Products & Launches

Ramen Chain Ichiran Launches Vegan Ramen Kit After Six Years of R&D

Japanese ramen chain Ichiran, operating 83 locations across Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, has developed a new vegan ramen kit, which will launch in the US on March 1. Founded in 1960, Ichiran claims to be Japan’s top tonkotsu ramen restaurant and in the US it currently has three restaurants in Brooklyn, Times Square, and Midtown New York.

The ramen kit arrives on the market after six years of R&D and claims to offer the same depth, richness, and smokey flavor as the company’s original tonkatsu ramen. It contains a liquid broth concentrate featuring soy, roasted garlic, onion, shiitake, ginger, and vegetables. It is accompanied by a ramen oil that adds creaminess to the broth, along with Ichiran’s signature Original Spicy Red Seasoning made from togarashi peppers. Finally, the kit includes Hakata-style thin noodles. It has been certified vegan by the Japanese nonprofit VegeProject.

Each box is priced at $20 and contains two portions, which can be prepared in just three to four minutes. The kit will be available at Ichiran’s New York locations from March 1, and will launch on the chain’s website on March 15. Shipping is available to all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

© Ichiran

“The product is a culmination of an extensive six-year journey of research and development, where [Ichiran] sampled hundreds of recipes and conducted countless taste tests to create this new, completely vegan ramen, that boasts the same depth, richness, and smokey flavors cherished in its original Tonkotsu Ramen,” said the company.

“Ripe for disruption”

Vegan ramen is growing in popularity worldwide, as demonstrated by the success of Amsterdam-based vegan chain Ramen Impossible and bestselling Los Angeles brand Kinjabang Noodles. Additionally, healthy plant-based ramen brand Immi raised $10 million last year for its low-carb, high-protein products, while Ontario-based vegan ramen producer Borealis Foods recently announced a NASDAQ listing.

“[Ramen] is shelf-stable, convenient, and offers one of the highest turnover for retailers. The category is ripe for disruption in a market limited by product differentiation, low retail profit margins, lackluster new product development, and poor consumer perception,” said Borealis.

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