Ordering my food from a vending machine and having to eat it in a partitioned booth meant for one may certainly seem odd and not a little assembly line like, but for ramen this reliably good, I'm willing to make an exception. Showing up just after 11 in the morning, we were fortunate that there was absolutely no queue out front(unlike the evening before) and were quickly ushered upstairs.

I got the "Ichiran Select 5" set, which comes with extra chashu, onsen egg, cold tea, and a surprisingly good matcha pudding. Customize your ramen to your personal preferences including soup richness, spiciness, and whether you want spring onions and garlic.

The thin noodles are firm and springy, and the broad slivers of chashu tender and slightly melt-in-the-mouth, but the true star is the creamy tonkotsu broth that's milky smooth, rich and made all the more gratifying by being adjusted to my tastes with loads of spring onion, garlic and just a smidgen of their spicy red sauce.

Not the best as some boldly claim, but definitely slurp worthy.

Taste: 3.5/5