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News hit that Ichiran, a ramen empire that's been slinging noodles in Japan for five decades, is gearing up for their New York debut. And with that opening excitement came some confusion: Why are the bowls served in single-seat booths divided by walls? Why is there such little human interaction?
In fact, these customs aren't so strange after all. In Japan, eating ramen is by nature a solo experience: Either you order and eat briefly at the counter and get on your way, or you're slurping and savoring the soup in a solitary booth. It's not as much of a social experience as family-style meals. To make this distinction clear, Ichiran created a "System Guide" that outlines its serving process. The final step: "concentrate on the flavor."
We have to say, this doesn't surprise us. Chefs take their noodles seriously. At the recently opened Ramen Lab, chef Shigetoshi "Shige" Nakamura has gone so far as to design ergonomic chop sticks carved with ridges to grip noodles and an aluminum-lined ceramic bowl to keep the broth as piping hot as possible. Nakamura also encourages digging in right away and taking care to really slurp each strand in order to release the full aromas of his soups. "It's not rude, he says. "It's a compliment."