Ramen Bar Ichi — Restaurant in Houston

I tried Ramen Bar Ichi after a friend recommended it to me. I enjoy trying different ramen bars in Houston and have tried about 15 of them in the Houston area.

My friend and I ordered a Tonkotsu Ramen, a Spicy Ramen, and a order of Takoyaki. When looking at the menu at the restaurant, every ramen bowl was explained to come with a mix of chicken and pork soup. Even the vegetable ramen... Online I noticed that this has been fixed, but we were confused for a while.

The service was good and we received our entire order really fast. Don't really have any complaints with regards to service or speed.

With regards to the Takoyaki, it wasn't bad by any sense of the word, but it didn't really impress me though. I would rate it to be fairly average.

With regards to the Tonkotsu Ramen, it was very disappointing. Instead of the rich and creamy broth that I have come to expect from a Tonkotsu, I got a broth which taste more resemble chicken broth than a ramen broth. I would rank the noodles lower than average and definitely didn't taste homemade. The mushrooms were cut so small that they didn't taste like anything. The bamboo was good. The ajitama was cooked perfectly but, since the broth wasn't very good, I couldn't really tell you if it actually tasted good. The meat was very good.

With regards to the Spicy Ramen, it was as bad as the Tonkotsu, but was anything special. The broth had a lot more flavor than the Tonkotsu, and I don't just mean due to the spiciness. The toppings were all the same as the Tonkotsu. I didn't have the ajitama with this bowl, but my friend was underwhelmed.

Lastly, I would like to discuss the price. The ajitama is part as a part of my rating, and normally a part of the bowl so even though they sell it separately (Not sure how I feel about that), I am adding it into the price. With that in mind, the ramen here is on the expensive side. You can get a Tonkotsu down the road at Ramen Jin for $9 and that includes the ajitama. For the same bowl at Ramen Bar Ichi, the cost would be $11. And that isn't taking into account that Ramen Jin has a much better ramen in my opinion. The spicy ramen adds an extra dollar to the Tonkotsu, thus putting it to $12. While some ramen places have started charging more for spicy ramen, most are perfectly happy bringing you the spicy seasoning to add yourself for free. (Jinya charges for spicy ramen and has the spicy seasoning on the table...Just order the regular and add the seasoning yourself if you didn't know).

For those that haven't tried some of the other ramen bars in Houston, I recommend picking some of the other ones. There are plenty that serve a superior product for a cheaper costs. I will probably try Ramen Bar Ichi again just to make sure my visit wasn't a fluke, and will update if there are in changes...

So far in the city of Houston, I have been to 15 Ramen restaurants (I'm surprised my heart was able to last this long). In my list, this place is one of the top 3 of my list. The ramen is amazing here! (There's a TLDR at the bottom if you don't want to read all the info)

The Ramen: I ordered the Tonkotsu ramen when I came here. Everything about the ramen, like the pork chashu, the noodles, and the broth were all incredible, The broth was the best part of the ramen for me, because it was more rich and creamy compared to other places I've been to. Also, instead of giving you only half of an egg, they give you a whole egg, which is pretty nice. The only small gripe I have with their ramen is that they kinda overdo it with the amount of green onions they throw in their bowls. I love green onions, but even for me it nearly killed me. You could just ask them not to include green onions though, so it should be okay. Haha. The price is average for a ramen bowl. Usually around $11 - $12.

I also had their takoyaki for an appetizer. This place is unique for having more than 1 type of takoyaki. They have 5 types: Osaka style, Mentai mayo, Onion sauce, Kimchee, and Ponzu Sauce. I had the Ponzu sauce takoyaki. It was really good! One of the best ramen restaurants to get takoyaki!

The venue is small here, but it's nice and has a good vibe! There's also great parking and the staff here are very cool and nice!

This place is very, VERY good and I'd definitely recommend eating ramen here. This is just my opinion though, so if this place doesn't turn out to be your favorite, that's alright! Even so, I hope you'll enjoy eating ramen here! 🍜👍

TLDR -One of the best ramen places in town. (One of the top 3 out of 15 in my ramen list). Has the best broth. -They kinda overkill with the green onions here. If you really hate green onions, tell them not to include it in your bowl. They put in A LOT. -Average price for ramen. $11 to $12 bucks. -Also one of the best places to get takoyaki. Unlike other places, they have a variety of takoyaki you can choose. (5 types of takoyaki) -Small venue, but vibes are great here and it's comfy. Good staff too. -Good...

--- NK Score = 8.5/10 ---

8/10 = Furniture/Ambience 9/10 = Food Quality 8/10 = Prices/Services (Other Ratings Hidden) =( BASIC INFO )=

Cozy, Medium Sized Restaurant Can Be Busy, Some Waiting Good Food ( $10.00 - $12.00 ) Strong Broth Style Ramen Little Pricy, Decent Service Average Parking Accessibility = Atmosphere =

Unique interior design with comfy booths and spacious tables. The place is usually somewhat noisy, but it's completely manageable as it's just people chatting. The booth is really nice and soft, so definitely get one of those and you'll be set. = Food Quality =

Tonkotsu Ramen ($10.00): Very strong and delicious broth, possibly packed with sodium, but the overall flavor is generally good. The broth is on the salty side and you'll probably start heating up from the soup, so be prepared for that. The scallions, wood ears, egg, and bamboo were all really well made and had good texture, delicious. Also, their Chasiu has an interesting BBQ touch to it, which gave it an amazing unami flavor with a touch of sweetness. The noodles were pretty normal, but when you sum everything up as a whole, this is definitely one amazing bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen. = Price / Service =

The prices here are pretty normal for Ramen, but yes, $10 is still a little costly for most people. Anyways, I believe the price is pretty fair for what you get, a good portion that will definitely fill you up. The service here is pretty good, they'll come by often and help you with anything you need, nice! Recommendations: Definitely the Tonkotsu Ramen, it's very delicious and heart warming, but do be prepared to brace against the salt cannon! Other than that, this is a must try for anyone that likes quality ingredients mixed with a good bowl of Ramen.

Signed NK (June 2017) Images below by...