More than six months have passed since Ichiran opened its first overseas shop in Hong Kong last July, and its popularity shows no signs of waning. “The taste of the pork bone broth and the atmosphere is like no other,” enthused a twenty-something female patron. The shop averages 1,500 visitors on typical a weekend day, far more than Ichiran’s shops in Japan, and the number of repeat visitors is growing. As opposed to Kyushu, where most people enjoy harder noodles, Hong Kong’s ramen fans like their noodles soft. Slowly but surely, ramen is becoming another mainstay of Japanese cuisine abroad, like sushi. Some Ichiran officials worried that the restaurant’s unique single person seats might not work in Hong Kong, but they tried the Japanese shop layout anyway and it seems to have worked. The company plans to increase seating from 36 to 90 this summer and has an eye on New York City for its second shop overseas. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 3/18
