It wasn't just Ivan Orkin's 2017 appearance on Chef's Table that brought him cult status - after developing a passion for Japanese culture as a teen, the NYC-born chef moved to Japan and followed his dreams, eventually becoming a ramen master. In fact, he's one of the few foreigners to reach this level of respect in Japan's ramen world; his passion for the ingredients and technique saw his first restaurant in Tokyo become an incredible success. So much so, he has since launched subsequent spots in Las Vegas, NYC (his hometown) and, as of November last year, London.
As you can imagine, there's been a lot of hype around this opening in Clerkenwell, so I headed over with a friend (who coincidentally had been to his New York City branch, inspired by Chef's Table) to satiate our ramen cravings.
From Tokyo and New York to London, Ivan Ramen knows his way around a good bowl of ramen.
Need To Know:
- Address: 98 Farringdon Road, EC1R 3EA
- Area: Clerkenwell
- Cuisine: Japanese, ramen
Ambience & We Think Perfect For
- Atmosphere: on entry, you join a queue of hungry diners all vying for one of the small smattering of tables at the back. While you wait, you get a front-row view of the chefs at work, with the incredible smells of what was to come drifting towards you. You'll be seated at one of the simple wooden tables and chairs, where it's intimate yet buzzy, overlooked by atmospheric enlarged photographs of Orkin's restaurants from across the world
- Perfect For: date nights, small groups, solo dining
Service & Price
- Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Value For Money: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Cost: around £50 (for two starters and two ramens)
Both the ramen mains and starters were excellent.
Menu Highlights
Food: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Ivan's Karaage (£9.50) - I would highly recommend ordering this starter, featuring the most succulent buttermilk fried chicken thighs coated in a spicy, crunchy coating. We zealously dipped these in the zingy yuzu kosho mayo, which cut through the juicy, flavoursome meat
- Crispy Nasu (£8) - small chunks of Japanese aubergine, which were somehow delightfully squishy on the inside yet lightly crispy on the outside, came sat on a bed of thick white sesame puree, elevated even further with mayu (black garlic oil) and a dusting of tongue-tingling togarashi - overall it was slightly sweet, nutty and oh-so-delicious
- Tonkotsu Ramen (£16.75) - right, I'll say it - hug in a bowl. This steaming, comforting soup made with a rich pork broth warmed me from the inside out (which was much needed on this cold December evening), showcasing the classic flavours of tonkotsu but with an incredible depth of flavour. The shoyu-braised pork chashu topper was also succulent and generous
- Spicy Red Miso Chilli Ramen (£17) - this was the star of the show. One of Ivan's signature ramens, this fiery red bowl had layer upon layer of flavour, with the rich, fermented flavours of miso mingling with the hearty depth of the chicken broth and dashi - topped off by niku miso pork, bean sprouts, pickled garlic, soft egg, spring onions and togarashi
Our Overall Experience At Ivan Ramen London
DesignMyNight Review Out Of 5: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I had a lovely time at Ivan Ramen - the setting is simple, and the seating area is small, but I feel like that emodies what it's all about; nothing overly fancy, just damn good ramen. You can tell everything has been made with love (and fantastic quality ingredients), evident in the incredible depth of flavour and little flourishes of each dish. My friend who came with me actually said that the ramen was even better than at the NYC outpost....
