Ichiran has several restaurants across Tokyo. For this guide, I am sharing exactly what happened on my visit to the Shimbashi branch, a convenient option a short JR ride from Tokyo Station. The system looks unusual at first, but the visit is easy once you know the order: go upstairs, buy a ticket, complete the preference sheet, take your booth, and use the red plate if you ordered a noodle refill.
Recommended Ichiran order sheet settings for first-timers
For an easy first bowl, my recommendation is Medium flavor strength, Medium richness, Medium garlic, green onion, sliced pork, 1/2 spicy red sauce, and Firm noodles. Medium noodles are also a safe choice if you are unsure, and children or anyone sensitive to heat should choose no spicy red sauce.
1. How to fill out the Ichiran order sheet
Ichiran’s order sheet lets you customize the same bowl before it is prepared. Circle one answer in every row: flavor strength, richness, garlic, green onion, sliced pork, Original Spicy Red Sauce, and noodle texture. If this is your first visit, the faint dotted circles printed on the sheet are the easiest starting point.
- Flavor strength: If this is your first visit, choose Medium—the standard setting.
- Richness: Medium is also my pick for a first bowl. Choosing Rich adds more body, helping the soup cling to the noodles and making the overall flavor feel stronger.
- Garlic: Medium is an easy choice for most people. If you enjoy bold, garlicky ramen such as Jiro-style ramen, 1 clove is a good option.
- Noodle texture: Firm is my recommendation, but Medium is a safe choice for a first visit.
| Option | What it means | First-time recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Flavor Strength (Dashi) | How strongly seasoned the soup tastes | Medium |
| Richness | How rich and full-bodied the soup feels | Medium |
| Garlic | The amount of garlic added | Medium |
| Green Onion | No onion, white onion, or green onion | Green onion—or your preference |
| Sliced Pork (Chashu) | Whether the standard pork topping is included | With pork |
| Original Spicy Red Sauce | Ichiran’s chili-based spicy sauce | Mild (1/2); choose none for children |
| Noodle Texture | How firm or soft the thin noodles are | Medium or firm |
Choose “none” for the Original Spicy Red Sauce. The order sheet itself warns that the sauce may be too spicy for children.
2. Why I chose the Shimbashi branch
Tokyo has multiple Ichiran locations, but Shimbashi is especially practical when you are staying around Tokyo Station, Marunouchi, Ginza, or the business district. The official store page describes it as about a three-minute walk from the Hibiya Exit of JR Shimbashi Station. It is on the second floor at 2-5-6 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo.
2-5-6 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0004
Ichiran currently lists this branch as open 24 hours and applies a late-night surcharge from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the following day. Hours, last orders, temporary closures, prices, and payment options can change. Lunch and dinner are the busiest times in my experience.
3. Go upstairs and join the queue
The restaurant is up the narrow staircase on the second floor. At lunch and dinner, the line may continue down the stairs, so check that you are joining the Ichiran queue and keep the passage clear. If you would rather avoid a long wait, visit outside the main meal periods.
4. Buy a meal ticket
A staff member will guide you toward the ticket machine when it is your turn. Choose your ramen first, then add any toppings, side dishes, or a kaedama noodle refill you want. The screen used during my visit offered an English display and several payment choices. Check the total, complete the payment, and remember to take every printed ticket and any change.
For a first visit, start with the ramen and only the extras you know you want. If you expect to be hungry, buying a kaedama now makes the refill process especially simple at the booth.
After paying, you will receive the paper order sheet and a pen. Complete it using the guide above, then keep the sheet with your meal tickets until the staff shows you to a booth.
5. Take your seat and keep the red plate
After you finish the form, the staff will show you to one of the individual booths. Place the tickets and completed sheet where the staff can collect them. If you prepaid for a kaedama, you will receive a red refill plate. Leave it at your booth—you will use it later.
If you need a plate and utensils for a child
Look at the wooden request signs on the right side of the booth. Take the sign marked “I would like children’s tableware” (お子様用食器が欲しい), press the call button, and hand the sign to the staff. This lets you make the request without needing to explain it in Japanese.
If you need to leave the booth temporarily
If you need to use the restroom, look at the panel on the right side of the booth. Take the wooden sign marked “Temporarily leaving my seat” and place it on your counter before you go. This lets the staff know that you have not finished and prevents the booth from being cleared.
6. When the ramen arrives
Your bowl should arrive through the opening in front of the booth after a few minutes. The screen may close after service so you can focus on eating. Water is available at the seat, and you can press the call button if you need help.
7. Order your kaedama before the noodles are completely gone
Kaedama is an extra portion of noodles for the soup already in your bowl. Request the refill you prepaid for when you have finished most of the first noodles.
Request the refill while you are eating the last few noodles rather than after drinking the broth.
Set the prepaid kaedama plate on the sensor in front of the booth. Ichiran’s Charumera melody—a tune associated with traditional Japanese ramen-stall horns—will sound and notify the staff. If nothing happens or you need help, use the call button.
The staff will collect the plate and bring the refill to add to your remaining soup.
If you are already full, you do not need to use the refill.
8. Finish, check your belongings, and leave
There is no bill to settle at the end because you already paid at the ticket machine. Check the booth, hook, shelf, and floor carefully for your phone, wallet, shopping bags, and other belongings, then simply leave. You do not have to say anything to the staff, but a friendly “Gochisōsama deshita”—“Thank you for the meal”—is a lovely way to finish and will be appreciated.
9. Allergies and dietary needs
The official allergen chart currently lists wheat, milk, egg, soybean, pork, and gelatin among the ingredients in the classic tonkotsu ramen, with other possible shared-facility ingredients noted separately. Recipes and branch menus can change, and Ichiran says it cannot guarantee the absence of contact with other allergens.
A limited “100% Tonkotsu-Free Ramen” exists at a specialist location, but Ichiran explicitly states that it is not halal and not vegan, and that trace pork contamination is possible because pork is handled in the production facility. Check the official page and location before making a special trip.
10. Useful Japanese
| Japanese | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 初めてです | Hajimete desu | It is my first time. |
| 英語の用紙はありますか？ | Eigo no yōshi wa arimasu ka? | Do you have an English form? |
| 辛くしないでください | Karaku shinaide kudasai | Please do not make it spicy. |
| 替玉をお願いします | Kaedama o onegaishimasu | A noodle refill, please. |
| ごちそうさまでした | Gochisōsama deshita | Thank you for the meal. |
11. Quick FAQ
Do I need a reservation?
Ordinary visits are handled by joining the queue. Shimbashi also currently offers a FastPass service for priority entry through a dedicated lane; it is not a seat reservation. Check the official branch page for details.
Can two people sit together?
You can ask, but adjoining booths are not guaranteed when the restaurant is busy. The Shimbashi branch’s official page currently lists individual booths rather than table seating.
Do I have to speak Japanese?
No. Staff guidance, the ticket machine, the multilingual preference sheet, and the call button make the visit manageable with very little conversation.
Can I order more after sitting down?
Additional-order methods vary by item and branch. The booth has instructions and a call button; ask the staff if you are unsure.
I wrote this independent guide from my visit to Ichiran Shimbashi and took all the restaurant photos on this page. I checked the branch access, floor, opening hours, late-night surcharge, seating, and FastPass against the official Ichiran Shimbashi page. I cross-checked the process and kaedama sensor against Ichiran’s official System Guide and first-visit guide, and I checked the dietary notes against the official allergen chart and tonkotsu-free ramen page. Menus, hours, prices, payment methods, and procedures may change.
