Inside Ramen One: the home of Vancouver's first individual-booth ramen

Marco Ovies/Daily Hive

Here at Dished, we are no strangers to solo dining, but we understand that this can be intimidating to many people. That’s why we were so excited when we got word that Ramen One was bringing an individual booth ramen experience to Vancouver. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that bowls start at just $10.

Ramen One soft opened on March 24, and we were among the first to go inside and check out the new space. Keep reading to learn all about what you can expect at this new Vancouver noodle spot.

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The concept

Ramen One’s solo dining concept is centred around the Japanese term ohitorisama, which refers to a solo customer. As an ohitorisama, you can have a relaxing solo dining experience where you can enjoy the food by yourself without the need for company.

Some Vancouverites may be intimidated by the idea of going to a restaurant alone, but we promise that once you try this ramen, you’ll forget all your solo-dining anxiety.

Marco Ovies/Daily Hive

Ramen One isn’t set up like your traditional restaurant with tables and chairs. Instead, there is a counter set up entirely around a square cube kitchen that is walled off.

Each seat has two dividers between them to offer a more private experience. But don’t worry, if you’re coming here with friends you can fold up the divider.

Marco Ovies/Daily Hive

Each booth has a button on the wall that lets you call a server to take your order. Once you place your order, you don’t have to worry about talking to anyone else. All interactions will be through a tiny curtained window, where your food will be handed directly to your table.

If you’re new to the world of solo dining, then this is a great starting point (but we are firm believers you can eat almost anywhere by yourself). And while we are excited about this new concept, we also have to take a moment to talk about the food.

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The food

Ramen One’s offers a small but delightful menu with affordable meals starting at $10. When you visit, we’d definitely recommend ordering one of its combos. For an extra $6 to $7, you can choose any of the main dishes and add a side and drink.

When we visited, we tried two sides: the takowasabi and the pork floss onigiri.

If you’re a fan of wasabi, then the takowasabi is right up your alley. It’s raw octopus marinated in, you guessed it, a wasabi sauce. This side dish is very wasabi-forward but was a delightful accompaniment to the rich ramen.

The onigiri, on the other hand, was also delicious. You’re able to order these rice balls with three different fillings: pork floss, shredded chashu, and shiso (perilla leaf extract). Quite frankly, we don’t think you can go wrong with any of these options.

But now, onto the ramen.

Marco Ovies/Daily Hive

We tried the Premium Chashu Soy Milk Ramen, which is currently the priciest bowl on Ramen One’s menu, coming in at $13.95 (which is still a great deal in our books). The bowl came with three pieces of chashu, bamboo shoots, nori, kikurage, green onions, and an egg.

We ended up upgrading to the sake egg with our meal. Ramen One told us they are the first to bring this sake-marinated egg to Vancouver, adding a subtle sake flavour to these soft-boiled eggs.

Marco Ovies/Daily Hive

On the walls of each booth, there are numerous spices to customize your ramen, like lemon pepper, chilli powder, and wasabi pepper.

As for sweets, Ramen One is planning on having a Castella Cheesecake kiosk for dessert options and takeout orders.

Ramen One is still operating under a soft opening but will announce a grand opening date soon. If you want to try one of these tasty bowls of ramen, we’d recommend showing up earlier in the day before it’s sold out.

Ramen One

Address: 433 W Broadway, Vancouver

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