Ichiran is one of the best known ramen shops in Tokyo and has a bragging rights of being the first ramen shop to receive the coveted Michelin Star in 2016. We first saw Ichiran in Hong Kong but the line was just long so we ended up in a local noodle house (but that's another story).
Going back to Ichiran, this ramen shop still has that 'magic' to attract a crowd of diners. And it's a good thing that there are now more than several branches of Ichiran in Tokyo alone.
Here is our Ichiran story.
The first time we planned to dine at Ichiran in Tokyo, the line going inside was really, really long. I think that was at the Ueno branch. We don't want to wait so we just went around the area before deciding to go to Asakusa. And we got lucky there because there's only about 3-4 people in line at the Ichiran there. Yey!
Like most restaurants in Tokyo (and I'm sure you're familiar with a vending machine), you place your order and pay using the vending machine. The machine has a slot of paper bills and coins.
Then you wait a bit (or not) for the staff to lead you to your table.
Aside from the actual ramen, you can also buy Ichiran in packs. These are ready to prepare noodles and broth.