A year after Ivan Ramen arrived in Farringdon, the restaurant from Netflix Chef’s Table star Ivan Orkin is ready for a second London address, and it has chosen a neighbourhood street rather than another central postcode. The new site opens in late November on Askew Road in West London.
That choice says something about where ramen now sits in London. It is no longer only a dish people cross town for. Orkin frames the opening as becoming a local: “We’re looking forward to becoming part of the neighbourhood and continuing to share a menu that we’ve poured a lot of thought, history and flavour into,” he said.
What diners will find
Askew Road will be a larger venue than Farringdon, with 28 covers serving the same menu of ramens, small plates and desserts. Signature dishes include Ivan’s Karaage and Crispy Nasu, alongside ramens such as Shoyu, Spicy Miso Red Chilli and Tonkotsu.
The menu will not stand still for long. Ivan Ramen says an expanded menu will arrive in mid-December, and Orkin is developing warming Japanese dishes such as Katsu Curry to run alongside the core ramen list. For opening week, the restaurant will offer 2 for 1 on select ramens.
The design continues the Tachigui-inspired concept from Farringdon. The interiors blend the Japanese ramen-ya with New York diner energy, the brand’s manga lightbox takes a prominent place, and the new site adds both counter and banquette seating in the style of Japan’s trendy, efficient ramen bars.
An outsider’s ramen
Orkin’s own story is a large part of the draw. He earned culinary respect as an outsider cooking ramen in Japan, and the brand has travelled from its roots in Tokyo to the US, then to a UK pop-up, before settling permanently in London with the Farringdon opening in November 2025.
“It’s so exciting to be opening a second site in London, a city that I love and is a real hub for food, culture and creativity,” Orkin said. “London has embraced Ivan Ramen from the very beginning, so I’m thrilled to be able to bring the experience to even more people.”
It fits a pattern FEAST readers will recognise: small, characterful kitchens with a clear point of view, of the kind we picked out in our guide to independent London eateries worth seeking out. Japanese cooking in the capital has plenty of range, from noodle counters to the modern menus OKA has built across London.
The partner behind the move
The second site has been made possible by Sessions, a growth platform that works with founder-led brands. Rather than a chef expanding alone, the opening has a partner whose stated business is helping those brands reach more people.
Dan Warne, chief executive and founder of Sessions, said: “It has been an honour to work with Ivan and his team over the past year. Following such a fantastic response to the Farringdon launch, we knew there was an opportunity to take it further.”
What it means for diners
For West London, it means a ramen counter with a well-known name arriving on a local street rather than in a dining destination. For Ivan Ramen, the test is whether a format that worked in Farringdon travels to a neighbourhood crowd. The mid-December additions suggest the team is planning for regulars, not just a busy launch week.
Ivan Ramen Askew Road opens in late November, with 2 for 1 on select ramens during opening week. Details and image via Ivan Ramen.
