At This Restaurant, Human Interaction Is Discouraged With its 'low-interaction dining,' food is the focus at Ichiran, a popular chain in Asia that recently expanded to Brooklyn, N.Y.

By Stephen J. Bronner Edited by Dan Bova

Ichiran

When was the last time you truly focused on eating? By that I mean, you placed the food in your mouth, chewed and concentrated on the flavors as they hit your taste buds, without any distractions.

I can't recall the last time I ate without doing something else, such as talking to another person or reading something on my phone.

Related: 15 Crazy Fast Food Items From Around the World

We all know about the dangers of multitasking, but very rarely do we make an effort to avoid it while we're eating. Perhaps we should. There are many benefits to meditation, and tuning out our surroundings to focus on food seems like an ideal time to reflect. (Wait, would that be multitasking?)

And now there's a place in New York that aims to help its customers do just that.

Image credit: Ichiran NY | Facebook

Ichiran, which has around 60 locations in Asia, opened a location a few weeks ago in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. The chain is known for "low-interaction dining," according to The New York Times, which, by the way, serves as its differentiating factor in a city filled with plenty of ramen spots. Patrons at the restaurant sit individually at "flavor concentration booths," with dividers between them. Customers don't even see the server's face as they place their orders. (To be sure, the restaurant also features a traditional dining room.)

Related: This French Foodie Sensation Is Coming to the States

Part of me loves this no-bullshit approach to a meal. I am an animal. I need sustenance. Do not get between me and my next meal. Let me eat -- and not get distracted by anything else.

Image credit: Ichiran NY | Facebook

Alas, Ichiran only serves pork-bone based soup with its ramen, and I try to avoid eating mammals, so I won't get to try this isolationist eatery.

Then again, maybe I can just lock myself in a closet with my salad during my next lunch break.
Stephen J. Bronner

BIZ Experiences Staff

News Director

Stephen J. Bronner writes mostly about packaged foods. His weekly column is The Digest. He is very much on top of his email.

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

Here Are the 10 Jobs AI Is Most Likely to Automate, According to a Microsoft Study

These careers are most likely to be affected by generative AI, based on data from 200,000 conversations with Microsoft's Copilot chatbot.

Growing a Business

Your Retention Crisis Won't End Until You Make This Shift

If your company is in a high-turnover industry, it is within your control to be transformational or transactional with your employees.

Starting a Business

These Brothers Started a Business to Improve an Everyday Task. They Made Their First Products in the Garage — Now They've Raised Over $100 Million.

Coulter and Trent Lewis had an early research breakthrough that helped them solve for the right problem.

Leadership

How Business Leaders Can Uphold the Ideals America Was Founded On

As America's 250th anniversary approaches, business leaders are called to help reclaim the values that once defined the nation.

Business News

Mars Says 94% of Its Products Sold in the U.S. are Now Made There, Too

The candy-maker has created 9,000 jobs over the last five years with its investments, according to a new report.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.