Quite simply put, these are the best ramen bowls in London.
Ramen is food for the soul, a rich and warming broth, various vegetables and meats and is certainly up there as one of the ultimate comfort foods.
London has fully embraced the dish with Wagamama, Tonkotsu, Shoryu, Kanada-Ya and many others serving various iterations. Whilst ramen is synonymous with Japan, it originated in China (Ramen is an interpretation of the Mandarin term for pulled noodles).
After the Second World War a combination of Japanese soldiers trying lamian, the Chinese pulled noodles, followed by cheap US flour imports allowed the separate regions of Japan to embrace, as well as make the dish their own.
It can be classified in different ways, but generally speaking, there are four main types of ramen, characterized by their seasoning: shio, shoyu, miso, and kare.
Shio, meaning salt not soy sauce, is the oldest of the four variations and is typically pale and yellowish when added to the broth.
Shoyu, or soy sauce, makes the broth salty and savoury. Curly noodles, not straight ones, are traditional in the shoyu ramen.
Miso features an abundance of miso blended with oily chicken, or a fish base.
Kare, the newest flavour of the four, which is reminiscent of a curry soup made with pork bones and vegetables.
To say Ivan Orkin is obsessed with making the perfect bowl of noodles wouldn’t do him justice. A whole article could be written, not just about his incredible life story, but also his meticulous and unwavering love of Japan, its culture and its food.
Ivan is a native New Yorker who became a Tokyo ramen legend. Since opening his first shop in Tokyo in 2006, he has earned global acclaim and gone on to open places in New York, and now after a stint as a pop up, we get to experience a full time London restaurant just next to Farringdon’s Exmouth Market.
I was greeted by Gav (what a great name)! Who is not only opening this restaurant with his wife, but they also have a 12-week-old baby…. Humongous kudos to them for managing these two mammoth tasks at the same time!
The venue is an intimate 26-seater, which is walk-in only.
It has interior branding which focuses on the simple clean lines and textures of Japanese design in juxtaposition to the hustle and bustle of a New York ramen shop.
There’s reclaimed furniture and lighting inspired by his original ramen shop in New York, as well as photography narrating Ivan’s story. Light box artwork, inspired by Japanese culture, frames the theatrical open kitchen at the front of the restaurant.
I was now more than ready to get stuck into the dishes! The menu is split into small plates and ramen.
Everyone is given some chilli pickles with sesame seeds. The vinegar is just right, and they are punchy and spicy, (very spicy) it would be great to have these in a burger of some sort, and I think it would be a winner. Due to the heat, it overwhelmed the starters that followed. Delicious, nonetheless.
For starters, my guest and I shared the Salt beef bao and Ivan’s chicken Karaage.
The salt beef, which is an ode to the bagels of east London, had dill pickles and a karachi mayo served in a steamed bao. It was okay, but the beef was a bit chewy, and the bun stuck to the back of my teeth. I like the idea, but the execution needs some work.
The karaage was sublime. Buttermilk fried chicken thighs, which couldn’t have been cooked any more perfectly. Crunchy on the outside, and soft and juicy inside, accompanied by a super-rich yuzu kosho mayo, as well as a wedge of lemon that set the whole dish off just as it should do.
We then tried 2 of the ramen bowls. There is also the option to add a bunch of ingredients at a small cost (Minced garlic chicken, glazed pork chashu, grilled oyster mushroom, ramen egg, tenderstem broccoli, roasted tomato, chilli oil).
The chicken shoyu is infused soy, with a dashi and chicken broth, shoyu braised pork chashu, roasted tomato, soft egg and spring onions. The soup broth is so good,
my guest and I stopped after trying and just stared at each other for a few seconds. After nodding our approval to each other we carried on eating. It manages to be light and delicate, whilst also packed with flavour.
The roasted tomato is a great hit of umami, and the spring onion delivers a nice crunch.
The tonkotsu rich pork broth shoyu has braised pork chashu, woodward mushrooms, pickled mustard greens and a soft egg. The broth is salty, creamy and unctuous, it’s so good, I want to bathe in it.
In both dishes the pork chashu is divine, almost bacon like in taste, and the home-made noodles are slightly softer than you get in some more traditional places, but tastier than any of their rivals.
These are simply the best bowls of noodles in London, bar none!
The team that Gavin has here are all smiling, helpful and knowledgeable. I was looked after by the incredibly hospitable Nathan; he’s exactly the kind of person you need taking care of you when eating comfort food.
They are still in opening phase, so a few things were not on the menu food and drinks wise. This is normally disappointing, however with the people skills Nathan has, it’s all forgiven.
The opening has been made possible in partnership with Sessions who bring restaurant concepts to the UK and scale them. I am very much looking forward to seeing many more Ivan Ramens the UK. The value for money here is incredible and if they can keep to the price point and quality, this will be a runaway success.
I am already planning my next few visits, my advice get there as soon as you can, you will not be disappointed.
98 Farringdon Road, London, EC1R 3EA
Monday – Wednesday: 12.00 – 22.00,
Thursday – Saturday: 12.00 – 23.00,
Sunday: 12.00-20.30