Ichiban Ramen Soi 24 Sukhumvit Bangkok

The Japanese “Local” That Feels Like Home (Even If You’re a 6ft Farang)

If Yuna on Soi 11 is my polished, slightly fancy obsession, then Ichiban Ramen on Sukhumvit Soi 24 is the sweaty, noisy, ridiculously loveable neighbourhood izakaya I treat like my personal canteen. This place is pure comfort-food chaos in the best way possible, and at prices that make me feel like I’m stealing.

Location: The Heart of Little Tokyo (The other ‘Little Tokyo’ – not the one in Silom)

Tucked down the Phrom Phong end of Sukhumvit Soi 24, about 3 minutes’ walk from Phrom Phong BTS or Emporium/EmQuartier. You’ll pass a ‘million’ massage shops, a Lawson convenience store, and then suddenly there’s a big red lantern and a sliding door that looks like it belongs in Osaka, not Bangkok.The sign just says “Ichiban” in katakana and English. Inside it’s narrow, bright, and smells like pork broth and sizzling garlic 24/7. Japanese salarymen in rolled-up shirtsleeves, groups of Thai office ladies, and the occasional lost tourist who heard “best ramen” on TikTok. It’s loud, it’s fun, and it’s never pretentious.

The Greatest 200-Baht Meal in Bangkok (Fight Me)

Here’s the pro move that will change your life: skip the giant ramen bowl (unless you’re starving) and order the “half & half” combo that locals live on.

• Half ramen (choose tonkotsu, miso, or shoyu) – 100 baht
• Half chahan (Japanese fried rice with charred garlic bits that should be illegal) – 100 baht
  Total: 200 baht. Two hundred. That’s £4.50 / $5.80 in real money.

You get a perfectly balanced, soul-hugging lunch: springy noodles in rich broth + greasy-in-the-best-way fried rice that crackles when you bite it. Unlimited free iced green tea or hot tea from the jug on every table. I do this at least twice a week and still can’t believe it’s legal.

The Comfort Food Menu That Keeps Me Coming Back

Ramen is great here (proper Hakata-style tonkotsu with the cloudy, porky broth), but the real magic is the rest of the menu:

• Katsu Curry – thick Japanese curry, golden pork cutlet, rice, happiness
• Oyakodon – the chicken-and-egg rice bowl that tastes like your Japanese mum made it (if you had one)
• Subuta – sweet and sour pork done the Japanese way: chunky pork, peppers, onions, tangy black-vinegar sauce that makes you make involuntary noises
• Gyoza – pan-fried until the bottoms are leopard-spotted and crisp

Portions are massive. Prices are 150–280 baht. I’m still waiting for them to realise they’re under-charging.

The Vibe: Pure Izakaya Energy

Sit at the long counter (do it) and you’re basically in the splash zone of the open kitchen. Woks roaring, ladles clanging, clouds of garlic steam rolling over you like you’re in a Ghibli movie. The chefs are shouting orders in Japanese Thai, the waitresses are running around with trays of beer, and everyone is smiling because the food is stupidly good. After 6 pm it turns into a proper izakaya. Japanese expats roll in straight from the office, loosen their ties, and stay for hours. By 9 pm there’s a forest of empty Asahi bottles, and someone is definitely crying happy tears into their second bowl of ramen.

Price Reality Check (December 2025)

Lunch “half & half” combo: 200 baht A$9.50
Full ramen bowl: 180–250 baht A$8.50 – A$11.85
Most rice dishes: 160–280 baht A$7.60 – A$13.30
Large Asahi draft: 150 baht – A$7.10
You can stuff yourself silly for under 400 baht – A$19. You can also accidentally spend 2,000 baht A$95 if you decide to “keep the yakitori coming” with a group. Both are valid life choices.

Who This Place Is Perfect For

• Budget legends who still want real Japanese quality
• Japanese expats missing home (you’ll be surrounded by them)
• Solo eaters – counter seating makes it zero awkward
• Late-night ramen warriors (open till midnight or later most nights)
• Anyone staying in Phrom Phong / Thonglor who doesn’t want to spend 1,000 baht on dinner

Tiny Details I Love

• Free tea (hot or iced) – unlimited refills, no attitude
• Staff remember your face after two visits and start bringing your usual without asking

Final Verdict

Ichiban Ramen isn’t trying to be cool. It isn’t on any “Top 10 Ramen in Bangkok” YouTube list (yet). It doesn’t have a fancy website or English menu on the wall. It just cooks honest, delicious Japanese comfort food every single day at prices that haven’t changed since the Jurassic era.

It’s my second home. It’s my happy place when I’m hungover, broke, or just need something that tastes like a hug. If you’re anywhere near Phrom Phong, do the half ramen + half fried rice order exactly once and thank me later. Your wallet will be light, your belly will be full, and you’ll finally understand why half the Japanese expats in Bangkok have this place on speed dial.

Ichiban Ramen
Sukhumvit Soi 24 (about 200 m down on the left, look for the red lantern)
Open 11:00–14:30 & 17:00–midnight-ish (sometimes later if it’s busy)
No reservations, just walk in and grab a seat

See you at the counter. I’ll be the guy with garlic rice stuck to his shirt and a stupid grin on his face.

What’s your go-to Ichiban order – the half & half or something wilder? Drop it below!

More Bangkok food obsessions:

• My favourite Japanese restaurant in Bangkok
• Little Tokyo Bangkok
• The Top 10 Japanese Restaurants in Bangkok

Check out the location of Ichiban Ramen Soi 24