Ittenbari

Meh…
Their Chicken Katsu Curry might be damn good, but I’ll never know because they gave me a pork katsu instead…
It was alright, but not worth going back for…

Had the Shoyu ramen with chicken. The broth was ok. The chicken meat quality was mediocre. The ramen noodles were under cooked.
There are better ramen choices if you are seeking ramen specifically. If you just want a fast place to grub then this place might suffice, but don’t expect anything more than nourishment without satisfaction.

Not very clean, and pretty rude service. 3 stars because of the late night hours, which is a nice saving grace for late night cravings.
The tables were not dirty, and the simple things like vents were so unkempt (held together by duct tape…)
The food itself was mediocre, but did the job for a late night run. (Noodles appeared to be prepackaged noodles, not too fresh, egg was cooked oddly.)

Quick, good Ramen place that was an oasis when a late night bowl of soup was needed.
We took it to go– I think it would have been better had we ate there– piping hit is always best with ramen.
If you are in soho, or Piccadilly in need of a tasty bite then give it a shot.

So I walked past this place before with Wendy L and she was amazed I hadn’t tried this place yet, I asked if it was new? A shocking «No!» followed, it has been here many years.
So, on the last bank holiday Monday of May, we originally wanted to go to Ten Ten Tai but this place and Kulu Kulu were both shut, and I remembered this one! Yes! It’s open! But it only takes cash, is that ok? Yes! Food please!
Having looked at the menu it was a toss up between Ittenbari Ramen and the Miso Ramen. I picked Ittenbari and the other 3 people picked Miso Ramen. Curious, because the miso ramen contained marmite! Marmite? In ramen???
Anyhow, I REALLY LOVED the stock in the Ittenbari ramen. It didn’t have an overpowering taste of MSG so I wasn’t gagging for water, but really wanted to drink the whole thing, except I was full from a snack earlier in the afternoon! The noodles were nice, felt like it could have had more meat in the bowl, and the half egg is nowhere as nice as the one from Bone Daddies.
I tried a bit of the stock in the Miso ramen but couldn’t really taste the marmite. Hmmm. My friends also tried the salmon salad, which had some good chewy seaweedy vegetables inside, they were quite nice with the salad sauce.
We did order the sushi but I didn’t try them, was too full! The sushi looked like a good size, but they were quite dear also.
A comment is that the ventilation isn’t that good in the restaurant. Further in there was a fan, but where we were, there was nothing. We were getting a bit overheated in there, even though it was rainy freezing outside!
Ah well, another place to go for ramen, yay!

I went into Ittenbari with the lowest expectations, and don’t think I would have gone if it had been my choice. The place looks a bit run down from the outside and I wasn’t convinced, but my friend insisted so we tried it out.
All that being said, I was pleasantly surprised by Ittenbari. Judging by some of the other reviews, I may be the only person who got sushi at a known ramen joint, but the sushi was actually very good (albeit on the pricey end). I had tuna sushi which was 6 pieces of nigiri style sushi. The sushi was very fresh and thoroughly enjoyable.
Would recommend this place if in your area and maybe I’ll even go back to try out the ramen!

I learned of this restaurant from a fellow Unilocaler. It’s lovely. Very casual. Great staff.
I ordered the Seafood and fried ramen noodles, which came with prawns, fried noodles, snowpeas, kamoboku
bamboo shoots, japanese cabbage and squid. It’s a hearty meal and worth the £10.50. I only wish they offered vegetarian broth. I asked the waiter to leave the pork off which he did.
The noodles start out crispy but get nice and al dente from the warmth of the seafood & veg topping.
There were lots of Japanese people eating there, which is always a good sign. And I did hear one Japanese fellow say in Japanese to his companion that his soup was good.
The noodles are Osaka style cuisine.
Next time I’ll try the veggie gyoza as well. Recommended!

Disclaimer: I am not a ramen expert and haven’t done the ramen pilgrimage through London.
What’s to like? great salad with salmon and seaweed, good goyza, tasty soup.
What’s missing? Cold beer (my Asahi was warm) and a better atmosphere. It was a bit lacking in ambiance or vibe which is an important sell.
But nothing like a good ramen (with an awesome egg) to sort you out on a Friday eve.

I appreciated that as soon as we walked in they pre-​notified us that it was cash only.
I was not a huge fan of the Ittenbari ramen broth as it was a bit greasy. The gyoza filling texture was a bit chunky from an overload of vegetables. The chicken katsu was the highlight of the evening for sure. Perfectly fried and juicy with some yummy curry sauce.
Ittenbari Ramen– Clear soup made from chicken and vegetable, blended with seafood extract (mussels, scallops, shrimps, bonito), boiled pork slices, half egg
Chicken Katsu Curry– Japanese curry with deep fried chicken
Gyoza– Grilled pork dumpling

My favorite shoyu ramen in London! The noodle is firm and chewy, the broth is simple and balanced. All the ingredients come together and make it taste as good ramen should. I also tried a small fried rice on the side which was also tasty. I’ll be back soon.

We came here after work on Friday, because we felt like a good ramen and Ittenbari was one of our favourites. We ordered pork gyozas and ramen, but both were disappointing. The gyoza were all stuck together and the filling was average. There was nothing special about the ramen broth. It just tasted like supermarket stock to me. In my opinion, the broth makes the ramen, so this drove my average opinion of the ramen.
I may still come here for the katsu curry, as I enjoyed that last time. But we are changing our default ramen restaurant now.

I think Ittenbari is deserving of review #100. I’m a regular at very few places, but Ittenbari is my go-​to choice when I’m in Central London and feeling undecided. There is nothing glamourous about Ittenbari. Behind the noren (doorway curtain) is a space tiled in sanitorium white and squeezing into the tables requires a rather inelegant set of movements.
The menu is pretty simple — I generally go for either a ramen or a curry. There is sushi here, but I’m pretty sure that they’d rather not have to bother at all and only serve it because of the expectations of the UK public. The curry portions are really generous, and there’s a choice of kara-​age, or your standard pork, chicken, or, er, spinach and cheese. Personally not tried the latter option, but I like the kara-​age.
There are three varieties of ramen — Ittenbari special, Miso, and Shoryu. There’s also a dry seafood option. I generally go for the Ittenbari or Miso as they’re a bit more flavourful than the Shoryu. Now, Bone Daddies it is not, but the flavour is pretty good and they get the noodles right every time. The pork is also soft which is a bonus. The Ittenbari and Shoryu are both £9, with Miso being £11.50. For an extra £2, you can go deluxe (extra pork and egg) which, predictably, I do every time.
Logically, this is not a 5 star restaurant. It’s not cheap cheap and the ramen’s not the best in town, but there’re just so many things to like. The staff are always nice (and the ramen staff know my face pretty well, haha). I like how you can pop in, sit at the ramen bar and be in and out in about 15 minutes with no hassle. It is cash only, but I usually make sure I take out some at Piccadilly Circus beforehand, so it’s not too much trouble. I think the main thing which tips this over the edge for me is this little side dish: chashu-​don. It’s £3 for a decent-​sized portion of soft chashu pork and rice with a bit of the braising sauce. That, my friends, is the world’s best accompaniment, bar none. Ittenbari, I love you.

I prefer ramen to have a rich fatty broth, and while Ittenbari is quite good — their broth is on the lighter side. So its really up to the diner as to what type of broth they prefer.
From what I recall, they had 4 different types of ramen. I got the Ittenbari Ramen. The egg was cooked perfectly soft throughout, with a good assortment of veg.
I will come back if I feel like I need a light brothy noodle, but as I said, I prefer a richer soup.

The hubby and I were in London doing job interviews and our paths crossed near Picadilly Circus so we decided to have lunch together here before running back to the interviews. We were not really expecting much but the ramen was actually really good.
The hubby had Ramen, I can’t remember which one and I had the curry with chicken. Both were outstanding. The wait staff were fast, which was appreciated given our circumstance and the prices were great for London. If these jobs work out like we hope they will, we will have to come back!

Ramen has a special place in my mind and soul and is the answer to everything. Feeling under the weather? Ramen. Feeling happy and hungry? Ramen. Hungover? Ramen.
Coming from New York and leaving that hankering unsatisfied for weeks is a foreign concept to me, so when I stepped into the empty Ittenbari at 9 pm on a Monday, I felt like I was reunited with a friend again. I have friends who aren’t inanimate objects I swear…
I ordered the £11 Miso ramen which apparently contained Marmite and apples. What the what? Couldn’t really taste those ingredients but I did enjoy the perfectly cooked soft boiled egg and chewy noodles. We also ordered the £8 Shoyu which wasn’t as flavorful.
I’m giving it 3 stars because it was okay compared to the miso and shoyu ramen at Ippudo, Minca, and Hide Chan in New York. It’s definitely better than the Menkutei chain there, and I’m sure I’ll come back when I’m looking to fill the ramen void in my heart.

This may one of the better ramen places in London, but when I’ve been to places in the states that are way better, it’s hard for me to give Ittenbari more than an A-​OK rating. It was a rainy night and some ramen sounded amazing so I Unilocaled where to go on a Sunday night since nothing is open on Sundays in this city. Weird…
Ittenbari is a cute little restaurant that is pretty typical of the ramen joints I’ve been to in the past. I decided on getting a regular Shoyu Ramen and some fried gyoza. The fried gyoza made its way out first and while they were good, I’m sure they were the frozen pre-​made kind you can make yourself at home. The ramen comes in two sizes (regular and deluxe) and they have about 4 or 5 options you can choose from. The broth was tasty, but I felt like it was missing something. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but overall it wasn’t bad. If you’re in the mood for something hot with noodles, it does the trick. I’d be willing to give it another shot when the next cold, rainy day comes around… or if I need a hangover fix!

Ramen in London to beat the rain! Thank God!
My friend, Nida K., found this place and it almost reminded me of home (ramen San Francisco-​style). It’s pretty cheap, although I have to keep reminding myself that I’m paying for everything in British pounds, not US dollars, so it’s actually not that cheap :/​
Really like the thick broth and heaping portions!

I was going to update but then it got ROT’D. But you know, still need to set record straight that Ittenbari is now 3 solid stars!
It still didn’t hit my noodly– oodly nirvana and I still think it is not amazing but at least I didn’t walk away with a scrappy tongue, which I believe, is a definite improvement.
Also amazing place to people watch all these «cool» people who want to show off eating the best noodles in town.

After the record breaking temperatures in the UK last week, you would have thought that I would have the disposition of Eeyore as torrential rain opened up on me as I set off for the Ramen 3.0 UYE. However, as the indomitable organiser of these London Ramen events, Josy A said, the cold and rain merely made it perfect ‘ramen weather’!
I met with Josy and Yinnie C at Ben & Jerry’s in Leicester Square where they had just picked up their free Ben & Jerrys ice cream cone. Yes, you read right. Ben & Jerrys give free ice cream away once a year!
Being the conscientious organiser that she is, Josy had already tried out Ittenbari and was able to direct us to the white sign at the Regent Street end of Brewer Street. Having been assured by the restaurant staff that she could book a table upstairs, multiple phone call attempts hadn’t been picked up. However, fortuitously, virtually our whole party arrived together and we were seated immediately.
The menu is quite short and our target, the ramen, currently comes in 2 flavours — shio, which has a seafood based soup and shoyu, which has a soy based soup. Unlike tonkatsu ramen, which is served at my current favourite ramen restaurant Cocoro, the soups here aren’t boiled for hours with pork bones and so remain light and clear. The noodle bowls come in 2 sizes and the portions are generous and if you’re really feeling piggy, you can opt for kaedama, where they add an extra ball of noodles to your remaining soup at the end
I opted for a big helping shio ramen this time and was pleased when a large bowl (nothing like getting drenched in the spring rain in London to get the appetite going!) of noodles arrived. The pork chashu was cut in 3 generous slices and the boiled egg arrived with perfect just-​set glistening yolk. The soup of course couldn’t have the depth of flavour one gets with the hours of boiling involved in making tonkatsu ramen but it was tasty. I have to agree with Vicky L’s suspicion about MSG though as I was quite thirsty for a few hours afterwards.
Our kara age was nice — moist chicken breast meat in a crunchy coating given a nice tart boost by a squeeze of lemon. Sadly, we didn’t get to pass judgement on the gyoza as it never arrived despite 2 reminders from Josy in perfect Japanese! Generally, the service was friendly but a bit Fawlty Towers. After eating there, I can understand why the booking telephone line was never picked up
Compared to my favourite tonkatsu ramen at Cocoro, the chashu is better — larger slices and more succulent and the egg is perfection. However, the soup doesn’t have the same depth as the tonkatsu soup. There’s a place for both types of ramen in my heart and stomach and Ittenbari does have the added advantage of cheaper ramen and no £20 minimum charge that you have at Cocoro.
Thanks, Josy for organising a great UYE. Ra ra ramen!

Oishiii! Seriously! I am so chuffed to have found this new ramen-​land!
I read Vicky’s review, so although I was excited for Osaka-​style ramen… I was also a little apprehensive that it wouldn’t make me happy. I should probably admit that I was with some really lovely people, had just spent a few hours watching comedy for free (yay for the BBC:
) and was really quite tipsy. This means I was pre-​disposed to love the world, especially when it involves ramen.
As Vicky mentioned Ittenbari doesn’t do tonkotsu ramen BUT they do serve yummy shoyu ramen. This is the ramen of choice after you have had a couple of drinks (I used to munch this kind of ramen at 4am/​5am while waiting for the trains to start, to take me home to bed after clubbing in Osaka.) The base flavour is soy sauce, and it is filled with savoury goodness — Yum!
The good:
— The flavour tasted just as I hoped it would. I love this kind of soup
— The egg was perfect and slightly gooey
— The atmosphere! This is not a posh-​nosh kind of place, but it feels right to have ramen in a canteen-​style room.
— I really like the Gyoza! They had the vinegar/​chilli oil dip that I love, and they were all fried and stuck together (like they do in izakayas) Nom nom nom.
— There was no minimum spend (I still don’t really understand why the other ramen places have this!!)
— They serve umeshu in large wine glasses. This was nice as most places in London are far too stingy when serving plum wine.
— There was no queue (this is probably because we arrived at around 9pm)
The bad:
— I didn’t get any nori in my soup!
— It was quite a lot of effort to flag down members of staff to order
I chatted to the chefs on the way out, and they said the head chef-​bloke was from Osaka. That must be why this ramen tastes like authentic Kansai yummy-​ness.