Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work as the chef of a restaurant known as one of Japan’s biggest ramen chains like Ichiran? We’re about to find out through a new virtual reality (VR) game called “Counter Fight Ichiran.”
The game’s objectives are the same as most games that let you don a virtual apron as the head chef: Take the custom orders of customers and prepare their desired meals to satisfy their cravings. “Counter Fight Ichiran” however gives you the additional challenge of delivering the ramen to customers after finishing the meal prep within a 15-second time limit, which adheres to Ichiran’s “15-second standard” in preparing the dish to maintain the freshness of its ingredients.
Aside from this, the game shows loyalty to the restaurant’s policies by making players serve presentable—if not beautiful—bowls of ramen created using customizable recipes with different toppings, noodles and broth types. We don’t know about you, but we’re not passing up this opportunity to recreate Ichiran’s famous tonkotsu ramen.
The game’s aesthetics also make you feel like you’re in the Ichiran ramen restaurant in Japan itself, making use of some elements from the restaurant’s “five originals,” including the Kaedama plates and ordering system, as well as its signature original spicy red sauce. The melody that plays when a server comes to collect your Kaedama plate can also be heard in the game as part of its background music and sound effects. Arita porcelain donburi bowls, one of Japan’s traditional and historical porcelain ware which those who have dined at Ichiran may be familiar with, are also present in the game.
“Counter Fight Ichiran” is playable through Oculus in single-user mode, and comes in three languages: English, Chinese and Japanese. You can get it here.
If VR games aren’t your thing and you’d rather enjoy ramen in real life, you can order from these local ramen restaurants or make Michelin-starred ramen at home with Tsuta’s ready-to-cook kit instead.
