一蘭 台灣台北本店

Ichiran Ramen's Xinyi flagship store has become almost a part of the dining experience due to its popularity. This time, the actual wait time was quite exaggerated—draw the number tag at 15:55, and only being seated at 19:05, a full three hours. Eating in Japan should be much quicker, haha.

I ordered the classic "Natural Tonkotsu Ramen."
The broth, once served, still features the familiar Ichiran style: the tonkotsu is delicately emulsified, smooth in texture, and free of any fishy taste, embodying the "stable, safe, and non-risky" classic direction. While this kind of broth is indeed enjoyable to sip on, it is also too standardized, lacking surprising peaks and valleys.

In the customization options, I chose more garlic and a bit more sweetness, but upon tasting, the garlic flavor remained relatively weak and didn’t create the expected enhancement; the overall flavor still centered primarily around the tonkotsu itself. For those who love garlicky ramen, it might feel a bit conservative.

I selected a "hard" noodle texture, which had acceptable elasticity, but the bite could have been a little firmer compared to what I experienced in Japan; it lacked a bit of crispness. The chashu performed normally, with a decent ratio of fat to lean meat, but it also fell into the category of "not making mistakes, but not particularly memorable."

Overall, Ichiran Ramen's Xinyi flagship store's "Natural Tonkotsu Ramen" maintains the quality and consistency expected from the brand. However, after such a long wait, the taste seems too "basic." If seen as a pilgrimage or experience, it still holds value; but if measured solely by efficiency and satisfaction, the cost of waiting does make one reconsider whether it is worth it.