オフィシャル

There are two types of ramen noodle restaurants: postpaid and prepaid. At a postpaid restaurant, you are supposed to choose your preferred ramen noodles from a menu after sitting at a table. At a prepaid restaurant, you are supposed to purchase a meal ticket before taking a seat.

When you enter the restaurant, you will be greeted with a welcoming "I-ra-syai-mase" (Thank you for coming). After taking a seat at a table or counter, a cup of water will automatically be served, and it's complimentary. Sometimes customers pour water for themselves from a pitcher. The menu is either on the table or posted on the wall. Look for "ラーメン" (ramen) on the menu; the restaurant's signature ramen is usually listed at the beginning. If you're hungry, you can order a large bowl of ramen by saying "Oh-mori" (large bowl).

You can find the word "ラーメン" on the far right.

There is usually a ticket machine near the entrance. Typically, the ticket machine accepts cash only, so you need to prepare a small amount of cash in advance. Credit cards are not accepted. The ticket machine has a coin slot and a bill slot. Recent ticket machines accept not only 1,000 JPY bills but also 5,000 JPY and 10,000 JPY bills. First, locate "ラーメン" on the front panel, and you'll likely find the restaurant's signature ramen assigned to a top button. Insert your money into the ticket machine, press the button, and you will receive a ramen ticket. You'll need to enter the restaurant with this ticket. The process after taking a seat is the same as at a postpaid restaurant.

When you place your ramen order or hand over your ticket, the restaurant staff may ask you, "Okonomi-wa?" (How would you like your ramen?) In other words, you can customize the taste of your ramen according to your preferences. However, this might be challenging for ramen beginners. So, I'd like to share a magic phrase: "Fu-tsu-u de onegai-shimasu" (I'd like it with the normal taste, please). For reference, I always request "Fu-tsu-u". If you become a seasoned ramen master, feel free to customize the taste of your ramen (^o^)/

The key to enjoying good ramen is eating it quickly. If you eat it leisurely, the noodles will stretch out. Use your chopsticks to pick up some noodles, blow on them to cool them down, and slurp them up quickly. Don't be afraid to make noise; it's common in Japan for people of all ages to slurp their ramen. If you find the soup delicious, it's perfectly acceptable to finish it, and you can even hold the bowl with both hands and drink directly from it. It's a more authentic Japanese way of enjoying ramen.

When leaving the restaurant, saying "Go-chi-so-sama" will make the restaurant staff happy. "Go-chi-so-sama" is a Japanese expression of gratitude towards those who prepared the meal. It's also a sign that you're ready to settle the bill at a postpaid restaurant before leaving.

There are many different flavors of ramen noodles in Japan, such as "sho-yu" (soy sauce), "miso," "tonkotsu" (pork belly and bone-based white soup), and more. Try various tastes during your stay in Japan. To conclude, I'll provide you with some useful phrases for communicating your preferences to the restaurant staff while pointing at this article. I hope you discover the best bowl of ramen in Japan!

ラーメンを食べたいです。（I would like to eat ramen noodles.）

食券の買い方を教えて下さい。（Please tell me how to purchase a meal ticket.）

大盛にして下さい。(I'd like a larger bowl, please.)

普通で良いです。(I prefer the normal taste.)

お水を下さい。(Please give me a glass of water.)

お会計をして下さい。(I'd like to pay.)

大好き、中央区！（I really like Chuo Ward!）

Special thanks to ROKUSAN, a ramen restaurant, for allowing me to take photos for the blog.