviously, I could not leave before having a taste tour of their wonderful ramen's. I was presented with two of them: The Curry chicken ramen, and the ICHIKO signature ramen. Chis and Koichi kept this a surprise for me, so when I was presented both of them, I was very excited to taste them!
(Curry Ramen Bowl)
Both ramen bowls are marketed at a price of $13.95 which is a decent considering the quality, and amount that you are receiving. I was very full after one of the bowls, so the size is perfect for your hungry day cravings!
Before asking which bowl was which, I could already smell the aromatic flavors of the ramen, but the one that caught my nose was the curry ramen. Look at the presentation of the ramen, everything looks too beautiful to eat, and my favorite part are the details they put into it. Including the branding on the bowls, and the little trays that they serve it with.
When I indulged into this, I could really taste the signature Japanese curry taste, and I also quite enjoyed the pairing with the corn giblets. That gave it a crunchy texture, and is refreshing to a bowl of ramen.
(Signature Ichiko Ramen Bowl)
The second bowl of ramen I got to try was the ICHIKO signature ramen, which is a featured item on their menu. It is made with a pork soup base with pork belly, black fungus, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and a Japanese hard boiled egg. The egg really caught my attention because the yolk came pouring out and had a silky texture. Can you see it in my photo above??!
The noodles were excellent, with a bit of chewiness and elasticity. They definitely do not shy out on the portions they give you I mean look at all that black fungus! That is one of my favorite additives in the signature ramen bowl. It gives it good texture and wraps the flavor like a blanket! Yummi
I think this was a very authentic experience, and I would like to thank Chris and Koichi for this wonderful lunch. Please go visit them, you will definitely go back soon! I hope that you guys have a restful weekend, ciao!