HUNGRY. Ivan Ramen: New York's Best Ramen Restaurant, Conquering Tokyo, Heartbreak, Japanese Literature & Art
Ramen Thrives Because It Has No Rules
- Ramen has few hard rules compared with other Japanese specialities, making it fertile for creativity.
- Ivan notes Japanese chefs often keep techniques secret, but ramen itself is endlessly adaptable and hybridisable.
The Gaijin Card Saved His Day Off
- Ivan refused to join monthly neighborhood meetings because he valued one weekly day off.
- He attended once then stopped, and locals accepted him as 'just an American' who kept his schedule.
Prove It In The Origin Market First
- Cultural legitimacy matters when exporting cuisine; Ivan earned respect by cooking ramen for Japanese customers first.
- He used Japanese ingredients and techniques learned in Tokyo so his overseas bowls would resonate with local ramen eaters.
Ivan Orkin is one of the most unlikely success stories in the world of food.
A Jewish kid from New York moves to Tokyo, opens a tiny ramen shop in the suburbs, and somehow ends up becoming one of the most respected ramen chefs in Japan — a country famously protective of its culinary traditions.
In this conversation, Dan sits down with the founder of Ivan Ramen to unpack how that happened.
Ivan talks about teaching himself ramen, opening his first shop in Japan with barely any money, and the moment a single influential ramen critic changed the trajectory of his business overnight. He explains why ramen is one of the most creative foods in Japanese cuisine, why “authentic” is often the wrong word to use, and how breaking rules is sometimes the only way to find your voice.
Along the way they dive into the realities of running restaurants across different cities — from Tokyo to New York to Las Vegas — the difference between destination dining and foot-traffic restaurants, and the constant tension between creativity and the brutal economics of hospitality.
It’s a conversation about stubbornness, identity, and what it really takes to build something original in a culture that isn’t your own.
ON THE MENU:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:08 Japanese Literature and Murakami
00:04:23 Why Ivan Studied Japanese at University
00:11:05 The Genesis of Ivan Ramen - $60k to get started
00:12:26 Foreigner in Japan’s Ramen Scene
00:14:02 Fixing the Hospitality Problem in Ramen Shops (Lessons form Lutece)
00:25:33 What makes a good Ramen?
00:36:12 Taking Advantage of the Gaijin Card
00:40:05 How Tokyo Became an International Food City
00:40:12 Pizza & Wine - Tokyo Rivals the Best of the World
00:41:11 Ivan’s Favorite NYC Pizza Spots
00:44:06 Why the Pizza Scene Exploded in New York
00:47:50 Why Ivan Doesn’t Fear Recipe Copying
00:51:02 Ray Kroc and No-Nonsense Business Advice
01:01:52 How the USA is Killing its Small Businesses
01:06:08 What Most Restaurant Business Plans Miss
01:07:08 Why "Authentic" is a Terrible Word
01:07:52 The Moment Ivan Decided He Could Go For It
01:12:21 The Best Sandwiches in NYC
01:15:47 Ivan on London’s Food Scene
01:17:16 Ivan on British Tea (PG Tips vs Fancy Tea)
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This episode was edited by: G.Thomas Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)