Ichiddo Ramen Highland Park — Restaurant in Saint Paul

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Ichiddo Ramen, me and a friend try to go every week to their location in Minneapolis by 29th and Nicollet Ave. So imagine my great surprise and happiness to find out they opened one a block from where I live.

Now I want to say this now, all the criticism I am about to put forth is based on comparison to the Minneapolis location which I consider the best ramen in town. So 3 stars is still really good for me.

I always get Char Sui Ramen, the Char Sui is phenomenal. It is melt in your mouth with a slight smoky flavor from the searing. However here it was chewy, NOT chewy like gum, just not melt in your mouth awesomeness I am used to from Ichiddo. Also the pork broth while good, did not have the usual deep pork flavor to it.

The noodles, bamboo shoots, shrooms, fish cake, egg, were all done great. The takoyaki was also right on just like I am used to. I also got an example of their karage, which is the only app I did not like at their MPLS location. However here it was fantastic, not dry, juicy and really flavorful.

Now I give these criticisms because I love Ichiddo and I would love to get the same exact flavors here as MPLS. I also know it is new and there needs to be kinks worked out. As a chef myself I understand how difficult it can be to get consistency among cooks in one kitchen let alone multiple locations. I will be back, both here and MPLS, and will continue to update my reviews as I go back.

Oh also the service was fantastic. Also I hope if someone from the restaurant reads this they take it as the constructive feedback I am trying to give.

Ichiddo Rocks!!!

Update - I have been back a couple times. The char sui is delicious but just not the same as their Minneapolis location. This location is really shaping up though, great...

Going to Icchido is a magical experience, and one that I am always happy to be dragged into at random moments of my life. That's usually how the trips start - a friend calls me, says "I need to talk to someone" and then half an hour later, we're in a booth at Ichiddo. We usually split one of the incredible appetizers - first place I've had takoyaki, but you really can't go wrong with anything.

From there, you get to the actual ramen, and my GOODNESS, what a nice ramen it is. So much going on. So many tasty add-ins. You can't go wrong with the crispy chicken or char siu, though you probably can't go wrong with anything on the menu. If you ever go with someone who is looking for something simpler than ramen (some people are picky eaters that's just how it is) I recommend they try one of the rice bowls - while they're certainly a lot plainer than the ramen, they're still really solid.

All in all, Ichiddo is just such a pleasant experience, and I absolutely recommend you give it a shot. If you are at all like me, you're going to find yourself there all the time once you've...

Not very good food or service. I had the vegetarian ramen and age tofu. The server asked me if I am a vegetarian and I said yes. She said that the ramen would have a vegetarian broth. But then I ate the tofu and it had fish in it. I don’t see the point of asking if someone is a vegetarian if you then serve them a non vegetarian dish and don’t say anything. I was very offended by that as I have been a vegetarian for over ten years. Beyond that, the ramen was underwhelming. The broth was under seasoned and everything lacked flavor overall. The wait staff weren’t able to answer simple questions about what was in the food or drinks, and after we asked for our check it took about ten minutes for them to bring it. There was only one other table in the restaurant and two wait staff at the time. Not only am I disappointed by a poor food experience that was not worth the price, I’m pretty angry that I told them I’m a vegetarian and then was served non...