Ichiran vegan ramen kit

© Ichiran

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 …

more

Chef Woo noodles beef in bag

© Chef Woo / Borealis Foods

Company News

Borealis Foods Inc, Maker of Gordon Ramsay-Backed Chef Woo Vegan Ramen, Announces NASDAQ Listing

Ontario-based Borealis Foods, a food tech company focused on vegan ramen products, announces today that it will commence trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker “BRLS” on February 8, 2024, following the closing of its previously announced business combination (“the Business Combination”) with Oxus Acquisition Corp. (“Oxus”). Borealis explains its focus on ramen products, stating that the noodles are enjoyed by over 5 billion people in a $40B global market, making it the most widely consumed packaged food on the market. “It 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,” says the Canadian brand. Ramsay’s touch …

more

Veggie Dynamite Vegan Ramen

© INSTELLA / Playful Foodie

Products & Launches

Vegan YouTuber’s Veggie Dynamite Ramen Launches on Amazon

South Korean specialist vegan food enterprise INSTELLA announces the vegan ramen product Veggie Dynamite produced by its flagship brand Playful Foodie is launching on Amazon this month, as both Korean cuisine and ramen continue to trend globally. Established in 2021, INSTELLA’s CEO, Mi-Lyung Cho, is a culinary YouTuber known for introducing Korean recipes to her audiences. Playful Foodie says, “We want you to find joy and not feel like you’re missing out on the flavors and happiness of animal-based food. Playful Foodie products aim to bring the joy of veganism to vegetarians worldwide.” While many ramen noodles contain animal-based ingredients such as dried pollack broth, Veggie Dynamite is created with soybean paste and the soup base is purely plant-based, with certified vegan chili powder for …

more

© JINYA Ramen Bar

Food Service

JINYA Ramen Bar Offers Free Impossible Tacos for World Vegan Day

JINYA Ramen Bar is joining the global celebration of World Vegan Day on November 1st by offering a special promotion in collaboration with Impossible Foods at all its US and Canada locations.  On November 1st, customers visiting any JINYA location can enjoy a free order of Impossible Tacos with the purchase of any plant-based ramen or plant-based rice bowl. JINYA’s menu consistently offers a wide range of Impossible meat-based plant options, from gyoza to tacos and buns. However, the spotlight is on the plant-based ramen. The broth is slowly simmered for over 20 hours using only FUJI water and complimented with handmade, specially aged noodles. The plant-based ramen offered at JINYA includes the Red Fire Opal, featuring thick noodles in Yuzu flavored hot and sour …

more

KUURAKU launches vegan ramen

© KUURAKU

Food Service

Japanese Restaurant Chain KUURAKU Launches Authentic Vegan Ramen

KUURAKU, a Japanese restaurant chain with locations across the Asia-Pacific region and Canada, has begun offering vegan ramen for the first time. The ramen is made with a special plant-based broth combined with vegetables, soy milk for creaminess, and homemade noodles. The launch comes in response to increased demand for vegan ramen worldwide, and follows significant R&D and trials. KUURAKU said it aimed to dispel the idea that Japanese cuisine offers few options for vegetarians and vegans. The new ramen also provides an option for flexitarians or those who want a lighter meal. “We are confident that the introduction of vegan ramen will attract rave reviews from our satisfied customers and make our outlets hugely popular,” said Mr Kojiro Honda, co-owner and founder at KUURAKU …

more

Ramen Impossible

© Ramen Impossible

Food Service

Top-Rated Plant-Based Restaurant Ramen Impossible Opens Popup in London

Ramen Impossible, a plant-based ramen chain based in Amsterdam, will open a popup location in London on June 16. Based at Mercato Metropolitano in Elephant and Castle, the popup will run until the end of August. For the first two days, guests will be able to get ramen for £2 by using the password “maho”, with no booking required. Ramen Impossible currently operates two (soon to be three) locations in Amsterdam, and is the top-rated ramen restaurant worldwide on plant-based platform Happy Cow. Fittingly, London was named the world’s most vegan-friendly city by Happy Cow last year. Founded by Japanese chef Atsushi Ishida, Ramen Impossible only uses organic, European, and plant-based ingredients. The menu features the chain’s signature Mazemen soupless ramen, available in the flavours …

more

immi Vegan Ramen Broth

©immi

Investments & Finance

Healthy Ramen Brand immi Closes $10M Series A to Scale Up Plant-Based Instant Ramen

Plant-based instant ramen brand immi announces it has closed $10M in Series A funding to help brings its healthy, low-carb and high-protein ramen to mainstream markets. The round was backed by a powerful group of celebrities, including Naomi Osaka, Usher and Apollo Ohno. Founded by Kevin Lee and Kevin Chanthasiriphan, immi sells a range of better-for-you instant vegan ramens in three flavors – Black Garlic “Chicken”, Spicy “Beef”, and Tom Yum “Shrimp”. Since launching in 2021, the brand reports “tremendous” growth in demand across its website, Amazon, and other online wholesale channels. Last year, the company began retail expansion at companies like Whole Foods, where it reports seeing strong, sustained retail velocities. The new financing will enable immi to continue scaling by hiring for key …

more

Kinjabang noodles chef

© Kinjabang Noodles

Company News

Kinjabang Noodles: How a Vegan Ramen Brand Became a Retail Success, Selling Out on Amazon

KinjaBang Noodles of Los Angeles states that, since its rather unconventional launch (see below), it has seen rapid growth, selling out on Amazon within hours and reaching the #1 spot in its category, and is now available at 10+ major chain retailers with a retail footprint of 1,500+ locations across the USA. Kinjaz, a “world-renowned” dance crew, choreographers for Justin Bieber and K-Pop Superstars and famous for NBC’s World of Dance and MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew, launched the ramen brand in a remarkable pivot during lockdown, when Covid forced the group to close down all their dance studios and cancel all tours. Partnering with Jaback Group, a leading business development conglomerate in the CPG space, the group created KinjaBang Noodles, and leveraging a social …

more

Kenchan Vegan Pork Spicy Ramen

©Kenchan Ramen

Gastronomy & Food Service

OMNIFoods and Kenchan Ramen Launch DIY Ramen Kits Featuring OMNI Ground Pork

Alt-protein brand OMNIFoods announces it is partnering with LA’s Kenchan Ramen to offer at-home, DIY vegan ramen kits to consumers in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada and Utah.  Made to provide an authentic, at-home ramen experience, Kenchan Ramen’s plant-based options are now available for purchase online and include three varieties:  White Truffle Mushroom – Creamy veggie broth adn white truffle w/ spinach noodles, edamame and sauteed mushrooms, drizzled with truffle oil. Ginger Garlic Shio – An umami-filled ginger & garlic soup base with fresh noodles, sauteed mushrooms, spinach, lotus root, and onion ginger oil.  Spicy Sesame – A spicy ramen with stir-fried OmniGround pork protein, fresh noodles, edamame, chili threads and sesame seeds.  According to OMNIFoods, its plant-based OMNIPork is an all-purpose pork alternative with a …

more