In a game-changing shift from its traditional early-morning ticket distribution, Michelin-starred ramen restaurant Ginza Hachigou has updated its seating system with the introduction of online reservations. As of November 2023, ramen enthusiasts seeking to indulge in the restaurant's highly lauded modern noodles (from ¥1,200) no longer need to queue up early in the morning.
Through the online reservation platform TableCheck, you can now secure your spot at the six-seat counter in advance. There is, however, a nominal ¥500 booking fee per person – a small price for guaranteed seating and a taste of Chef Yasushi Matsumura's French-infused ramen mastery.
With this new system, reservations open every Saturday at 9am for the subsequent week, offering time slots at half-hour intervals from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. Yes, this also means you only have 30 minutes to finish your meal.
While this pivot to digital booking represents a more convenient approach to dining logistics, Ginza Hachigou will continue to accommodate walk-in guests from 11am to 12.30pm. However, there's a limit of 30 spaces for walk-ins per day.
Does this make nabbing a spot at the famed noodle joint any less competitive? Probably not. The restaurant can only accommodate six diners at a time and the reserved seats only apply to the two-hour window period between 12.30pm to 2.30pm. So those without reservations will still have to rock up pretty early for their bowl of ramen, but the triumph of scoring a seat here just makes the noodles that much more delicious.
Ginza Hachigou is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11am, as well as selected Tuesdays (check X for the latest updates). Want to make a booking? Set a reminder for 9am on Saturday morning and have this tab ready.
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