Since opening in Farringdon, Ivan Ramen has built a loyal following for bowls that don’t hold back on flavour.
The restaurant’s tachigui-style service model streamlines the experience, with guests ordering and paying in a single interaction before collecting their food. This is a system found in ramen shops across Japan that makes dropping in for lunch or a quick dinner straightforward.
Alongside its signature bowls, Ivan Ramen has also introduced a seasonal summer menu featuring chilled sesame noodles topped with pulled chilli chicken, a New York-inspired Pastrami Bun, and a Miso Chicken Caesar Salad. There are all lighter options for warmer weather while the restaurant’s classic ramen remain at the heart of the menu.
One of the standouts is the Spicy Miso Red Chilli ramen. Rich with minced pork and carrying serious heat, its deeply savoury broth has enough body to coat every strand of noodle with spicy flavour. A soft marinated egg adds extra richness, while slices of braised pork bring another layer of depth. It’s unapologetically bold in a slurp-worthy way that demands plenty of napkins.
The Roasted Garlic Tonkotsu heads in a different direction but is just as satisfying. Built around a creamy pork broth infused with eight different elements of garlic, it balances richness with surprising freshness, thanks to a subtle tomato note that lifts the stock.
Braised pork chashu, marinated wood ear mushrooms and a perfectly jammy egg complete a bowl that feels comforting and complex.
The small plates deserve attention too. The fried aubergine arrives impossibly crisp on the outside while remaining silky within, its sweetness offset by the fragrant tingle of Sichuan peppercorns. Meanwhile, the karaage is everything good fried chicken should be: crunchy and juicy with a pungent pop of garlic. It is finished with spring onion and paired with a dip you’ll find yourself scraping from the bottom of the dish.
The London restaurant is the latest chapter for founder Ivan Orkin, the internationally acclaimed ramen chef whose unlikely journey from New York to becoming one of Japan’s best-known foreign ramen masters was chronicled on Netflix’s Chef’s Table. After establishing Ivan Ramen in Tokyo before expanding to New York and Las Vegas, the Farringdon opening marked his first venture into the UK.
For those planning to become regulars, there’s another incentive. During the first six weeks following the relaunch, diners who visit once a week can earn an Ivan Ramen Black Card, unlocking 20% off for the remainder of the year.
The new service model may be built around speed, but nothing feels rushed. If anything, the streamlined approach allows the kitchen’s richly layered broths and carefully balanced toppings to be showcased in full. It is a thoughtful evolution that brings Ivan Ramen a little closer to the ramen shops that inspired it in the first place.