Ramen Ichinen

I came to Ramen Ichinen for the first time today and was so pleasantly surprised. There was a depth of flavour to the broth that reminded me of my grandma’s kitchen. The noodles were fresh tasting and perfectly cooked (as I hate soggy noodles). To be honest, I’m annoyed by the bad reviews of this restaurant on google. Of course it’s not 100% authentic -we live in Alberta, Canada. What I can say is that it’s better than most fancy ramen places I’ve tried in Calgary. I think it’s better to have less on the menu and perfect it than to have more on the menu and provide less quality. If you think it’s bland, it’s probably because there’s no MSG. 😂

Tried this place out for the first time. Highly rated so I had high expectations. Service was top notch and the front of house ladies were very nice and welcoming. Although we ordered the same ramen one was level 3 spice which was great. Overall it kind of lacked flavor personally, a bit bland for me. Great experience though and would probably come back

A great experience here from beginning to end. Super friendly and welcoming staff member who promptly got us seated. There doesn't need to be a lot of food options here as ramen is the specialty (can't go wrong with any item). Highly recommend the chicken karrage for appetizer - juicy and crispy in an unexpected way. Ramen, broth and content all came out in a reasonable portioned manner. The taste isnt overly salty and very flavourful. Ranging from $13-16 a bowl, well worth the amount.

There are word of mouth among our Asian friends that this is one of the best Ramen in Calgary, and I think they’re not lying! First of, parking in the area will not be problem as there are lots of spaces in their commercial compound. Staff was amazing and really happy to serve their customers. Service was super fast! I mean, we got our Ramen bowl in just 5-7mins!! It’s piping hot and smelled heavenly. I like that they don’t put any MSG in their broth and they really put attention to tiny details in their bowl. I ordered their black garlic oil ramen and it tasted amazing! The pork broth tasted delicious with some kick of umami. The noodles were kinda thin for my liking, but there is an option of thick noodles too. The Chasu pork I think was the best part in my bowl. Super tender, marbled fats, and smoky that it compliments the wonderful taste of the broth! I tried my partner’s Original tonkotsu broth and it was creamy and full of umami flavour! Overall, we only spend 15-20mins inside and we’re fully satisfied! I think this is the best place to go on a quick lunch break during work week. I will order their spicy ramen next time!

Ramen Ichinen may be as good as it gets in Calgary. It was not the best ramen I have ever had, but it was decent and the chef put effort into making his food. The soup was flavorful but a bit salty. I had the thin noodle which tasted more like the Chinese wonton noodle. The tonkatsu was a couple chunks of pork instead of sliced, but very tender. We were a party of 8 and the restaurant had a big table to accommodate all of us which was nice. Many Japanese restaurant cannot seat so many unless they have a tatami room.

Friendly and welcoming service from a cozy shop. Typical high quality and attention to detail from Japanese owner/operators. The noodles were al-dente and had a fantastic bite/chew to them with an extra portion offered at no charge. Everything was made fresh and quickly; an enjoyable dinner for a solo business traveler.

Wonderful service in a simple and clean location. Disclaimer: There are many types of ramen noodles, but my preference is for thick, chewy noodles with a good bounce and a bit of bite. We ordered 2 dishes: Tonkotsu Black Ramen - unctuous broth with great flavour (on the salty side). The thick noodles had good bite, but could use more bounce. They remind me of a good wonton noodle more than a ramen noodle. The star of the show is the Tsukemen (dipping ramen). We first tried this type of ramen in LA and were hooked from the first bite. We ordered the Tsukemen with thick noodles which is perfect for gripping the salty, fatty broth. We’ll definitely be going back for the Tsukemen and would recommend giving it a try.