Ichigoh Ramen Lounge — Restaurant in Dallas

On a fun trip to Dallas, my girlfriend and I happened upon a spot called Tanoshii Ramen. Dubious parking situation but we found a spot for $10. Oof. Anyways, not their fault of course. After a welcoming phrase shouted in Japanese, we were seated rather quickly. The menu was presented and we sat in silence. The decor was rather nice, very hipster industrial with a Japanese influence. I was digging it. I ordered the Tonkatsu and she got the shout. Both delicious and we were blown away. This may have been the new ramen place we needed. Then we met the owner and he was a quirky guy with a stylish set of glasses. After the initial hello, we immediately went on a 30 minute talk about ramen and methods of cooking it. He was super excited about our enthusiasm. Unfortunately the Tonkatsu I so loved was being removed the next week and this would be the final showing forever. Ouch. BUT rest assured he began weaving tales of new ramen he was bringing to the table soon and it would be a fresh start for the new Ichigoh Ramen. Fast forward 4 weeks, we return. Greeted again by 10 dollar parking, ouch.....anyways, we are seated and brought the new menu. She orders the Tori Paitan ramen and I had Niboshi Shoyu ramen. New additions to the location. AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!! The Tori Paitan started as just chicken noodle soup but gradually blossomed into a deep smoked flavor that duets well with the chicken breast cutlet that brought thoughts of a home cooked meal. All of their food is made in house so fresh is an understatement. The Niboshi Ramen, oh boy.....its hard to explain. If Texas were a ramen and it had a baby with barbecue chicken, and then that love child took anger management to not be as bold as either but still grew up strong, this would be that child. I loved it. I had to order more noodles to enjoy it again. It blew my mind. It was chicken broth, chicken chashu, and other influences that I am not ready to spoil. I would highly recommend this to any ramen enthusiast.

I didn't give 5 stars because of picky things like not including an ajitama egg, the refills were on point but mostly ice and there was no ambiance, no surrounding music as the room ate,...

Visiting Dallas, we decided to mix things up a bit and try something different. We heard about this cozy Ramen Lounge not far from where we were staying.

It’s located just a couple of streets off the busy main road, with a frontage that’s a bit more understated compared to other businesses in the area. But the moment we walked in, we were greeted with a clean, modern Asian-inspired interior that felt warm and inviting. We were welcomed right away with friendly smiles and seated immediately.

I started with a house sake while we looked over the menu—it had a really nice flavor and set the tone for the meal.

For starters, we went with the Edamame sprinkled with sea salt—perfectly prepared, crisp, and served warm.

Next up were the Ichigoh Buns. The buns were soft and fluffy, and the pork was perfectly seasoned—melting in your mouth with every bite.

We also ordered the Karaage (Japanese fried chicken), which was cooked to perfection—crispy, not oily, and served with lemon and creamy Kewpie mayo. Absolutely delicious.

For our main dish, we chose the Spicy Tare Tsukemen, which was the monthly special—and it was outstanding. Rich, flavorful, and with just the right level of spice.

One of the highlights of the evening was the owner herself, who was present, hands-on, and genuinely enjoying the atmosphere alongside her guests. It’s clear they take pride in every little detail here.

I asked the owner to recommend another sake that would pair well with my spicy ramen, and she absolutely nailed it—choosing a sake from Northern Japan that complemented the dish beautifully.

Having just returned from Japan, I can honestly say it’s rare to find a ramen spot outside of Japan that pays this much attention to detail, with such a refined yet relaxed atmosphere and a team that’s genuinely passionate about what they do.

The fact that they deliver all of this at such an affordable price is truly impressive.

If you’re in the area, this place should absolutely be on your must-visit list. And when I’m back in Dallas, it will definitely be at the...

-2024-08-09 Update- Do yourself a favor and TRY TSUKEMEN while it's available during the summer!!!!

I lost track of time since my last visit and forgot to come here when summer started, but I am overjoyed to report that they did indeed bring back their Tsukemen for the Summer, and it's DELICIOUS! This is the closest thing to the amazing Tsukemen in Japan that I've found in DFW. I had the Spicy Tare Tsukemen and it was fantastic!!

It came with two of THE most tender pieces of pork chashu I've had in the world, I could hardly pick it up with chopsticks without it falling apart. The broth came in a huge bowl and it was filled with a bunch of minced pork, way more than most places. Sadly the noodles weren't the long thick noodles that you get in Japan (they're expensive to make), they were your standard Sapporo yellow wavy noodles used in ramen, but they were still excellent and went great with the dipping broth. The noodles were served warm and the broth was hot as well, great for dipping.

I'm so happy this is available in Dallas and I'll definitely be back to eat it a bunch more times before it goes away again, it's nearly impossible to find Tsukemen in DFW!!

-Original Post- Woe is me, I came here to try their Tsukemen which is super rare in the U.S., but they told me the only serve it in the summer 😭.

That said, WOW, this is easily the best ramen I've had in DFW, and is just as good as the ramen in Japan, this place is no slouch.

I had the spicy miso ramen and it has so many wonderful flavors, large chashu chunks, and a good amount of wavy noodles.

My only complaint here is the prices, I ordered an egg, nori, kaedama, and a beer, and it was nearly $50. I know ramen in the U.S. is generally more expensive but even this was some real sticker shock. Add that on top of your Deep Ellum parking / ride share costs and you're forking out steak level money for ramen.

That said, the ramen quality is top notch and you need to eat here...