Calgary seems to have a revolving wheel of new ramen places opening up. So unfair. I tried hitting up Ramen Ichinen a few months ago but they were closed the day we went (so we went to their next door neighbour, Fat Kee Noodle House). Well, on my last trip, I made sure it was open and we arrived just before they opened (hence the closed signs) on an early Saturday morning.
Hours could be better. They close at 8:00pm and aren’t open on Sundays. 😦
The logo reminds me of something I can’t quite put my finger on. Very Naruto-esque.
Chalkboard promoting a few of their items and extra toppings.
The inside is nice and quite spacious compared to your usual ramen joints. The menu is small with only 5 types of ramen to choose from. Good to see.
Beer and sake list.
Cute drawing they have of how to order your ramen. Pick your meat, toppings then noodles.
Lunch special! Only available from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Highly recommend!
Even cuter sign for people that want to spice up their bowls. Level 1 (extra spicy) to Level 4 (extreme spicy)! You’ve been warned…
On the back, there’s a couple of tea options. Saw a few people ordering it, looked good.
Cha shu bowl ($2.00)
This is the perfect little appetizer. We got a mix of tender and really, really dry cha shu. I tried to soften up the dried ones once I got my ramen bowl but it was a lost cause.
Chicken karaage bowl ($2.00)
The karaage was much better; well seasoned, tender and crispy.
The two miniature bowls side by side. On the regular menu, it’s $6.00 each, I assume you get a bigger portion for that price.
Original tonkotsu ramen ($14.00)
Pork broth, pork cha shu, simmered egg, arugula and seaweed. We both opted for the fatty cha shu, vegetables and thick noodles. It should be “vegetables” because it’s literally a handful of arugula. I tried the broth and we both agreed that it wan’t bad but it lacked in depth.
Tonkotsu red ramen ($15.00)
Pork broth with spicy miso, pork cha shu, simmered egg, arugula, seaweed and shredded chili pepper. Nice touch that they put the spicy chili paste on the side so you can drop as much or little as you want in your broth. I tasted the broth on it’s own and again, it lacked depth. I ended up adding all the paste to give it some oomph and flavour. Noodles were passable but pretty unmemorable. I can’t see the thin noodles working well with their broth.
It’s a couple dollars pricier than some of the other ramen options in town. I’d say it’s worth a try but not going to lie, if I’m coming to this ‘hood, it’s hard to triumph over Banana Leaf.
Ramen Ichinen
https://www.facebook.com/ramenichinen/
#349, 3132 – 26 Street NE
Calgary, AB
(403) 454-2646
CHERRY BOB-OMBS 