World-famous ramen

This week on Consumed, Eater NY’s news editor Serena Dai takes us on a tour though Ichiran, the popular ramen chain from Japan that recently opened its first ever US location, in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Though the cost of a bowl of pork broth and noodles at the Brooklyn location is liable to set you back more than twice the amount of money the same bowl would in Japan, the Brooklyn outpost does adhere to the same unique service practices as the original Ichirans. Diners slurp their ramen in individual “flavor-enhancing” cubicles, order wordlessly by filling out a paper form, and are encouraged to silence their cellphones, making for a solitary and very quiet meal. Even the waitstaff remains relatively hidden from sight, removing menus and delivering orders through a small, torso-level window in the cubicle’s front wall. Does the isolation really enhance the flavor of the ramen? Watch the video above to find out.