Considered the American authority on ramen, Ivan did the impossible in 2006 and opened one of the most popular ramen shops in Tokyo where ramen enjoys cult-like status. Since then, he’s opened an internationally acclaimed ramen shop in NYC, released a bestselling cookbook and featured in Netflix’s Chef’s Table.
When our food scout, Jimmy, went to New York and tried Ivan’s ramen for the first time, he came home raving about it. He made it his mission to get Ivan over to this side of the pond and we didn’t need much convincing. So, in early 2023, we hosted a 13 week pop-up in Islington that resulted in thousands of people getting to sample Ivan’s food. We started simple with mazemen, a brothless ramen that’s been a staple on his menus, but as soon as the residency was over, we knew we needed to bring his full menu to the UK.
So that’s what we’re doing! For the first time, his food will be available in the UK through an exclusive partnership with Sessions. Keep your eyes peeled for the first restaurant, which will be opening in late 2025.
