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Ivan Orkin: The Ramen King of New York

By: Reading Time: 4 Minutes

Ivan Orkin’s passion for Japan and Japanese cuisine has made him one of the most famous ramen chefs in the world. But what is the true secret of the New Yorker who has even become a cult figure in Japan?

“I didn’t go to Japan to open a ramen bar. I moved to Japan because I got married to a Japanese woman and we wanted to start a new adventure together with our sons.” What Ivan Orkin didn’t know is that this would shape his life forever and eventually make him one of the most famous ramen chefs in the world. It is often the case that the greatest success stories start small. This was true for Ivan as well.

Ivan Ramen logo in graffiti style

Image: Daniel Krieger

Ivan Orkin – from dishwasher to restaurant owner

Born in New York state in the US, Ivan Orkin’s culinary journey began at the age of 15 when he made his first steps into gastronomy as a dishwasher at a sushi bar. This job allowed Ivan Orkin to look “behind the scenes” and be in the middle of what was going on. A completely new culture opened up to him – not to mention a new cuisine. Both fascinated him so much that he decided to study Japanology. He returned to the land of the rising sun time and again until he finally moved to Japan permanently with his second wife in 2003 after graduating from the renowned Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

Ivan Orkin initially pursued his passion for Japanese cuisine only as a hobby, because his main job was taking care of their two sons while his wife focused on building her career. Over time, however, the current Ramen King gradually felt the desire to pursue his passion full-time. In 2006, Ivan opened his first ramen restaurant and quickly established himself as one of the best ramen chefs in the city – even though he was not a local.

One becomes three – more ramen restaurants by Ivan Orkin

Four years later, the second restaurant followed, before Ivan Orkin and his family returned to New York in 2012 – determined to gain a foothold there while continuing to run his two restaurants in Tokyo. At that time, his cookbook Ivan Ramen was also published and became a bestseller. People were very interested in Ivan Orkin, his personal story – but most of all in his ramen creations. In November 2013 he finally opened his first restaurant in New York City, the Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop, on Gotham West Market. More than ten years later, the flagship restaurant on the Lower East Side is still as popular as ever and remains the flagship of the Ramen King.

Chef Ivan Ramen preparing ramen noodles in the kitchen

Image: Daniel Krieger

Quality is everything

However, other chefs also have a passion for Japanese cuisine. So what is the real secret of Ivan Orkin’s success? He is extremely modest when asked this question. “I would never claim to be better than other chefs. There are so many different styles of ramen and so many ways to cook them. You can love one style but always prefer another.”

He is aware that being a white man in Tokyo made him a bit of a curiosity. Nevertheless, he always knew that the quality of his food would be the deciding factor whether the guests would return. “I wanted to win people over by showing that my ramen was simple yet delicious. The quality has to be right – that’s the most important thing.”

Ivan Ramen – “It’s about the experience.”

Another central aspect of his philosophy is hospitality. During his research, Ivan found that many ramen shops were uncomfortable and often not welcoming to children. “For me, gastronomy is about hospitality,” he says. “I wanted to create a friendly ramen shop where you don’t just go, eat and leave, and where families with children also feel comfortable.”

What the ramen pro also discovered was that the New York ramen experience is quite different from the one in Japan. While in Asia, mostly men and workers come to the eat-and-drink bars to quickly grab a bowl of soup and leave after 20 minutes, the American concept offers significantly more ramen variations, as well as appetizers and drinks – which extends the stay to between 40 minutes and an hour. This means that the atmosphere in the restaurant is just as important as the taste of the dishes. “When someone comes to my restaurant, they should be able to relax and enjoy the food – that’s my idea of a successful restaurant visit.” For Ivan Orkin, it is important that guests not only eat well, but also take positive memories with them. Whether eating in a small shop or an upscale restaurant, he says, “Eating is about more than just consuming food; it’s about the experience.”

Ramen with spoon and chopsticks

Image: Daniel Krieger

Growing demand – Ivan Orkin’s plans for the future

The Ramen King also emphasizes that he has never let himself be influenced by other shops and their concepts. Instead, Ivan Orkin still only creates dishes that he personally likes and enjoys eating himself. As time went on, he experienced the worldwide popularity of ramen changing in recent years. Many cities, including New York, Los Angeles and London, have seen a boom in ramen restaurants. Now 60, he recalls that ramen was once considered a simple street food and received little respect in the culinary community. Today, the focus is not only on taste, but also on how this hyped “noodle soup” is prepared.

To meet this growing demand and, as he says, “keep up with the times and the wishes of his customers,” Ivan Orkin plans to expand his brand through a franchise system. A successful partnership with a company in the UK has now led to locations being sought for openings in London and Las Vegas. “I do what I love to do and I love to eat ramen. This seems to be well received by foodies. I enjoy it, and I’m not doing it to become even more famous. People should just have the opportunity to eat my soups.”

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